Many students are afraid of calling colleges. Don’t be! Admissions counselors and college representatives are there to answer your questions and to help you make an informed college decision.
It’s OK to contact a college for more information about who they are and what they represent. Sometimes, it’s difficult to discern what the mission, beliefs, and values of a school are simply by its website. Speaking with an admissions counselor is a great opportunity to hear firsthand their passion (or lack thereof) for the school.
While you may have a ton of questions about things like financial aid or transfer credits, save your more technical questions for another day—or at least until the end of the call. It’s important to ask admissions counselors about the distinctives of the college’s mission.
5 questions you must ask to discover the heart of the school:
1. What is your school’s mission statement? (You may have read this online, but your admissions counselor may have additional insight and be able to expand on the mission.)
2. What drives you and others on your campus to do what you do there?
3. What are the students, faculty, and staff at your school committed to?
4. What is the education based on?
5. What makes your college stand out? What makes it distinctive?
A well-informed admissions counselor should be able to answer all of your questions and will either spur you to visit the college or raise questions about whether the school is actually a good fit for you.
