Questions for college tours, fairs and admissions

How do students in this major usually fit in an internship, during a semester or over the summer?

Programs differ on whether a fall away term is routine or a problem, and the answer often surfaces the specific employers that recruit from your department rather than from the university generally.

From: Questions to Ask Your Advisor as an Undergrad

Are you the admissions counselor for my area, and will you be one of the people reading my file?

Many admissions offices divide applicants by region or by high school, so the staff member interviewing you may also be your first reader. If so, the conversation and the application land with the same person. If not, ask who covers your school so you know where a later question should go.

From: Questions to Ask at a College Interview

Which class or professor would you tell every first-year to take?

This one is for an orientation leader, not an advisor, and it works best put to two or three of them. A name that comes up twice is worth a seat, and you tend to hear which popular course to avoid at eight in the morning as well.

From: Questions to Ask at College Orientation

Is there an advisor who works only on transfer, and when should I first see them?

Ask this even if transfer is two years off. The courses a university wants for a major often have to start in your first term, and a transfer advisor is the person who knows the order.

From: Questions to Ask When Visiting a Community College

How do you build a list, and how many schools end up on it?

Listen for whether the process starts with the student or with a template. A good answer describes a first conversation about what the student wants out of four years, then constraints such as money and distance, then names. Lists that arrive at the first meeting were not built for your child.

From: Questions to Ask a Private College Counselor

How do I set up disability accommodations, and how early should I start?

A plan from high school does not carry over on its own. The student has to request accommodations and the college usually wants its own documentation, so go to the disability office directly for what it needs and how long approval takes.

From: Best Questions to Ask Colleges