How about we show you?

How can parents help their students make the transition to college? That was the question that led to the creation of these slides, which accompanied a talk that I made at the Moore High School (Louisville) senior awards night back in May.

Before you can get to the questions of parent support in the transition to high school, you have to think about why you’re going to college in the first place. Even though this clip’s more than 25 years old, it still rings true.

Here are a few more reasons, along with some tips for parents to help you both successfully make the transition to college.

- Mason Dyer, AIKCU

Yesterday we gave you 10 tips to make the most of your Private College Week visit. Today we offer up some other ways high school students can make the most of their summer vacation (and prepare for college) from Unigo.com.

Here are just a couple of highlights from their top 10 list “The Inside Scoop on Making the Most of Your Summer” as you prepare for the college admissions process.

8. While it’s nice to be able to visit colleges during the school year, the reality of busy families’ schedules means that you’ll probably need to do some visits over the summer. Check out our new video on college visits to get the scoop on how to make the most of your visits—they’re super important: http://www.collegiatecompass.com/videos.html

Start visiting schools casually after your sophomore year, and ramp it up during junior year…planning ahead will help you avoid cramming them all into one trip. Plus, seeing a school you really like can inspire you to work harder in your classes!

7. You should have a job or internship for at least some part of one summer in high school—this will be impressive to college admissions officers as it shows that you have handled the responsibility involved in having a job. It can be any job…working at the local ice cream shop (or a similar job), for instance, is something admissions officers love to see. This experience tells them that you 1) showed up, 2) have a work ethic, and 3) made some of your own money (unpaid internships are of course fine too, though—especially in this economy)!

…..

4. Go get ice cream. Head to the pool. Have fun!

Check out the rest of the list here. (But not before you register for your own visits during Kentucky Private College Week.)

Hopefully you’ve decided that you’re going to visit a campus or two or ten during Kentucky Private College Week. Since it is summer, these are designed to be introductory visits and there may not be many students on campus. But you still want to make the most of your visit. Here are ten tips to help you make the most of your campus visit.

1. Keep in mind that a summer visit shouldn’t be your only visit

Summer is a great time for a first campus visit, but if you’re going to keep the school on your list you’ll want to make sure it’s not your only visit. So if you like what you see during Kentucky Private College Week you’ll want to schedule a time to come back in the fall when students will be on campus.

2. Do some research on the college

Your visit will be much more valuable if you know something about the college before you visit. Utilize the college website, this website, guidebooks, the college’s official Facebook page, and any information you have received from the college to familiarize yourself with the institution. Think specifically about items of interest or concern for you in your college search.

3. Develop a list of questions

Write down a list of questions to ask during your visit. Have your parents do the same. You may want to have one list of questions to ask admissions counselors, one for students, and one for faculty.

4. Dress appropriately

Check the forecast before you head out. You will probably be walking a lot during your visit, so dress comfortably and wear comfortable shoes. You don’t need to “dress up” for a visit, but steer clear of attire that is too casual or revealing or otherwise inappropriate. (Save the pajamas on campus look for when you are actually a student. Or not.)

5. Give yourself plenty of time to get to campus, park, and check-in

Starting a campus visit late or in a rush can put you in the wrong mood and frame of mind to make the most of your visit. Build some extra time into your travel plans. Make sure you bring the admissions office phone number with you so you can call in case you get lost or unexpectedly run behind.

6. Smile

Show the admissions staff and student guides that you want to be there. (Even if you’ve just had to ride in the car for two hours with your little brother.) Ask questions. Use that list of questions you prepared, but don’t be afraid to ask others that occur to you during the visit. Take something to write on so you can jot down questions and answers while you wait or travel between visits.

7. Get multiple perspectives

If you have the opportunity, talk to as many people as possible about the college and their experience there. Don’t restrict yourself to just admissions staff. Talk to students and to professors. And don’t be shy about talking to the folks in the cafeteria or working outside on the grounds crew – you can learn a lot about a campus environment by the way it’s employees talk about it. (This may be harder to do in the summer. But give it a shot. And keep this in mind if you do come back again.)

