Wondering What College ‘Networking’ Is All About?

A lovely and dedicated parent recently asked, “The Best U offers guidance for college networking, what exactly does this mean?” A very good question indeed. There’s so much we love to discuss with students about finding their best fit and exploring colleges in depth, but it’s important not to overlook the ins and outs of networking as one of the factors that contributes to the overall admissions process. 

For everyone who shares that ‘what exactly does this mean?’ question, 

Here are a few basics to know: 

What is “College Networking”? 

  • Think of any action a student takes to engage with a college, its admissions resources, programming, and staff as falling into the broad category of networking with colleges. Much like in professional life, building a strong relationship can be an important part of the admissions process. 

Who should be networking?

  • Students can begin to network with the colleges they are interested in or exploring as early as 9th grade, and should continue to do so through submitting applications as 12th graders.
  • This may start by attending a college fair and signing up to be added to an email list, and can evolve into asking questions or having conversation with representatives who conduct small group visits to high schools for juniors or seniors. 

How does a student ‘network’ with a college they are interested in?: 

  • Active Engagement: Whether its a vast, overwhelming college fair, a zoom informational session, or an on campus tour, students should focus on presenting their best selves. Looking interested and engaged in what’s being said, making eye contact, asking a thoughtful question-- all of these actions contribute to the important impression that a student is authentically invested in the college.
  • Opting In: Believe it or not, some colleges now track whether students open the emails they send, whether they click through using the links provided, and even how much time they spend on the website. Whenever an opportunity to engage with a college presents itself, the choice to engage is a way of demonstrating interest that many colleges do take note of. 
  • Following Up: After any personal contact with an admissions staff person, a student should send a brief, thoughtful, personal thank you note via email. This can go a long way in conveying a student’s character and making a positive impression.

Where & when does college networking happen?  

  • In-Person: Opportunities to network with colleges of interest are presented to students in their own communities through College Fairs, Representative Visits to high schools, and regional programming and presentations.
  • On Campus: Any time a student visits a college campus, they should be networking. This does not necessarily mean sitting down for an interview or meet & greet. Instead, it can mean formally registering your visit by scheduling any programming offered by the admissions office including tours and informational sessions. 
  • Virtually: Many visits, fairs, and programs are now being offered online. This makes networking accessible to more students. Networking even extends to the actions of signing up for a college’s email list, opening the emails they send, and visiting the website through the links they provide. Not all colleges are invested in these metrics, but it is important to know that this is a part of the process these days.

Why does college networking matter? 

  • A student’s first contact with a college should never come when a representative reads their name on an application. 
  • The work of admissions officers is to ‘yield’ strong fit, highly qualified accepted students who will actually enroll at the college. With this in mind, every opportunity to engage with a college, communicate their interest, and share their character can be a valuable opportunity for a student to leave a personal impression or a digital footprint that can be a factor, formally or informally, in the admissions process. 

Wondering about how to find and connect with your best fit colleges? 

Join our upcoming Admissions Sense with The Best U Program: 

College Exploration & Relationship Building Online Workshop

Day: Sunday, September 19, 2021

Time: 6:30 p.m. MDT

Join us here

Our college admissions experts will walk 9th - 11th-grade students and parents through the process of exploring colleges. 

In this live session we will cover:

  • Learn ways to explore colleges so you can start to create your college list
  • What relationship building with colleges looks like
  • What demonstrated interest is and why it is important in college admission
  • Why the fall is a great time to explore colleges
  • A live Q&A with our expert advisors

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