COLLEGE PENCIL
25 QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR ACADEMIC ADVISOR
Introduction
Meeting with an Academic Advisor during your college visit is a critical part of your college investigation. An Academic Advisor will assist you with achieving your educational goals by pinpointing your academic strengths, helping you select a major, and identifying programs specific to your wants and needs. They will help you become acquainted with all of the educational opportunities and academic support available at the college. Determining where you will apply to college, and ultimately, where you will attend college should be an informed choice. That’s why we developed this list of 25 questions to ask your Academic Advisor. Bring this list of prepared questions on your college visit and keep a notepad handy for recording the answers. It will serve as a springboard for opening the dialogue between you and your Academic Advisor.
Questions
1. Will I be assigned an Academic Advisor who specializes in my field of study?
2. Will my Academic Advisor counsel me from the beginning of my coursework through graduation?
3. Do you offer college credit for standardized exams? If so, are specific scores required for college credit?
4. What are the specific course requirements for this major?
5. Could you please give me a list of all the required courses to complete my major?
6. What are the foreign language and math requirements to complete this major?
7. Are laboratory classes required for this major? If so, how many and what are they?
8. Am I required to maintain a specific grade point average to complete this major?
9. When is the drop/add date for classes each semester and how will a drop/add affect my transcript and grade point average?
10. If I retake a class, will the new grade replace the old grade, or will the new and old grades be averaged?
11. Can I change majors? How does changing my major affect my scholarships and graduation date?
12. What courses should I take in high school to prepare myself for the rigors of college?
13. If I am struggling academically, what resources does this college offer? Examples include free tutoring and time management courses.
14. Are summer classes commonly offered for my major?
15. Can I take online courses to complete my major?
16. What opportunities are available for students choosing this major? Are there internships, co-op programs, undergraduate research positions, or study abroad programs?
17. What kind of careers do students pursue with this major?
18. What is your job placement rate for this major?
19. If I complete this major, should I consider graduate school? If so, what is the graduate school acceptance rate for students completing this major?
20. What test preparation is available if I pursue graduate school?
21. What is the average starting salary for graduates in this major?
22. What is the average class size for the introductory classes for this major?
23. What is the average class size for the advanced classes for this major?
24. How does this college rank in comparison to other colleges offering the same major?
25. Are there specific scholarships available for students choosing this major? Would I be a candidate for these scholarships?
Conclusion
At this point, you may not be sure where you want to attend college or what your major will be. That’s okay. You may benefit even more from meeting with an Academic Advisor because of these uncertainties and the discussion may open your mind to new ideas you had not considered before your visit. You’re making big decisions, so take the time to deliberate and listen to a lot of ideas and different points of view. From this information, you can decide what you want and what you don’t want. Also, before write my essay planning your college visit consider taking a virtual campus tour. For a list of websites providing virtual campus tours, visit College Pencilpedia. For more great tips and a step-by-step approach for planning your college visits, purchase “The Ultimate College Application Guide” on Amazon today. Safe travels!