8. Load up on informational materials

There’s a good chance that you’ve already researched the college online, and you probably have a stack of promotional materials at home, but take a minute to grab available brochures and materials while you’re there on campus. You never know where you’ll discover a new program or a piece of information that will resonate with you or prompt you to ask more questions. Be sure to grab business cards of admissions officers so you will have contact information so you can follow up later.

9. Wander around

If you have time, take advantage of unofficial opportunities to explore the campus. Get there early and wander around unguided for a few minutes. Stop in and explore public buildings. Sit down on a bench and observe the sights, sounds, and smells of the campus. Tell people that you are thinking about going to school there and ask what they can tell you about their experience.

10. Reflect on your experience

Private College Week gives you a chance to visit multiple campuses, so if you’re driving from one campus to the next you may not have a lot of time to reflect. But while you’re in the car, or even later that night, talk about the visit with your parents, siblings, or friends who visited the campus with you. Write down your impressions, make a pro/con list of things you liked or didn’t like about the campus, and then file that somewhere where you can come back to those notes periodically as you visit other colleges and continue the search process.

And if you do all that and you’re the kind of student who likes to overachieve, here’s a bonus tip: send thank you notes. It’s an easy way to make a great impression. A quick note goes a long way. You never know – that admissions counselor you meet during your summer tour might ultimately be the person deciding upon your application. It can’t hurt.

Special thanks to Deana Ison, Sr. Assoc. Dean of Admissions at Transylvania University, who let us borrow liberally from her handout on this topic.

University of the Cumberlands
6191 College Station Drive, Williamsburg, KY  40769
www.ucumberlands.edu
800-343-1609

Awards Offered: Bachelor’s Degree, Master’s Degree, Doctor’s Degree – research/scholarship
Campus Setting: Small rural town
Student Population: 2,553 (1,754 undergraduate)
Student-faculty Ratio: 19 to 1
College Navigator profile
UCAN profile

With an average of 1,700 students, University of the Cumberlands is one of the largest private institutions in Kentucky concentrating on the undergraduate experience. The four academic units that comprise University of the Cumberlands are: Cumberland College (the undergraduate liberal arts program), Hutton School of Business/Management, the Center for Leadership Studies and the Graduate & Professional Education program. Founded by Kentucky Baptists in 1889, our students come from 38 states and a number of foreign countries. University of the Cumberlands strives to instill in students the desire to be agents of change in the world and use knowledge for the benefit of others as well as themselves. All students participate in community service by the time they graduate. UC graduates enjoy a high acceptance rate to graduate and professional schools, particularly in science, business and education. In fact, within five years of graduation, 66% of UC alumni have completed or are pursuing a graduate or professional degree.

A UC freshman gives you three reasons why you should visit University of the Cumberlands. (And what better time than during Kentucky Private College Week?)

from Union College’s flickr stream

Union College
310 College Street, Barbourville, KY  40906
www.unionky.edu
800-489-8646

Awards Offered: Bachelor’s Degree, Postbaccalaureate certificate, Master’s Degree
Campus Setting: Small town
Student Population: 1,421 (769 undergraduate)
Student-faculty Ratio: 14 to 1
College Navigator Link
UCan Link

Academics at Union College are intensely personal. Their small classes and low teacher-student ratio means you can pursue whatever subjects interest you. And the curriculum provides a “big picture” approach to education. Instead of focusing on one subject, you’ll study many disciplines—and see how they all connect to one other and why that matters. Instead of being told what to think, you’ll learn to speak your mind. Instead of accumulating facts, you’ll gain knowledge you can use now and in the future.

Our distinctive approach includes opportunities for you to experience life beyond the Union campus. Our location lends itself to possibilities ranging from class trips and field work, to internships and service learning, to study abroad trips and research.

Union’s hometown of Barbourville, Kentucky is surrounded by wilderness. In fact, the famous Wilderness Road spans the east side of the campus and Cumberland Gap National Historic Park is a mere 30 miles away. This, along with four state parks, miles of lake, river and stream and endless opportunities for outdoor learning, make Union College the place where students can really experience life beyond the classroom.

