Experts offer tips for college-bound students and parents planning campus tours
Media Contact: Ginger Pinholster, (302) 831-6408, [email protected]
NEWARK, DEL.-Nationwide, millions of students and parents planning college-campus tours this spring may do well to heed a few key pointers, compiled by top University of Delaware officials.
It's crucial to tour a university before enrolling, says David P. Roselle, president of UD, where some 9,000 students, among nearly 14,000 applicants, will receive acceptance letters beginning March 5. (see http://www.udel.edu)
But, what's the best way to evaluate a campus, and how can students and parents survive these often-emotional journeys?
First, eyeball the environment, says Roselle.
"Students and their families deserve the most bang for their buck. Poorly maintained facilities are a warning sign that campus resources either are not adequate, or are not being managed well, and that may foretell large tuition increases."
Aging infrastructures are a $26 billion problem for the nation's higher-education institutions, Roselle says. "A very real sign of problems is when the campus greenscape is brown, or paint is peeling badly," he says. "The campus should be clean and green."
Look at location, too, says UD Admissions Director Lawrence A. Griffith.
Parents may prefer isolated or rural college campuses, where they feel students will be safer, but teens often target city schools, he says.
When conflicts arise, a traditional, academic village, close to job and cultural centers, may be the best compromise, Griffith says. Many beautiful campuses in safe communities are tucked in densely populated regions such as the Northeast Corridor, he adds.
Verify value during tours, says Frederic A Siegel, associate provost at UD.
"Find out what your degree will be worth," Siegel says. "Ask for alumni performance statistics. You need to know how many graduates find jobs in their field within six months, and what they earn."
For example, at UD, 95 percent find work, and more than three-fourths locate career-track employment in half a year.
Siegel also recommends asking about retention rates for freshmen and minority students.
Two other essentials are teaching quality and technology, Griffith says.
Whenever graduate students outnumber undergrads, he says, senior faculty may be less likely to teach freshmen. If graduate students routinely instruct undergrads, Griffith says:
* Find out how teaching assistants are trained and supervised; * Approach faculty to learn whether research overshadows teaching; * Ask how much of the campus is hard-wired for Internet access; and * Look for teaching and technology awards.
Finally, Griffith says, ask for the percentage of classes serving more than 100 students, and the average class size for freshmen. (At UD, those figures are 5 percent and 35.)
Still undecided? Tour twice, says Robert Snyder, admissions counselor and UD Visitors Center manager.
"Sure, they have your major," he says. "Sure, they'll give you financial aid. Sure, it's a great location. But, can you see yourself on that campus? It has to be a place where you will feel free to pursue your dreams."
Some 8.5 million U.S. students, from 10 million applicants, may open acceptance letters by April 30, the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) reports.
For general admissions information on UD, call (302) 831-8125, or see http://www.udel.edu.
NOTE TO REPORTERS: Roselle, Griffith available for interviews.
March 3, 1999
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