Let’s face it. The college admissions process can be a handful for students, especially those who don’t know where they want to apply. Students have a variety of options to consider, and finding a school that is a good fit for them can be a challenging process to say the least. Thankfully, the SCOIR college visit system can make learning more about a college or university you are interested in a much easier process.
SCOIR not only gives students access to valuable resources for their college search, but also allows them register for a college visit at SCH. Schools from across the world set up in the Exchange to answer questions and provide information that helps students enhance their understanding of the college or university that is visiting.
One school that recently made a visit to SCH was the American University of Paris. During my free period on September 17th, I was able to visit the Exchange and have a detailed and informative chat with Shaqueline Oberdoerster, the university’s Head of US Admissions.
During the conversation, I learned information about the school that is not available on the internet, or even SCOIR. This included facts about demographics, applicants, and even details about transportation and housing from someone who has experience on the campus. I was also given recommendations on how to apply, and told some things that the university is looking for in their applicants.
Meetings like the one I had with Ms. Oberdoerster are a great way to get to know a college or university better. They are also an opportunity to ask personalized questions regarding topics that are important to you. To help better understand the SCOIR process, I sat down with Director of College Counseling Brian Walter for an interview.
He believes that one of the most important aspects of these meetings is the ability to have a conversation with a real human being. “They can tell you something beyond the public facing material. Just maybe, they’re a graduate. There’s value in another human,” he commented.
This conversation with a knowledgeable representative can be a huge benefit for your research, but it can also be a valuable way to make a connection with someone inside the school’s admissions team. Mr. Walter stated that the representative a student speaks with “could be the person reading that student’s application,” because many colleges have representatives assigned specifically to Philadelphia, or in the case of the American University of Paris, the United States.
When scheduling a visit for a college that is not in a free period, you should ask your teacher for permission to attend the meeting in advance. Looking forward, SCH students will have a wide variety of upcoming visits to attend, with around one hundred schools being scheduled this year.
