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Most people in planning college visits arrive on campus, drive around, take a tour, sit-in on an information session, and leave. 

 That's ineffective and unproductive!

But that's what parents think they are suppose to do. So why is it ineffective? Because families leave the college without-

1. meeting the key decision-makers
2. building value in themselves
3. understanding how the college does business

To be effective, you need to meet with the admissions office, financial aid office, and department of your child's anticipated studies...makes sense to me!

When you visit a college, drive around, and take a tour, you are merely getting a sales and marketing job from the college. They are letting you know how you can buy into their business model. You then leave without engaging the people who determine your college situation for admissions, studies, and costs. You're leaving the college without knowing how they conduct their business. That's ineffective!

When you meet with the people from admissions, financial aid, and department of study, you gain a far deeper insight into the college and you will better determine if it fits within your expectation for an education, experience, outcome, and cost. That's effective!

Here we begin a 4-part series on how to engage yourself with the college while on a college visit. Today is recognizing the need to engage with the key people of the college. In the next three parts, I will give you the specific questions to ask in each office for admissions, financial aid, and studies for making your college visits effective.

As always, if you'd like to learn how to save thousands in college costs, you can pick up a copy of our new book today- 

     Dissecting the Big Business of College

Our student-families save thousands on college costs, and you can too. All you have to do is want to and then take action.

You don't use the seller's realtor when purchasing a new home. 

 Why use the "sellers realtor" when buying a college education?

That's what most parents do when buying a college education. Parents visit colleges and attend their information sessions. They return home to preach the college-gospel. They put into practice what the colleges want them to do—buy their college on their terms, not yours! That's like following the lead of the "sellers realtor". I say that's a bad strategy for buying something so important as a college education.

Perhaps you don't look at it that way. And what makes matters worse for parents, colleges know you don't. That leads right into their hands for carrying out their business model. It puts them in a position of strength and parents in a position of weakness.

High costs, low scholarships, big loans, little financial aid, changes in majors, extended terms, undesired outcomes can result from this practice. Don't blame the colleges though, it's the parents responsibility to know better. And that is why we wrote this book, which is now published and available for the world. 

      Dissecting the Big Business of College

If you don't have a specific plan to graduate in 4 years, then the college will plan an extra year, or two, for you. 

 It's that simple, yet that missed by parents.

How hard do you work to finish off your good-paying customers? Why should colleges do the same? Parents are paying customers of the college. Sure, they'd like to keep you around a few extra terms. And they will if you are not savvy to their tactics. 

First of all, let's recall that the # 1 weighted factor for college rankings is the 6-year graduation rate. That gives colleges full permission to graduate students in just under six years to score well in that factor. As a result, the national average time it takes to graduate in a 4-year degree is 5.8 years. And that's much more by design than by accident.

Colleges are well aware that parents aren't paying much attention to this. It's very easy for an advisor of the college to convince students to change majors, resulting in extended terms of stay. Very few parents raise any objection to this strategy of the college, unknowingly putting their student on the 5-year or 6-year plan. And there you have it, an extra $50,000 - $75,000 of college costs are incurred.

Read all about this and much more in our new book- 

     Dissecting the Big Business of College

For saving college costs, here's our Strategy # 10- Plan to graduate on time in a meaningful major 

There’s a reason why the national average time it takes to graduate in a four-year degree is over five years and the national on-time graduation rate is 40%. While we could blame it on the college system, it’s not their fault that most college students arrive without a firm plan for their studies. Anything without a plan is left to guesswork and predictable results. And when it comes to college, guesswork means extended terms and underemployed college graduates. You just can’t guess your way successfully through college and that’s the cold-hard truth.

When your son or daughter calls you in a panic to tell you they met with their counselor and want to change majors, don’t be surprised. It’s not really by accident. I’m not doubting the good work of career counselors, but they work for the college, not the parent. These people are professionals who know well the tendencies of their client-base. Be aware of its potential to uproot your college budget. Good planning and forethought can keep an extra fifth year of college from getting sprung upon you when you least expect it and can least afford it. It seems college-logical to me!

What will your child do, study forward or backward?
That's the million dollar question. 

No, it's four million!

Clearly not enough effort or forethought goes in to choosing a college study plan. Students are choosing majors that "sound cool"; or they choose a major that mom or dad suggests based on their perspective, which is typically outdated. Outdated means that it relates to jobs of the past, not jobs of the future. The result is that students are studying for non-growth jobs with lower income opportunity. 

In a recent study, it is revealed that only 25% of college graduates get jobs related to their college studies; 25% are unemployed; and 50% are working jobs that don't require a college education. Well, that's rather alarming, but not surprising.

Read all about this and much more in our new book- Dissecting the Big Business of College

For saving college costs, here's our Strategy # 9- Study forward, it’s about the 2020’s

Students arrive everyday on college visits completely unprepared for the visit. 

That's just the cold-hard fact!

Here's a quick test of your child's preparedness-

Ask your child, or have someone else ask-

"What interests do you have in college studies?

If their first word is "Um", they are unprepared, simple as that! If their response is made in five words or less, then they are completely unprepared. Don't blame the colleges for disappointing scholarships or surprising denials. Unpreparedness comes at a big cost.  

Read all about this and much more in our new book- 

     Dissecting the Big Business of College

For saving college costs, here's our Strategy # 8- Vision Recruiting, a look into the future

Establishing credibility and value with colleges requires a lot more thought, preparation, and execution than to merely arrive on campus to follow around on a campus tour.

College officials are tired of hearing the same standard responses ranging in words from one to five, such as-  

• um, I don’t know
• um, I’m undecided
• um, I haven’t thought about it
• um, maybe business, maybe technology
• um...

From the college perspective, that of the Admission Office, these responses show very little thought of the student, add no value and typically serve to reflect negatively upon the student. Parents seem carefree about it. Why? Because the college is not encouraging them otherwise. The college knows these responses lead to extended college terms. It's playing right into their hands. 

In order to create value and distinguish yourself from the masses of applicants otherwise, it’s necessary to be able to express yourself when asked to do so. This means that you are able to express your vision for what you want from the college experience and how it will prepare you for adult life thereafter. Colleges and their admissions staff value this greatly. We call it Vision Recruiting. It seems college-logical to me.