#132 College Tours

 

It is spring break for most people, which means college campuses are being bombarded by prospective high schoolers. As you try to look cool in your varsity jackets and color rubber-banded braces, Dad is pestering the tour guide about every nuanced detail of the college. See when Dad isn’t interrogating you at the dinner table as if it were a job interview, he’s asking those questions to someone else. And what better time that on a college tour, something that will define your future for the rest of your life.

“Can you tell us about the student faculty ratio?”
“What do most people major in? Is there a specialty? How often do kids switch their major?”
“What is the retention rate? What is the graduation rate? What is the international student percentage rate?”
How many questions can you ask using rate?

While you’re concerned if Greek life exists, (and if so, does it haze?), Dad needs to know the ins and outs of the school. Dad claims this is about your future, but in reality it’s about the investment he’s making with his bank account. With all the questions Dad is asking, he is mainly trying to get the answer to” “Can my kid go here and not become a screw up?”

So while you claim that the school is your top choice because it “felt” right, Dad is making sure that you’ll have a great experience at it. Yes, education is important, but Dad wants to be able to compare his college stories with yours. And compare old college sweaters.