Take a Valuable Detour on Summer Road Trips

As you plan family trips for the summer, investigate what college campuses or training programs are close to your route or destination.

Why It Matters

Set the stage for future decisions.
Even if your student has been on college campuses before, it may not have seemed real. As tenth grade approaches, however, your student will need to more carefully consider plans for after high school.
You have time to be casual.
With three years remaining in high school, there is time for casual visits to gain overall impressions without any pressure.

What Your Student Can Do Now

Consider likes and dislikes.
Just driving through a college campus and its surrounding community can help a student understand whether the size, location and features are appealing. This is not the time to “fall in love” with a particular institution but to explore general likes and dislikes of similar schools.
Get out of the vehicle.
Spend some time walking about the campus. If buildings are open to the public, check out the interiors. Some college students are likely to be taking summer classes; hang out near the student union or other obvious gathering place to observe the overall atmosphere. Also walk around the surrounding community to see what retailers, entertainment options and other venues are convenient.
Keep an open mind.
Many students will develop a preference for a specific size or type of college; others think they can be happy on just about any campus. Remind your student that others with similar backgrounds and personalities can be found at most colleges if your student is willing to get involved and find them.

What Your Student Can Do Later

Start a list.
Using information from the casual summer visits, your student can start exploring programs online and creating a list of possibilities for after high school. The overall cost of attendance should be carefully considered along with other factors during list creation.
Talk to others.
Your student can ask older students, relatives and acquaintances why they chose a particular college or program and how the actuality compared to expectations. This kind of personal anecdote will only provide one data point, however, so your student should be careful to remember that their own experience could differ a lot.
Continue to explore programs.
As opportunities arise to visit other programs and campuses — perhaps through school activities, sporting events, camps and other occasions — your student should consider whether each specific program or location is appealing. The list of potential applications can be refined throughout high school.

What You Can Do

Keep it simple.
Make drives and casual visits to campuses an expected part of the trip without pressure on your student to make any decisions. Encourage your student to express their initial thoughts and impressions without judgment.
Openly discuss your own thoughts.
Feel free to share what you see as advantages and disadvantages but try to be objective and look at it from your student’s perspective rather than your own. A faraway campus can be difficult for you as a parent but may provide exactly the program and experience your student needs.
Be honest about finances.
If a particular institution starts to surge to the top of the list but seems like it may be unaffordable for your family, discuss options with your student. Encourage exploration of similar, but less expensive, programs and campuses and discuss possible ways to make up the cost difference without going too deeply into debt.

Next Steps

Be sure to complete the survey questions at the end of this article to be entered into the 529 deposit giveaway!

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