I have never gone through the admission process here at the school.
The students are definitely asking questions about policies or statements on our enrollment agreement. I can understand why some people have replied that the enrollment agreement causes anxiety, but if every step is done correctly by the time we get to the enrollment agreement, the student can be excited!
It is very important to listen to what the student is asking about the enrollment process. The student is already nervous, so to ease them it is important to ask if their are any questions or concerns they may have. They may have a question or concern and not know how to address it. So, by listen to them carefully it may help them to figure out what exactlly are they wanting to know!
My experience to date leads me to say approximately 50% ask thorough, relevant questions regarding specific policies or statements.I find more questions are asked during the review of Financial Aid options.
I agree completely. I know for me when I started school again, I had a ton of questions. It is a major step finacially as well as starting something new all over again. So they should definitely be able to know as much about a program as possible.
Students should be able to ask as many questions they need to be comfortable enrolling into a college. This is a major step for anyone to take and they should be well informed. The school's policies or statements are important information.
I find that if you go over the enrollment agreement with the students it alleviates alot of anxiety and not many questions if covered thoroughly!
Not really. We have to walk them through it slowly. Many times they want to jump ahead and sign it, however we make them wait until we have covered the complete document.
I don't find that students have too many questions during the admissions process. Our process and steps give our potential students answers to the majority of their questions without having to even ask them.
It is actually not part of my job function to go through an enrollment agreement with a student. Still, I have actually sat in on several interviews where enrollment agreements were being handled. In those observations I saw that it was more often the parents who asked the bulk of the questions.
I do agree with what others have said in that the agreements seem to cause some anxiety. For many students this is one of the first legally binding documents that they have participated in and they are cautious and stressed because of that. While having anxiety about it is not great, I do find it positive that students understand the seriousness of this kind of document.
It is important to explain the information during the process so the enrollment agreement is just a review of what was already discussed. I have no issues covering the enrollment agreement because my students are well informed.
I have found that students can go either way. Sometimes they are stressed about whether or not they have what it takes to go to school. Other times, students can be fairly confident in their decesion and acceptance.
I do not specifically work with students in the admissions process. I work as a representative of the school in order to inform the students of our existence as well as what is available at our institution. I do however see a great deal of value in knowing the exact process of what a student goes through. I have sat with an admissions officer in the past with our institution and found that both the student as well as the parents asked a great deal of questions. This was encouraging because when making a major purchase (such as an education) it is extremely important that you understand every aspect. I enjoy working in education because if a question is not asked by the student or parents, it is our obligation to inform them of the information. This is a wonderful tool to keep those in the education industry honest and respectable.
Students and parents should ask questions, but sometimes they are not sure what to ask. It is important that we make sure that they understand every detail of the agreement.
I find that the more nervous a student is about beginning the process the more questions they ask. I try to be as informative with the student as possible while remaining compliant.
I agree with you Thomas! However not for all students. I have found that some are open to it and will read over it anf be fine. Others are a little scared because they don't want to feel as if there signing there life away to a college
I often get questions asked that I do not know the answers to. I always ask the students to give me their email address and I will find the correct answer and email it to them within 24 hours. I find that the students really appreciate that I do this.
In my institution, signing the enrollment agreement is one of the last steps of the admissions process. With my experience, at that point, the student seems exausted and when I go over the enrollment agreement and ask if the student has any questions, typically, the answer is no. Most of the questions are asked at the beginning of the conversation.
Margaret:
You make some very good points. If a student has a question and you do not know the answer it is important not to "guess at the answer" or provide the student with information that you are not sure is correct. You should always find the person at your school who knows the answer so you can provide the student the correct information.
Most students do not ask a lot of question regarding the enrollment agreement. I'dd like to think I do a good job of explaining everything on the enrollment agreement. I also ask if they have any question regarding the enrollment agreement before I move on.
