Page 5 - KnightTime News Fall 2018

KNIGHTtime News
GUIDING YOUR COLLEGE PROCESS
COLLEGE REP
Visits to Menlo
By Bea Hodavdekar
Every fall, approximately 100 colleges and universities visit Menlo School to provide information
sessions for students. The list of colleges and universities run the gamut: from selective to non- selective, urban to rural, large research universities to small liberal arts colleges; and the reasons for visiting Menlo School can vary greatly from school to school; for some, Menlo School is a perennial favorite and a must-visit and for others, Menlo School is more of
an unknown entity and is a place to get to know. For the College Counseling O ce, college rep visits are a way to build, strengthen,
and maintain relationships with colleagues on the other side of the desk, so to speak. After visiting with students, admission o cers will share pertinent information about the upcoming admission cycle, such as “impacted” majors (i.e., majors with more applicants than available spaces), changes in admission plans such as when universities add a second round of Early Decision plans like Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Chicago, and any changes to their educational o erings, such as new majors,
majors that are being phased out, new co-curricular programs, and the list goes on. These visits are critical to the work college counselors do when advising students: it helps us to provide the most current, up-to- date information, which is especially helpful as students think through things like college majors to list on an application and which colleges will make the nal cut to their list.
In addition to gathering information for our students, college counselors consult with visiting admission o cers on a variety of issues; for example, when redesigning Menlo’s school pro le, a document that accompanies students’ application materials to provide context for
their education, college counselors surveyed admission o cers on what they liked to see on school pro les. As interest in STEM courses increases, college counselors consult with admission o cers to gain a better understanding of the curriculum
that would help students in the admission process. We have even asked admission o cers if they take the time to look up students’ social media accounts during the admission process. As you can see, we place an enormous amount
of trust into their advice, and, as expected, they place an enormous amount of trust in the students we send to their respective institutions.
And of course, our students are rockstars during the information sessions. They listen carefully, ask good questions, and always thank the admission o cers for visiting Menlo. The reason I know this is because I can see the entire visit through my o ce window! This year, we are still expecting over 100 of our friends and colleagues from colleges and universities to visit Menlo School; and while we hope to get all of the important news and updates, we look forward to showcasing Menlo’s tight-knit, supportive, and joyful community.
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