What Classes Should I Take If I Want to Attend College?

Bring your future into focus at the College Fair!

Suggestions of Questions for College Fair 2011
Below are suggested questions, which may help families when speaking with representatives from colleges and other post-secondary education institutions at
College Fair
Loudoun County Public Schools
Sunday, September 25,2011
4:00-5:30 p.m. & 6:30-8:00 p.m.
Stone Bridge High School
These questions are also good for encouraging family discussion as you look together at possibilities and at finding the best match. Please remember that counselors and career center assistants will be available to help you during the college fair. They will be wearing their school name tags and red carnations

Grade 9 Suggestions

• What classes should I take if I want to attend college?

• For what types of things do admissions officers look at on an application?

• Could you describe the “perfect” applicant for your school?

• Will colleges look more at grade point average or grades in classes?

• What suggestions do you have about outside activities? Are they important?

• Do colleges look at the electives that have been taken when making an acceptance decision?

• If you were helping your best friend’s son or daughter choose a college, what advice would you give them?

• What is the cost per year of attending? How does the college help with those costs?

• What two majors are most popular on your campus and why?

• Grade 10 Suggestions

• How much emphasis does your school place on the pursuit of an Advanced Studies vs. a Standard Diploma (applicable to Virginia colleges only)?

• How important is it to take a foreign language? Is it better to take one language for three, four, or five years or two different languages?

• How does a student know that he/she is a good match for your school?

• How much high school math does an applicant need?

• What science courses do you recommend as good preparation for college?

• How does your college view Advanced Placement classes? How many should a student take?

• How many times do you think a student should take the SAT (or ACT)?

• Does your school offer any programs or services to help students with special learning needs?

• Is the student body diverse? Do all students feel comfortable at your school?

Grade 11 Suggestions

· How does your college decide whom to accept?

· Would you explain your application procedures? Do you have any early decision or early action programs?

· Are there any advantages to submitting an application early?

· How important are letters of reference? From whom do you prefer they come: teachers, counselors, religious leaders, or community members?

· What kind of living arrangements are made for students on your campus?

· What percentage of students stay on campus during the weekends?

· Do you have any programs which help students acclimate to the college setting?

· What is the average class size? How often should I expect to have a teaching assistant rather than a professor for a class?

· Do you host an Open House during the year? What can I expect to gain from attending it?

· How can I arrange to visit the campus, talk with students, sit in on classes, and maybe even stay in the residence hall overnight?

· What kind of support is in place for historically underrepresented students?

· How important is the personal statement? What points should be highlighted?

· What kind of academic support is available if I need help with a class?

· Do I need to take any SAT II tests? If so, which ones?

Grade 12 Suggestions

· Should I apply as an early decision candidate? Are my chances of being accepted better if I do so?

· How long should I expect to wait for an answer once my application has been submitted?

· Should I submit a personal statement or essay with my application even if one is not requested?

· What kinds of grants and scholarships are available? How do I apply? Do I need to request that information from an office other than the Admissions Office?

· How many freshman return for their sophomore year?

· What percent of students graduate within four years?

· How many students go on to graduate school? How many are able to find careers in their majors?

· If I am “wait listed” at your school, what are my chances of getting in? What would they have been this year if I’d been “wait listed” in the spring?