College Exploration

Use the conversation starters to set goals as a match based on the protégé's interests, strengths and ideas for ther future. Start with career conversations to brainstorm potential career paths.  

Do you know what you want to do for a career? 

• Is college the best way for you to explore potential careers?

• Is there another path that would serve you better in exploring potential careers? 

• Would a 4 year or 2 year program make more sense for your career goals? 

What careers are you exploring? 

• Is a college degree necessary to pursue these careers?

• What other paths are available to reach my career goals?

Keep track of your current ideas about college in Your Mentoring Journey.

Use the conversation starters to assess what schools will be a good match and fit for the protégé based on interests, strengths and ideas for ther future. Matches can use our tool for building your college list and then use these conversations to dig deeper in decision making. 

What factors are most important in a college or university?:

• Size of the school: small (less than 5000), medium (5000-15,000), large (greater than 15000)

• The location of the school (urban/suburban/rural, distance from home)

• Services available on campus (counseling, tutoring, advising structure)

• The college’s graduation rates and retention rates

• Does the school offer your major? Study abroad programs?

• Do they offer clubs, sports, organizations, etc. that you might be interested in joining?

• Diversity of students/faculty on campus?

Questions to ask on campus:

• How does it feel to navigate campus? 

• Does this campus feel safe? Why or why not?

• Do students seem happy? 

• Do I feel connected?

• How does the campus feel?

My College Fact Finder (OSSE) - Use this website to review important information on thousands of colleges and universities across the country that can help you make your smart college choice. This is designed specifically for DC students. 

Big Future - The College Board - Use this website as a tool to help find the right school, where you can compare colleges and explore majors/careers. This is designed for students in the DC area and across the nation.

College Options - Use this website as a tool for college and career planning. There are several links that will assist with college application, FAFSA, career exploration, etc. This is designed for students in the DC area and across the nation.

Khan Academy Free SAT Prep - Free online test preparation for the SAT including full practice tests.

Virtual College Tours - You can still take a tour of different colleges here even if you can’t visit in person.  Check out additional schools here.

NACAC - Host of one of the largest college fairs in the country. They have also been a great resource as college admissions has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

College Fairs: There are typically a number of college fairs happening in the DC region in the fall. Check the events calendar for upcoming college fairs and events. We recommend attending college fairs early. There is a lot of information, and attending as a 9th or 10th grader lets you get familiar without feeling pressure to make a decision.  

NACAC - This large national college fair typically comes to the DC Region in November, giving youth the opportunity to explore a wide range of colleges and universities. NACAC also hosts tools for college exploration and searches. They are also a leader in working to increase access to higher education through research and advocacy. 

College Board Big Future Days - In 2021, the College Board hosted these virtual college fair opportunities for youth to visit college booths, attend college panels and learn about the admissions and exploration process. 

Making the Most of College Fairs: Attending college fairs give you an opportunity to seek information, but it’s also a chance to meet admissions officers and make a good impression. Admissions officers want to know you’re interested in attending their university, and this is a great way to do that! 

Before heading to a college fair, connect with your match about the following: 

• Set Goals - are you just getting familiar, targeting certain schools, or seeking specific information about a university to make a decision? 

• Make a plan for what you will wear, how you will get there and a meeting place. 

• Decide what questions are most important to you to have answered. 

• Practice your “elevator speech,” a quick introduction to share with admissions representatives who you are and what is unique about you. 

• Research schools with your match before attending a fair - look into tuition, if they offer a major that interests you, etc. 

Princeton Review - Check out this list of tips for how to make the most of the college fair experience. 

CollegeVine - Check out this list of questions (and why they’re important) you may want to ask at a college fair. 

Questions To Ask:

1. What’s the community atmosphere like on campus and in the surrounding area?

2. What’s distinctive about your institution?

3. I’m interested in your school! What’s my next step?

4. What is the average number of students in a class?

5. What are the top majors at your college?

6. What is there to do on campus?

7. How would you describe the academic pressure and workload?

8. What is security like on campus?

9. Tell me about the local area.

10. What housing options do I have?

11. What is the average financial aid award for first-year students?

12. Tell me about your study abroad opportunities.

13. Will classes be textbook-focused or more hands-on?

14. What student support services are available for me?

15. Are there any big changes happening that I should know about? 

16. How diverse are the students? Teachers? Is that important to you?

What is a personal statement and what is the purpose? A personal statement is an essay you write to a college admissions office to show them who you are and why you should go to their school. If you want to learn about the basics of a personal essay, look no further! Find all the basics explaining what a personal essay is and what it means to colleges and universities here.