Here Union’s Bonner Scholars highlight some of the ways Union serves its local community.

from Transy’s Flickr stream

Transylvania University
300 N Broadway, Lexington, KY  40508
www.transy.edu
800-872-6798

Awards Offered: Bachelor’s Degree
Campus Setting: Urban
Student Population: 1,158 (all undergraduate)
Student-faculty Ratio: 12 to 1
College Navigator profile
UCan profile

Transylvania is a distinguished liberal arts college of approximately 1,100 students that is consistently ranked and praised in the leading national college guides.

Transylvania offers 37 majors plus the option of designing an individual major. Students gain a strong grounding in liberal education, however the University also emphasizes career planning. A major in any discipline allows entry to a wide variety of opportunities after graduation, ranging from graduate or professional school to specialized positions.

Small classes and close student-faculty relationships are among Transylvania’s greatest assets. Although many faculty members are recognized for their research and writing, their primary concerns are teaching and advising.

Take the time to check out this video explaining tuition and financial aid at Transy.

Thomas More College
333 Thomas More Parkway, Crestview Hills, KY 41017
www.thomasmore.edu
800-825-4557

Awards Offered: Certificates, Associate’s Degree, Bachelor’s Degree, Master’s Degree
Campus Setting: Suburban
Student Population: 1,894 (1,751 undergraduate)
Student-faculty Ratio: 17 to 1
College Navigator profile
UCan profile

Thomas More College is a small, liberal arts college with a big reputation among educators and experts alike. Thomas More has been included in Money magazines’s “Best College Buys” issue. It also was recognized by the Carnegie Foundation for Advancement of Teaching as a ’selective liberal arts college.’

Founded in 1921 by the Benedictine Sisters as Villa Madonna College, Thomas More now serves approximately 1,900 full- and part-time students from across the country and around the world on its beautiful campus in Crestview Hills, Kentucky, just minutes from downtown Cincinnati.

Check out Thomas More’s 2009 Year in Review video.

Spalding University
845 S. Third Street, Louisville, KY  40203
www.spalding.edu
800-896-8941

Awards Offered: Certificate, Associae’s Degree, Bachelor’s Degree, Postbaccalaureate certificate, Master’s Degree, Post-Master’s certificate, Doctor’s Degree – research/scholarship, Doctor’s Degree – other
Campus Setting: Large city
Student Population: 1,712 (1,063 undergraduate)
Student-faculty Ratio: 14 to 1
College Navigator profile

Located in the heart of downtown Louisville, Kentucky, Spalding University offers a variety of educational opportunities which encourage lifelong learning, growing, and finding your place in the world — within an environment that fosters curiosity and strong moral values.

Spalding is proud to provide a well-rounded education. To complement its character-building academic environment, they offer intercollegiate athletics and international programs, as well as opportunities for service-oriented and social interaction at a variety of levels. They help develop internships and practica as well as assist with career guidance and placement. By responding to the ever-changing career market with innovative instructional techniques and technology, Spalding University is an unsurpassed resource whether you’re starting your career or looking for advancement opportunities.

Instead of a traditional semester system, Spalding’s academic calendar is built around six week sessions that provide for more flexibility in scheduling.

Why Spalding University?

St. Catharine College
2735 Bardstown Road, St. Catharine, KY  40061
http://www.sccky.edu/
800-599-2000

Awards Offered: Certificate, Associate’s Degree, Bachelor’s Degree
Campus Setting: Rural
Student Population: 768 (all undergraduate)
Student-faculty Ratio: 15 to 1
College Navigator profile

St. Catharine College is an independent Catholic college that provides quality undergraduate education and offers degrees in a variety of academic areas and professional programs. Consistent with the Dominican tradition upon which it was founded, St. Catharine College fosters education grounded in the liberal arts values and is committed to the free pursuit of truth. The College embraces Christian principles while respecting individuals of all religious traditions.

St. Catharine College encourages students to pursue lifelong learning and to develop a sense of responsibility for themselves, their community, and a just society.

Take a video tour of St. Catharine College, then sign up to visit yourself during Kentucky Private College Week.