June 6, 2016
6 Tips for Parent's to Help Kids Go to College
(Provided by CalPac, Monday, June 06, 2016)
There are many factors that should go into choosing the perfect school. Finding a school that offers the field of study or major of your choice is often all that a student looks at. A student often neglects the campus visit, which, in many ways can be more meaningful and impact them more than anything else. After all, this is where the student will be spending at least a few years of his or her life!
Here are some tips for college campus visits:
Start Early!
It is never too soon to take your child to a college campus! You can start as early as elementary school. Doing this serves two purposes, it exposes children to the idea of college as a reality early on and it will help the child establish a sense of what he likes or dislikes in a campus.
Start with what you know
Take your child to local campuses, both community colleges and universities, so that he can get a sense of what that campus feels like. It is the most convenient way to start and it will expose your child to what is offered locally.
Take Advantage of family vacation time
Yes! Family vacations are a break from work and school but visiting a college campus for half a day wherever you may be is a great way to spend some time, get to know local life, and expose your child to a school that is well beyond the boundaries of home. Often times, students apply to schools out of state without having ever visited the school and that can often lead to a disappointing first year of college and perhaps a premature return home if your child finds that the match just won’t work after his first year of college.
Schedule a Tour
While it is nice to happen upon a college campus and explore for yourself, the best way to get a very good sense of the school and its students is by signing up for a free, guided walking tour of the entire campus. These tours are often led by students and offer valuable information about student life and school offerings.
Summer Programs
Keep an eye out for summer program for students that are offered on college campuses and that are sponsored by the school itself. These camps will give your child great exposure to college life, again reinforcing the notion that college can be a reality for them and showing them a snippet of what college life may be like. 
Virtual Tours
We understand that families are busy these days, and sometimes we just don’t have the capacity to do as many things as we like! The next best thing to taking a real tour at a campus is to take a virtual tour. Many universities now offer virtual webinar tours of their campuses and have information sessions online. To get an idea of all the colleges out there, sign your child up with College Board account and start searching for schools! Take advantage of university websites and spend some time researching the schools your child finds.
The prospect of college is often very exciting for students but it can also cause a lot of anxiety. This is probably the first time your child will be leaving the comfort of your home and taking his or her first step into the adult world.
You may even be a little nervous so take the extra time to help them through this process and get some quality time with them before they move away.
Contact Us Today @ (855) 225-7227.
Email - enroll@cal-pacs.org
