Masuk Free Press

As the admissions deadlines are not-so-slowly approaching Masuk’s seniors, college decisions have been an omnipresent topic of discussion throughout the graduating class. Buzz about who is going where, eye-opening college visits, and whether or not SAT scores actually matter is sweeping up the seniors by storm. 

Committing to spending life-changing amounts of money and putting your academic faith in one institution is a daunting task, and with all of the factors that go into a successful college experience, a lot of information is necessary to make an informed decision. 

Students spend their spring breaks, long weekends, and summers visiting colleges and going on school tours. While this is extremely beneficial in helping students parse out the general vibe and feel of the campus, you do have to consider how much information can you truly get from a tour guide.

In a setting where the guide must cater information to a large group of people, it is impossible to truly find out from a tour the intricacies of a college experience; intricacies that could make or break how enjoyable your experience turns out to be. 

This is where meetings with college representatives come in. Speaking one-on-one with a college representative offers invaluable insight into what your experience at that school may look like. In a focused setting, you are able to personalize the discussion to your specific interests and goals and learn from an experienced point of view. 

Although not enough students utilize this resource, Masuk hosts upwards of eight college meetings per week. Organized by Carmen Mancuso, Masuk’s career center hosts college representatives to talk to students about their respective schools in thirty minute increments.

Students are emailed weekly about the upcoming visits and can sign up through Naviance.

Signing up is easy, and only requires the click of a button. While the convenience of the signup process is a benefit, it leads to many students noncommittally signing up for meetings, and then no-showing. 

For example, the 8 a.m. Pace University meeting had four student sign ups, but only two students showed up to the meeting.

It appears that students do not think of these meetings as real commitments, and in missing them, they miss a litany of useful information, and in depth explanation of campus life and culture. Students are given the opportunity to ask direct questions about their major, which is very valuable in managing your expectations of what a school can do for you. 

Opposed to some signup-happy Masuk students, senior Olivia Beloblosky signed up for and attended only one college meeting. Beloblosky, who is applying early decision at Sacred Heart University, attended its meeting on October 25th. 14 people signed up to attend the meeting, and 12 showed up. The populous turnout can be attributed to the school’s proximity to Masuk, and the early decision deadlines creeping by. 

Beloblosky complimented the representative, Matthew Plank, and his thoroughness in explaining the campus culture, but she did divulge that he shared information she knew already. At the end of the meeting, Beloblosky shares that he, “answered tons of questions,” and some of the attendees, “asked questions [about topics] he already covered.” 

Having to share a short period of time with so many other students can lead to some frustration, and when asked if she would rather have a five minute one-on-one with a representative versus the half hour meeting, Beloblosky would still choose the shared meeting, because, “other people would ask questions that you had not thought of, and it is helpful.” 

While seniors have the biggest population present in the meetings, some college minded juniors have started to frequently check Naviance to see who will be visiting this week.

Masuk Junior, Portia Lisanti, is a regular utilizer of the meetings. Attending the likes of Pace University, UMass Boston, Charleston, Penn State and more, Lisanti seems to keep her appointments, and is a familiar face in the career center. 

Lisanti explains how in most meetings, representatives usually read from an informational packet, and save the questions for the last few minutes. Lisanti agrees that most of the information they share could easily be found online, and shares that, “if she was a senior who had already visited the campus, she would not like the fact they just read from the booklet,” and she finds the most value in the meetings with the, “questions she can ask at the end.”

For juniors, meeting with college representatives is a great place to start. You can show demonstrated interest, and in starting relatively early, you are about to be more practical about your decision. Masuk Junior Lucas Antunes shared that visiting with college representatives helped him figure out if he wanted to “experience city housing, or on campus housing for more of a community feel.” Getting informed early is helping him narrow down his options, so when admittance time comes, he can spend less time weeding out the bad options. 

So to Masuk’s underclassmen, start attending meetings early! You do not need to have a concrete idea of what you want to do, or where you want to attend. If anything, the meetings will only assist you in that regard; helping you form an idea of what you enjoy on a college campus. It is never too early to start considering your higher education, and attending the meetings are easy ways to find out more. And if you truly need another incentive after all that, you do get to miss thirty minutes of class.