A Novel Way to Visit Colleges
by Jane Klemmer, IECA Associate Member (New York)
Independent educational consultants understand the importance of visiting colleges in order to expand or update our knowledge of the many higher education options available. These visits to campuses familiarize us with the unique qualities of each school and enable us to effectively help students find the right fit for college. We visit colleges on our own and on IECA tours, but also take advantage of campus visits organized by college consortiums that are arranged specifically for counselors and educational consultants. Anywhere from a few days to a week’s time, we zigzag across states by bus, with the hope of getting a firsthand look that will better enable us to understand the essence of a college and therefore, know whether a school would be appropriate for a student.
This summer a group of counselors and educational consultants from across the U.S. will come together in southern California and tour colleges by less conventional means: on bikes. Why not take a bus, car, or train, you might ask. These 19 hardy souls, including two IECA members, Bill Dingledine (South Carolina) and myself, are looking to combine the professional objective of expanding our college knowledge, with a host of other goals that include satisfying a love for cycling and physical exercise, camaraderie, personal fulfillment, and last, but not least, for fun. I would be disingenuous if I declared that I held a long-term passion for cycling. In fact, prior to officially committing to the tour a couple of months ago, I had not been on a bike in years. But embracing the challenge to train and the desire to see colleges in a novel way was all the motivation I needed.
On July 4 the group will gather at the University of the Redlands, about 65 miles east of Los Angeles, where we begin our journey. The first order of business will be to rent bikes, for those of us who will not be transporting our own, followed by the installation of racks and panniers to store our clothing and gear for the week. Yes, much to my chagrin, there is no SAG vehicle bringing up the rear (an Internet search taught me that the acronym stands for Support and Gear), which would carry our stuff and come to the aid of riders in need of assistance. I will learn the true meaning of “packing light” knowing that for one week’s time I will serve as my own packhorse.
Our travels take us to 14 schools including University of the Redlands, the five undergraduate colleges that comprise the Claremont Colleges consortium (Claremont McKenna, Pomona, Pitzer, Scripps, and Harvey Mudd), University of LaVerne, Azusa Pacific University, the University of Southern California, Cal Tech, UCLA, Occidental College, Pepperdine University and Loyola Marymount. We will cycle 30 to 50 miles a day, stopping at each campus long enough to tour the schools, meet with admissions, and get a sense for the academic and social communities. Our last stop each day will likely be our place of rest for the night, and since our accommodations will mostly be in dorms, we will truly get a firsthand college experience.
I am stepping up my training as I count down the weeks to the “College Tour de California.” I am looking forward to the trip with great anticipation, but I am also excited about the prospect of meeting with students when I return. I know there is a good chance I will discover just the college that will make me want to say to a student or two, “I’ve got a great school in mind for you!”
Related posts:
- Nothing Substitutes for a First Hand Tour of Colleges
- Why Most Colleges Encourage Outreach to IECs
- Tour de California
- We Must Do a Better Job Ensuring Colleges Understand WHAT Educational Consultants DO and How Many Kids We Work With
- Colleges: Engage With IECA at NACAC to Diversify Your Campus
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Tagged: Azusa Pacific University, Cal Tech, campus visits, Claremont McKenna, college consulting, College tours, Harvey Mudd College, IECA members, Loyola Marymount, Occidental College, Pepperdine University, Pitzer College, Pomona College, Scripps College, UCLA, University of LaVerne, University of Southern California, University of the Redlands
I would love to participate in a trip like this next year. Please put out the word early for next summer!
What’s the biking equivalent of the theatrical, Break a Leg?
Jane, thank you for calling me back about my inquiry of this Bike Ride tour you and others have put together. I would like to know is it only for Educational Consultants or can anyone join your group? 510-485-9312
Brian
Thanks for writing about this. There’s a lot of important tech information on the internet. You’ve got a lot of that info here on your site. I’m impressed – I try to keep a couple blogs reasonably current, but it’s a struggle sometimes. You’ve done a solid job with this one. How do you do it?