Parents 101

Today. I got the opportunity to entertain a family while an Admissions Counselor was on the way to talk to them about their time on the tour. I had never entertained a family before, but being the external social butterfly I was, I didn't think it would be that hard to entertain a family for a little while. Little did I know that there are rules that go into talking to the parents as far as what you are allowed to say and what you cannot say. The simplest things can be the deciding factor for a family on enrolling in a college or deciding upon another school. Some things I learned today include:

1. Never mention money or finances in any way at any point. Every family situation is different and you cannot assume that each family will get provided the same financial help as others.

2, Never give specifics. Never state what time classes start or if teacher comes late. Never give your full life story because general is always better.

3, Never give any bad experiences. Make every situation a public relations event. If a teacher is late, never say that. If you didn't like a teacher, instead say that he was challenging and interesting. Never tell specifics unless parents ask.

This will help me to prepare for more admissions events coming up soon and it will prepare me to talk to prospective students and their parent or guardian.