College Advising

College selection is one of the more important decisions of a student’s life. The Oakridge Office of College Advising strives to provide students with all the tools necessary to make the college decision-making process simpler and less mysterious.

News & Notes

College Day - February 25

We are excited to offer our 8th grade and Upper School students an informative and interactive College Day program on Friday, February 25. Our students will play a fun game, The GPA Game, led by college admission representatives and attend a college fair with 30 colleges and universities from across the U.S.

Below you will find a quick snapshot of the morning schedule:

8:30 a.m. (8th Grade) / 8:40 a.m. Advisory College Activity and Attendance

9 a.m. College Workshop - GPA Game

10 a.m. College Fair - (list below)

11 a.m. Managing Increased Pressures and Expectations

College Day 2022

Colleges Participating

Auburn University	www.auburn.edu/admissions
Austin College	https://www.austincollege.edu/admission/
Bradley University	https://www.bradley.edu/admissions/
Dallas Baptist University	https://www.dbu.edu/undergraduate/
Drake University	www.drake.edu
Harding University	www.harding.edu
John Brown University	https://www.jbu.edu
Lawrence Technological University	ltu.edu
Loyola University Chicago	luc.edu/undergrad
Michigan State University	admissions.msu.edu
Midwestern State University	https://msutexas.edu/
Mississippi College	https://www.mc.edu/
Ohio University	ohio.edu
Oklahoma City University	https://www.okcu.edu/
Samford University	WWW.Samford.edu
Southern Methodist University	www.smu.edu
Southern Arkansas University	www.saumag.edu
Stephen F. Austin State University	https://www.sfasu.edu/
Texas State University	https://www.admissions.txstate.edu/
The University of Texas at Arlington	uta.edu/admissions
The University of Texas at Austin	https://admissions.utexas.edu/
Trinity University	www.trinity.edu
University of Houston	https://uh.edu/
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	https://illinois.edu/
University of Iowa	https://admission.uiowa.edu
University of Missouri-Columbia	Admissions.Missouri.edu
University of Nebraska-Lincoln	unl.edu
University of North Texas	https://admissions.unt.edu/
Wichita State University	wichita.edu

Tips for Success at the College Fair

You will attend many college fairs throughout your upper school years. A college fair offers students the opportunity to interact with college admissions representatives from many colleges in one place. These representatives like to answer questions about what makes their institution so unique.

Here is a checklist of tips to help you stand out and get the most out of college fairs.

Be prepared!

Before you attend a college fair:

• Decide on a goal for your college fair experience. Here are some reasons to go to a college fair:

To make a meaningful connection with a rep from a college (who may be the one reading your application).
To ask interesting, specific questions to learn more about a college/university and determine if the college/university will be a good academic and social “fit” for you.
Find out which colleges will be at the college fair and write down the names of those you want to learn about. **Talk to at least one rep from a school with which you are not familiar.
Make a list of any questions you have. For example:
- How would you describe your student body’s personality?
- What is the campus atmosphere like?
- How would you describe students’ relationships with professors?
- How do you award scholarships and financial aid?
- Are first-year students required to live on campus?
- Do you have fraternities and sororities on campus?
- Do ask specific questions relevant to your major.

For example:

Do students have access to full equipment during their freshman year?
How easy is it to take classes in the School of Journalism if I major in Physics?
Bring your list, a pen, paper, and a bag to hold college brochures.
Make sure the email address you give out won’t embarrass you.
Wear clothing that shows you take pride in your appearance. Do not wear anything provocative, unprofessional, or sloppy.

Here’s your chance to make a great first impression! While you’re at a college fair:
- Find the table locations of the schools on your list.
- Wait your turn. There may be many students waiting to visit... your time will come.
- Show confidence and professionalism.
- Introduce yourself with your first and last name.
- Shake hands with a firm grip.
- Look the representative in the eye while speaking and listening.
Ask your questions. Listen thoughtfully to their answer and ask follow-up questions if you want to know more about that subject. When they ask you a question, answer it with confidence and honesty.
Shake their hand and say, “Thank you very much for your time.”
Take a minute to jot down any information you think is important before moving on to the next table.
Check out some of the other tables when you’re done with the colleges on your list. You may stumble onto a great college you hadn’t considered.

When you get home:
Ask yourself which colleges stood out and why.
Organize the college material you collected, review it that week while it’s fresh in your mind.
Go over any notes you took during the fair.
Throw out the brochures of colleges that you’ve ruled out, so you can focus on the colleges that you’re interested in.
Do more research on the colleges you are considering. Explore websites, contact the admission office, and plan a campus visit.

Checklist

College Night: Deans' Panel - January 26

College Advising on January 26 partnered with Trinity Valley School to welcome four college and university admission leaders to Oakridge (virtually, this year) for our annual College Night: Deans’ Panel program .

Please check back soon for a link to watch the informative panel discussions.

The college advising office uses Family Connection by Naviance to help manage the college process. Students and parents alike use this tool for planning.

Students applying to private (and some public) universities will likely need The Common Application; those applying to Texas public (and some private) universities use Apply Texas.