By Jeremy Tiers, Vice President of Admissions Services
2 minute read
Last week I received some great questions from admissions counselors who are a part of our newsletter community.
Each of the situations they asked about are fairly common this time of year, so I thought I’d share their questions along with my advice for each:
Q: What should I say if a student tells me we’re one of their top choices but they aren’t ready to make a decision?
Start by thanking the student for sharing, and follow that with “Walk me through what you’d like to see happen next in your process.”
After they give you that additional information, reply with, “Got it, and then what?” Some students won’t have thought two or three steps ahead, but some have figured out exactly how they see their decision-making process playing out.
Q: How do I handle a student who tells me they want to stay closer to home?
In over 20 years of working with students and families we continue to find that too far from home is one of two objections/concerns that is hardest to overcome.
Whenever you’re dealing with students from out of state or those who live more than 4+ hours from campus, I advise admissions counselors to ask specific questions early in the process like “What is it about <Your College’s Name> that you think would make it okay to go farther away from home?” If their answer isn’t specific and well thought out, that’s a red flag you need to pay close attention to.
You could also ask the student what are some things they feel like they won’t be able to do or find at your school because it’s farther from home?
In many cases the student is looking for someone (why not you) to lay out why it’s okay to go to college farther from home.
Q: What if the student sounds ready to choose our school but one or both of their parents is telling them there’s no rush and to take their time.
This happens every year… a lot, which is why I strongly recommend colleges and universities have different personalized streams of communication for parents and other influential family members at each stage – or at worst once a student has been admitted.
You need to connect with the parents or guardians and ask some direct questions to better understand their mindset and how they’re feeling about both your school and the student’s college decision.
A couple of examples are, “What are one or two things you think makes a college (or your school name) worth the investment?” Or, “What are some of the differences you see between (your school name) and the other schools that are still on <Student’s First/Preferred Name>’s list?”
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