The annual MEA (Education MN) Weekend student holidays will be October 19 and 20. This is a great opportunity to visit or revisit colleges to which seniors plan to apply. If you plan a visit to a college campus, notify the Admission Office at least two weeks in advance so that they can make plans to schedule a worthwhile visit, including attending classes, meeting with faculty, students, and staff, etc. With many competitive colleges including a question on their application asking a student’s specific reasons for considering their institution, a visit to campus can be immensely helpful for crafting specific and compelling answers to this question that reveal a deep understanding of fit and interest. Please note that most Minnesota colleges will, for obvious reasons, welcome very large crowds of visitors during the MEA holiday. If you sense that a visit experience featuring more individual attention would be more enjoyable and productive for your family, consider visiting Minnesota campuses at another time.
- College Representatives at PA: We are already receiving requests from college representatives for scheduling daytime visits to PA in September and October. These are scheduled before and after school, as well as during elective periods. Scheduled visits will be included in Naviance Student, the E-Bulletin, and in announcements. Additionally, your student will receive a system email from the Naviance platform if a college on one of their college lists schedules a visit. Approximately 85 colleges visited PA last fall. More information on college visit procedures will be shared with students in the first days/week of school.
- Regional Information Sessions: Colleges will also inform our office (and students on their mailing lists) about public information sessions they are hosting in the Twin Cities region. These events are typically held at hotels, public libraries, or schools on weeknights or weekend afternoons. Students will receive information directly from colleges if they are on their mailing lists. Many colleges make note of an applicant’s “demonstrated interest” during admission deliberations. This favors students who have visited campus, attended the college’s visit to the high school, spoken to a college representative at a college fair, or accepted an invitation to meet with an admission representative during his or her stay in the Twin Cities.
For Juniors Only: Mrs. Hogan and Mr. Wolf will work with the Junior class to schedule college counseling meetings this winter and spring. Juniors will each have a series of individual meetings with their assigned college counselor from January through May 2024. We will provide much more detailed information about these meetings at the November 16th College Planning Program for Juniors/Parents (at 2:30 p.m. in the PAC).