1. The Campus Visit Experience and College Search Process
Parent Perspectives:
The Campus Visit Experience and College Search Process
Megan Hutchins
Georgia Southern University
M. Ed. Higher Education Administration Practicum Experience Field Supervisor: Merideth Ray

2. Practicum Experience Overview
Why the is the parent perspective important to campus visits?
The campus visit experience is critical during a student’s college search process. Many times students are making their college choice based on the visit experience. Parents are major influencers in the college choice decision-making process and are often accompanying students on their college visits.
The main objective of this practicum experience is to evaluate the Georgia Tech parent visitor experience and identify areas in which Georgia Tech could better serve prospective parents. Main activities included:
Compare Georgia Tech’s visit experiences with other peer and aspirational schools
Assess Georgia Tech’s post-visit surveys
Collect feedback from parents on our visit programs
Present survey data & make recommendations for improvement

3. Georgia Tech Visit Opportunities and Parent Interaction
Daily Visits and Tours, College Visits
Parent attends with the student
Overnight Experiences & Preview Days
Parent attends most sessions with the student, parent programming available when students are interacting with current GT students
Admitted Student Programs: information sessions, overnights, alumni meet n’ greets and send offs
Parents welcome to attend information sessions, meet n’ greets and send offs. Parents included in most programming for overnight visits.

4. Examples of Visit Offerings Hosted by Peer & Aspirational Schools
Programs Similar to GT Visits
Information Sessions and Tours
Overnight Experiences
Open House Events
College Visits/Information Sessions
Programs GT Does Not Offer
Opportunities to attend a class
Interviews
Opportunities to meet with faculty
Activities for parents planned by Parents Program on admitted student days
Recommendations
Offering the option for students to sit in on classes could solve a few different complaints: meet with faculty, tour specific academic department, and interact with students
Send parents logistical information and separate feedback survey

5. The Parent Visitor Experience Survey
Objectives
Collect parent background info: Hometown, students grade level, college visit plans, and level of experience with the college search process
Understand the college visit planning from the parent perspective
What are their expectations and who is driving the process?
Understand parent expectations when it comes to communicating directly with colleges
Collect quotes and advice for other parents going through the search process with their students

6. The Parent Visitor Experience Survey: Results
19 States
Top Five States
Florida
Tennessee
North Carolina
Ohio
Texas
24 Cities in Georgia
Top Georgia Cities
Atlanta
Marietta
Suwanee

7. The Parent Visitor Experience Survey: Results

8. The Parent Visitor Experience Survey: Results
75% of instances, parents are involved in the planning process

9. The Parent Visitor Experience Survey: Results

10. The Parent Visitor Experience Survey: Results

11. The Parent Visitor Experience Survey: Results
Top Five Factors that Make a Pleasant Visit Experience
Good Tour Guides
Student Interaction
Helpful, Welcoming and Friendly Staff
Student Stories
Pre-Visit Communication
Factors for a Poor Visit
Long PowerPoints
Large Groups
Long Walks through Open Areas
Building Names w/o explanation of what goes on inside
Rain!

12. The Parent Visitor Experience Survey: Results
Expectations for Daily Visits vs. Overnight Events
Daily Visits
Overnight Events
Overview of Campus Life (facilities, landscape, location)
More in-depth Exploration of Academics
Admission Process
Experience Dorm Life
Academics
First-Hand Feel for Student Life
Financial Aid
True Assessment of Student “Fit”
Student Life (student interaction, residential and dining options)
Helps to make Final Decision
Used to Narrow College Choices
Chance for Question & Answer Session
Open houses seem unstructured.
Daily visits – efficient way to get basic information and facts. Helps the student narrow down college choices and decide if they need to continue pursuing GT.

13. The Parent Visitor Experience Survey: Results
Most Influential Factors in Final Decision

14. The Parent Visitor Experience Survey: Results
What information do you look for on college websites, related to visit planning or otherwise?

15. The Parent Visitor Experience Survey: Results
Did Georgia Tech’s website meet your needs?

16. The Parent Visitor Experience Survey: Results
Do any colleges communicate directly to you, the parent?

17. Parent-to-Parent Advice
On Starting Early…
“Start visiting colleges in 9th grade- both large and small, even ones you would never consider as real options. It helps kids begin to know the basic things they want: big or small, private or public, urban or rural.”
On Letting the Student Drive…
“If it's done right college search is a self search. It will provide parents a rare insight if they are willing to allow their 18 year olds to explore. Hear their thoughts or silence and give them time to digest and reflect.”
On Staying Involved…
“Go with them. Ask questions. Visit all types of schools then narrow your search. Once you have narrowed your search to a few schools it is wise to have your child sit in on a class and spend the night at those colleges."
Keep it all in perspective. Don't fall in love with any one school. If this is the first child going off, form a book club around the book: "Letting Go: A Parent's Guide To Understanding the College Years" and share experiences and send care packages.”

18. Conclusions from Survey Results
What Parents Care About
Financial Concerns
Application deadlines for admission, financial aid & scholarships
Reputation, ROI, academics, and potential careers
Overall fit for their student
How Parents Want to Engage
communications: pre and post visit, as well as logistics
Most claim they want their student to drive the decision-making process, but parents want information, too, in order to assist with the process.
Recommendations
Support parents of prospective students by making sure they are receiving the same messages as the students when it comes to practical matters (deadlines, scholarships, financial aid). Ideally for visit events we could copy parents on confirmation/reminder s, but would need to capture parent info when a student completes the registration form.

19. Current Georgia Tech Post-Visit Surveys
Types of questions asked:
Overall ratings for info session & tour, pre-session communication, info session most & least helpful, tour greeting, tour favorite/least favorite, improvement, tour guide feedback, and general comments
Who is completing the survey?
Not always clear whether it is the parent or the student
Suggestions:
Perhaps asking who is completing the survey: parent or student
Taking the opportunity to ask what type of follow up contact and information the student/parent would like to receive in order to enhance the visit follow up.

20. Thanks for your support!