I’ll be honest—we didn’t do a ton of visits, when dear daughter was applying. As usual I had a divergent view and couldn’t really grok spending thousands of dollars to see colleges where she might not go. Plus, the few we did visit she hated. Maybe it helps with admission and maybe it doesn’t much matter, but who knows. Personally, I don’t think student guides walking backwards have all that much influence.
But now that she’s happily ensconced in a school, there are a bunch of things I wish we’d known enough to ask. I include them herewith, as they may save you some money or allow you to do better calculations.
Is there a college sponsored way for kids to get to the airport?
Some schools do offer a shuttle, but this is generally only on the day when school lets out for breaks (if at all). And getting back to school after breaks? Good luck on that one. If the school is located in one of those charming remote areas, check out how much the cab or airport express costs. Don’t faint. And while you’re doing that, check out the airfares. Add $2,000 or so to what you thought was your budget—because the airlines know when the schools let out, and price accordingly. College students have a lot of breaks.
What does it cost to stay in the dorm over breaks? Can you?
Luckily, I guess, my kid always wants to come home. But there are often special programs, internships, or even paid jobs that run over breaks. Before signing up, check out if the housing & food cost makes them worth it.
What can you do with the kid’s junk, er, room décor, over summer break?
Find out what storage costs average—many campuses have arrangements with storage locker facilities, but surprise, they aren’t cheap. Plan to rent a uHaul? Add up that cost, too.
What’s the policy if the student takes a year off, or quits or gets ill at some point in the college experience?
Right now you’re probably thinking please God not my kid. In the past 2 years I have heard 6 stories of personal acquaintances whose children did not or could not finish. Will the school automatically admit them back if in good standing? What about tuition refunds? And be aware that any loans will then kick into payment mode.
How does the health service bill? Is the local hospital in-network for your insurance?
Can you get bills to submit to your own insurance company? Can they get your kid to the emergency room or will your child have to find friends or EMTs if they need more than the health service can provide?
What can the school do if your child is in bed with the flu?
Surprisingly, at dd’s school nobody seems to have considered how a sick student will get fed. If your child is too sick to get over to the dining hall, she better have friends willing to get infected. Find out if there are beds at the health service—maybe you don’t want to be in the same room as a roommate who’s got the flu. And lock your kid in a room until the HIPAA form is signed so the health service can talk about the kid’s condition with you.
Is there an appeals process for grades that is remotely fair to the student?
This is a hard one to discover. But think for a moment about what each class is costing. Let’s say, total cost of attendance is $56,000 and child is taking 4 classes/semester. $23,000/4=$5,750. I am NOT saying that buys you a good grade, or that ANY child is entitled to a grade they did not earn. But the student ought to be entitled to a FAIR grade. Speaking from said daughter’s experience, there is going to be at least one teacher who
- Can’t produce a coherent syllabus
- Changes the grading system three or four times during the class
- Can’t get assignments back so that the student has some idea how they’re doing and can prepare for a test
- Loses assignments, doesn’t appear to read assignments carefully, yadda yadda
- Doesn’t show up during posted office hours, and is late to appointments
- Grades based on some airy-fairy feeling rather than the actual numbers the kid has scored
Sure, you had some terrible profs and so did I. But we probably weren’t paying the kind of bills we’re now getting, either. Thankfully, this experience was acquired via study at that other school down the road, okay, it was Swarthmore and not dd’s beloved Bryn Mawr. And I shudder to suggest that not all profs are equally (remotely) capable and that supervision of exactly what they’re up to is not as closely monitored as, say, the average schmo in an actual job, because that would probably make me sound a little resentful. Even worse if it’s a required course, a prerequisite, or something the student is profoundly interested in. In such a class with such a prof you would be better off lighting five Grover Clevelands (he’s on the $1,000 bill in case you’re never seen one)—at least it wouldn’t hurt the kid’s grade point average.
I’d ask about appeals and how many have been decided in the student’s favor. Snarky rant over.
Check out the public safety reports often posted on bulletin boards.
The ones over at Swarthmore made daughter and this parent shake in their boots. You really want to know about sexual assaults, armed robbery, etc. before you read about them in the paper. Unfortunately, some of this appears to be the new normal on some campuses (thankfully not aforesaid Bryn Mawr).
Will campus safety escort a student back to the dorm at night, do they actually show up, and how many people use it on an average weekend night?
Yeah, your kid will hate you for asking this. Until some dark and stormy night.
Is there an emergency management plan?
Not that there is ever a big snowstorm or anything, but maybe as a parent you’d be more comfortable if the inmates weren’t running the asylum. The kids are stuck there, but what about food service? Campus safety officers? Fire department, heat , electricity? If I had it to do over, I’d probably find out if a copy of a plan was available. Bryn Mawr did do a terrific job with snow and kid management. Glad it wasn’t me trying to handle both at once.
I’ve developed significantly more grey hair over the past two years my offspring has been in college and it’s not even due to her behavior! Find out all you can before you sign that acceptance letter, and you’ll sleep better for the next four years.
