Ripped from the Headlines: Opportunities for Fly-Ins to Your Favorite Colleges

First, we have to establish what a “fly-in” is and why it’s important. Getting out and seeing colleges is vitally important for a number of reasons. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: seeing is believing! Get out and see where your future home is! Do you like the environment, both on and off campus? Do you like the people, and do you feel you fit in with the community? Do you feel the campus is too big or too small? Are the classes too big or too small? Does it have the bells and whistles you are looking for? Can you handle the weather? These values (and many more) are worth seeing up close and personal.

Then there’s the value of demonstrated interest. Primarily small-to-medium sized private colleges are paying close attention to the behavior of students leading up to application season. Have you called or emailed your favorite campuses with a good question or two? Did you meet a representative from the college at a local college fair or at your high school? Did you make an official visit to their campus? Colleges want to know how serious you are about them and what kind of a ‘fit’ you have within their community.

But for families who cannot afford to travel outside of California to see schools that have the potential to be great for their child, there are a significant number of outstanding colleges and universities that offer discounted or free trips to visit their schools.

According to getmetocollege.org, there are over 65 colleges that currently offer these free or discounted programs for financially needy families. Many of these programs are specifically targeted to the first-generation college student (a student who does not have a sibling or parent who has attended college before). Here’s a handful of those outstanding schools who offer this wonderful and necessary program at no cost to first-gen students:

· Amherst College (MA)

· Babson College (MA)

· Bates College (ME)

· Brandeis University (MA)

· Carleton College (MN)

· Colby College – (ME)

· College of Charleston (SC)

· Colorado College (CO)

· Davidson College (NC)

· Emory University (GA)

· Grinnell College (IA)

· Kenyon College (OH)

· Lewis & Clark College (OR)

· Middlebury College (VT)

· Reed College (OR)

· Swarthmore College (PA)

· Tufts University (MA)

· University of Vermont (VT)

· Vassar College (NY)

· Williams College (MA)

For a peek at the entire list, please follow this link:

http://getmetocollege.org/what-colleges-look-for/2017-fall-diversity-visit-programs