Students visit college campuses to learn about the admission process and gain exposure to college life. When students are able to see themselves on campus and identify the type of school that would be a best fit for them, they are more likely to attend a college where they will persist and graduate.
Due to the pandemic, prospective students haven’t been able to spend time on campuses this fall. To overcome this barrier, College Possible Minnesota hosted a series of 11 online events with college partners to introduce students to college options and give them a chance to hear directly from admissions counselors, college coaches and college students. 152 high school students from low-income backgrounds attended these online college visits to become more familiar with college life and expectations.
“Campus visits are an important part of the college admission process for College Possible students, especially the student panels,” said College Possible Senior Director of Program Operations Sherene Judeh. “When high schoolers hear about a college from the students who go there, they learn more about the school than they can from a website or brochure.”
The hour-long events all follow the same format, with students logging on to a Zoom call with College Possible coaches, staff and an admissions representative from the college. The virtual visit starts with brief presentations from the college admissions representative and the College Possible coach who works with students at that institution. Students then join breakout rooms where they get a chance to meet one another and work together to come up with questions for the student panel. The event ends with an opportunity for high school students to hear about the school directly from a panel of current college students.
“I found out a lot of helpful information about every college’s financial aid, scholarships, dorms, classes, clubs and diversity of the school,” said Saron, a senior at Roseville Area High School who attended several virtual college visits. “It was a good experience and fun attending two different college visits and comparing which one was a fit for you.”
College Possible Minnesota hosted visits this fall with College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University, College of St. Scholastica, Concordia College – Moorhead, Luther College, Minnesota State University – Mankato, Minnesota State University – Moorhead, St. Cloud State University, St. Olaf College, University of Minnesota – Duluth, University of Minnesota – Rochester and University of Minnesota – Twin Cities.
