How University Reps & University Visits Fit Into Your Guidance Plans
There’s one powerful ally in your guidance strategy that we haven’t talked about yet. They’re arguably the key to getting your students really engaged with prospective higher education institutions.
We’re talking about the universities themselves.
Like schools, universities are becoming ever more global in their outlook, and most have entire departments dedicated to recruiting international students. Universities will send reps to schools, both regionally and internationally, to build brand awareness and to educate students about the full range of their offerings.
How can my students connect with university/ college reps?
There are a number of ways that you and your students can expect to come into contact with university reps.
University/college rep visits to your school
Many universities will schedule visits to school campuses. These are an absolutely invaluable opportunity for students to find out about the admissions process in a familiar setting. Some universities will even offer talks or workshops that are tailored to a particular year group within your school.
University/college fairs
Many universities will schedule regional and international tours, appearing in cities and towns at various university and college fairs.
Again, a quick glance at a university’s website will often give you and your students an insight into where and when is a good opportunity to meet with a rep from a given institution. University/college fairs also give students the opportunity to get an overview of multiple destinations at the same time.
There are many organizations that run university and college fairs. A few notable examples include:
The National Association for College Admission Counselling (NACAC) offers a number of college fairs for US high school students. They also run an annual fair specifically for international students in Canada.
The British Council offers higher education fairs in over 40 countries, designed for international students who are thinking of studying in the UK.
UCAS runs university fairs and exhibitions across the UK.
The Fulbright Commission runs an annual USA College Day, a fair for international
students interested in applying to a university in the United States.
Some international schools even run their own university fairs; e.g. Beijing Concord College , runs its ‘World University Fair’ for students to meet reps from international universities.
How students can make the most of their meetings with university reps
Whether it’s at a fair or as part of a visit to their school, it’s important for students to make the most of one-to-one conversations with university and college reps.
Research is vital
During visits to specific geographies, university reps are often working to a very tight schedule, and their time will be limited, so your students can’t take these visits for granted.
They need to have researched the university in question before meeting with a representative, and show up with a list of questions to ask. Some examples include:
What programs/courses does the university offer that align with their subject interests?
What are housing/accommodation options like for undergraduates?
What’s the social life like on campus?
What’s the surrounding town/city/wider area like? If it’s a campus
based university, what are transport links like?
- What makes this university unique?
- What does this university look for in prospective students?
Not only is a university rep going to be more impressed by students who are prepared and well-informed, the questions above will also inform any reflections that students may have after the visit is over.
First impressions are everything
Rep visits are an opportunity for students to present themselves as potential candidates. So students should make sure that they are authentic and professional in how they present themselves. Little details like a firm handshake, plenty of eye contact and punctuality make a big difference.
Following up
Encourage students to follow up with university reps after a meeting, be that via email, Skype or phone. This can help to give your students’ university shortlisting more focus, because they will have opened up a dialogue with an admissions rep who can offer them relevant and personalized guidance. Don’t forget, university reps want to hear from students!
The time immediately after a meeting with a university rep is a time for reflection and objectively weighing up options. Some useful questions to encourage students to ask themselves are:
Did they get everything they needed from their conversation? Do they need to follow up in any way?
Did this talk/workshop make them really passionate about applying? If they were keen on that university before the visit, how do they feel now they’ve talked to a rep?
Is this really the right university for them in terms of subject preferences, campus fit, and overall culture?
Why university visits can be a transformative experience for students
A university visit is an invaluable research tool for your students. The reason is simple.
Instead of universities just being remote destinations on a website or in a prospectus, students will get the chance to talk to someone who can give them an insight into the actual experience of living on a campus, or taking a particular course.
Specifically, a university visit can:
Offer students the chance to ask valuable questions about a university’s admissions process that will strengthen their eventual applications.
Allow students more insight into a university that they may not have previously thought about applying to.
Give students the confidence to apply to a university that may have felt inaccessible, academically and/or geographically.
How Counsellors should prepare for visits from university reps.
Don’t forget these visits are an opportunity for you too!
Universities value their relationship with guidance counselling teams in schools, and university rep visits are a great way to nurture valuable long-term relationships between schools and universities.
Here are a few tips on how you can make the most of these visits.
Familiarize universities with your school’s profile
It’s helpful to provide admissions reps with information about the profile of your school, which may be helpful in providing context for their visit. This can include, but is not limited to:
Student demographics.
The curriculum/curricula your school supports.
An overview of where students have historically applied/been accepted to university.
- The preferences or aspirations of your current students.
Be a facilitator.
Facilitating the conversations and relationships between your students and visiting reps will be your most crucial job. As well as imparting some of the advice to students that we laid out above, it’s helpful to be an active participant in talks, workshops and Q&As. This is a great way of making sure that your students feel engaged too. Here are a few hints and tips:
Sit in on as many university rep visits as you can - this will ensure your own knowledge of visiting universities is relevant and up to date, and you can pass on any information students may have missed.
- Ask questions yourself - some students may be shy or may need a bit of help to get a discussion going (especially in a group context).
- Encourage students to be impartial.
It’s probably worth mentioning that while they won’t be giving students the ‘hard sell’, university reps are at your school to talk about their institution, and make a powerful case for why your students should apply. It’s your job to help students to be impartial, to critically assess the pros and cons of this particular university, and whether it’s right for them. You can’t allow them to get star struck!
University rep visits can be a powerful asset. Get them right and your students are more likely to submit higher quality university applications in the long run.
But university reps are not the only external stakeholders who will affect your students’ applications.