Wondering how to write a personal statement? Check out this how-to guide from the Purdue Online writing lab at Purdue University and learn the basic do’s and don’ts of writing a personal statement.  

Need help planning your personal statement? Use a worksheet template like this one, to brainstorm and outline your thoughts. 

Want some examples before getting started? Read personal statements that have different subjects, construction, structure, and even language. These are sure to give you some ideas for how you can write your own personal statement. 

Conversation Starters  

If you are having trouble trying to narrow down what to write about for your personal statement, these are some questions to ask yourself and discuss with your mentor. Check out the full list here.

Focusing on Academics: 

• What’s your main academic area of interest?

• Why does this matter to you?

• When did this interest first start to matter to you? Was there a specific event that sparked your interest?

• Did you ever face a really big challenge in continuing to learn about or study this topic?

• Was this challenge the result of your gender, race, or religion, your family’s socio-economic background, or  the culture of the place you lived? 

Focusing on Extracurriculars:

• What’s an extracurricular activity that has shaped your personality and character?

• Why does this activity matter so much to you?

• When did this activity first start to matter to you? Was there a specific event that sparked your interest?

• Have you done something with this activity that no one else you know has done?

• Did you ever face a really big challenge in continuing to pursue this activity?

• Was this challenge the result of your gender, race,  religion, family’s socio-economic background, or the culture of the place you lived? 

Focusing on Life Experiences: 

• Is there something you’ve done or experienced that changed you forever in a positive way?

• How did this event make you more mature, compassionate, self-aware, determined, or strong?

• Is there a day from your life that you reflect on often? Why is this day so memorable to you?

• Are you similar to or different from your parents / siblings? What made you this way?

• When did you feel like you didn’t fit in with a group of people? What made you different from others?

• Is there something (non-academic / extracurricular) that you devote A LOT of time to? Why do you do this?

• What makes you feel like your life is meaningful and important to you?

• What is one thing that you would never change about yourself or your life experiences?

Mentors can collaborate with protégés and their families in accessing and seeking support for financing college by setting goals, getting organized and supporting scholarship applications. Protégés and their families are encouraged to reach out to their DC-CAP advisor at their schools for support in completing the FAFSA and assessing financial fit of colleges and universities. 

DCPS Dollars 4 College Newsletter - subscribe for regular updates on scholarships, financial support and more, specifically designed for DC students. 

Learn about Financial Aid and the Pell Grant - the FAFSA opens annually on December 31st. 

DC-CAP - Each DC public and public charter high school student has access to a College Information Resource Center and DC-CAP Advisor within their school.  Each student is eligible to receive college preparation and planning services to ensure future success with the college process. 

DC Tuition Assistance Grant (DC-TAG) - Grant program for DC students attending public universities outside of DC and HBCUs. 

DC scholarships at Scholarships.com - this website is regularly updated with a list of scholarships that are available to individuals living in DC with where to apply, requirements, etc. 

Unigo - New scholarship awards each month AND a database of other scholarships. Unigo scholarships are often for ages 13 and up and essays are 250 words or less. This is a great place to practice scholarship applications, early. 

• Why do you want to go visit a prospective college?

• Is there a virtual tour of the college campus?

• What are the benefits and drawbacks of visiting in-person vs. virtually?

• What do you want to know about the college before going on a visit? 

  • Do you want to know about what majors they offer? What kind of campus is it (urban, suburban)? Tuition/cost of living on campus?

• What do you want to know about student life?

  • Do they offer any student clubs or organizations you would be interested in? 

  • How many students go to the school? Big or small school?

• What is the local community surrounding the college like?

  • What is there to do for fun near the campus?

• Where are the colleges you want to visit?

• Are there multiple colleges nearby to visit?

• What are the costs involved in visiting the school? (eg. time, money, etc.)

• Do you need to set a budget for your college visit(s)? Learn about budgeting on our financial literacy page. 

• Do you know anyone at the school who can provide insights or an informal tour when you visit?

  • Does the school offer the opportunity to shadow a student there?

Remember to ask your MI@KP staff contact to see if there are any connections within the MI@KP community to reach out to!

Places to visit on Campus Visits:

• Admissions Office

• Financial Aid Office

• Health and Wellness Offices/Center

• Dorms*

• Local area, city, or community

• Classes (sit in)*

• Library or other study spaces

• Dining Hall*

• Student Center*

*Places to ask or talk with current students about their experiences at the college. Prepare some questions, but also ask what you want to know in the moment based on what you’ve seen and heard.

Questions to Ask on Campus Visits:

• 36 Questions to Ask on a College Visit

• 60 Questions To Ask on Your College Tour

• 118 Great Questions to Ask on a College Tour