One of many college visits that’s occurred since the beginning of the year was held on Wednesday, Sept. 18, with a representative from the University of San Diego (USD) answering student questions, explaining academics, and describing campus life during B lunch in the counseling center. 

This presentation — the fifth so far — included a general overview of USD, highlighting various school programs, chances to study abroad, and the representative’s favorite things about the university, like the local cafés and events on campus. 

Not only do these visits raise awareness of La Salle among colleges and universities, prompting them to come back in the future, they also pose a variety of benefits for students, college counselors Ms. Jennifer Brigham and Ms. Madeleine Hanley expressed, particularly since they allow for them to connect with university representatives. 

“They really give students, as best they can, a sense of what it would be like to attend that school,” Ms. Brigham said. “It’s really great, because they’re getting a chance to meet you, and they really do remember the students.” 

Currently, there’s around 50 college visits planned, with the number growing weekly as more schools sign up.

Both counselors have attended numerous college conferences, passing out business cards, meeting with representatives, and asking them to visit La Salle. Outreach happens on their part, but also from the schools, who consider whether or not students will be a good match for them by looking at where alumni go on to attend. 

Because many representatives are in that role for an extended period of time, another large aspect of encouraging colleges to visit is building relationships with them. 

When looking at prospective schools for visits, Ms. Brigham and Ms. Hanley said that they aim to get a variety of different colleges, especially those that are farther away. If students request a particular college or university — such as the University of Alaska, which visited last week — they can contact that representative and see if they have time to talk to students at La Salle.  

Ms. Brigham and Ms. Hanley explained that they strongly encourage students to participate in these visits, as they offer a unique, critical opportunity for them to meet the representatives there, who are the people that will eventually read their college applications, if they choose to apply to that school. 

“If you want to be admitted to that school, you need to come to this and meet that rep,” Ms. Hanley said. “It is very, very important that they have a face to the name on the application.” 

Schools keep track of what they call “demonstrated interest”: actions that illustrate applicants’ curiosity in their school beyond simply the personal essays they send in. When students attend presentations from colleges and universities or fill out one of their contact cards, they record that and take those points of contact into consideration when reviewing applications. If students are even slightly interested in looking at a school, Ms. Hanley and Ms. Brigham said they should definitely come to one of the planned visits, as that illustrates their engagement, rather than the admissions process being more of a “one-way street.” 

Students don’t necessarily need to come prepared to ask questions, take notes, or with prior in-depth research, they said. They simply need to show up. 

While this is an especially important opportunity for seniors — as they’re currently involved in the college admissions process — it also is a key moment for juniors to learn more. It serves as a way for them to become educated about schools they might not be familiar with, such as those that are farther away, and it allows them to explore what fits their interests and skill set. 

“This is the time to do it, because as a junior, you’re really going to start to focus on building your college list,” Ms. Brigham said. “You want to have it nailed down sooner rather than later.” 

Beyond the asset it serves to upperclassmen, the visits are beneficial for the La Salle community as a whole, the college counselors expressed.

“It benefits the La Salle community overall because it continues to expose schools to our school and the great quality education that we have, and I think paves the way for students in the future to apply and be admitted to a variety of schools around the country,” Ms. Brigham said. 

Two more college visits are planned for the rest of the week, with Vanderbilt University coming during B lunch on Thursday, Sept. 19, and Northeastern University representatives speaking in the counseling center at the same time on Friday, Sept. 20. 

If the colleges that students hope to learn more about are visiting in the opposite lunch period from them, there are passes at the front desk which need to be filled out, signed by the teacher whose class period the student would be missing, and given to Ms. Hanley or Ms. Brigham at the beginning of the visit. Future events are published on Schoology, along with being posted every Sunday in the Falcon Forum, a weekly email sent out to students and families.