Questions Prospective Students Have
What kinds of questions do prospective students typically have? How will you answer these questions more effectively as a result of this course?
Some typical questions are concerning attendance, leave of absences, or cancellation of the enrollment. It it best to know and understand the state licensing agency rules and regulations coupled with the catalog and where to find this information. Your best answer should reference the catalog and show the prospective student where it is located in the catalog.
Jenniffer,
Those of us that have relied on the catalog for years understand that through such references you can avoid making untrue representations. How should a person handle a questions that is not covered in the catalog?
Cindy Bryant
Cindy,
There are several situations where a student poses a question that will not be covered in the catalog. Depending on the question you can refer to experts on campus and/or other sources such as the enrollment agreement, addendum, program (of interest) marketing material, financial aid experts, or BLS.org. For example, if a prospective student has a question on receiving grants and loans you would refer to the financail aid expert on campus. Another common question is salary range of a specific program and it would be best to refer the prospective student to BLS.org for futher research. If the student has detailed questions regarding a specific class within the program then refer the prospective to the education department to speak with the DOE or program chair.
Jenniffer,
Thank you so much for your well thought out respond. You have been a great contributor to the forum interaction.
Cindy Bryant
Some questions that I have run across is about tuition, what is taught in the course, how long the course will take. I make sure to always be up to date on the student catalog and all of the regulations in my state. That way I am always giving current and up to date information to prospects.
As the campus director, I am the "go to" person whenever a prospective student has a question that is not covered by our catalog. In these situations, I provide support to the admissions representive by providing an acceptable and accurate response whenever I can. Sometimes it may be necessary to refer the student to another resource for the answer to their question.
In the short time that I have been in this field tuition cost is definitely a question that all prospect students inquire about. They want to know their options on how to pay for the course and how long it will take them to begin.
I believe an effective way to answer these questions is to ask a co-worker who understands the latest institution policies.
Priscilla,
I agree that asking a co-worker too clarify information can be very helpful. Remember that it is necessary to refer all prospective students to financial aid for questions regarding federal contributions to tuition and loan payments.
Cindy Bryant
Most prospects always want to know how much everything cost and how they can get assistance. I let them know costs and that our financial advisor is there to assist them with financial aid.
Sarah,
You are right. The outcome disclosures are critical in a students decision to enroll.
Cindy Bryant
Most questions are the tuition and how they will be able to pay for their education. We reply with "We will have you meet with an Financial Aid Advisor that will be able to answer all of your questions".
I often hear prospective students ask the question -- "will my credits be transferable". It is very important that the student is aware of the fact that it will have to be determined by the receiving school.
Sheila,
Transferability of credits is one of the most controversial areas that students become concerned with. Many schools have decided to provide the student with a written disclosure requiring signatures to ensure that the students were adequately informed.
Cindy Bryant
Often times students will ask what type of salaries they should expect once they have graduated.
A good response would be to direct them to the Department of Labor and statistics web page as salaries can't be discussed.
This is indeed often a common question for prospective students. The transferability of credits is always dependent upon the receiving institution.
Jennifer,
Bravo! The only way you can assure a potential student of transferability of credits is through an articulation agreement with another institution.
Cindy Bryant
In the recent months I have had more students asking "is your school accredited"? As our conversation continues it is clear they are trying to find out about "credit transferability". I feel that it is very important to explain the difference of the two areas. This ensures the student gets the correct information to their questions.
David,
Hi! Welcome to the forum. Accreditation questions are common. Many students confuse the transferability of credits with accreditation. Sometime this stems from a lack of understanding from other schools that the students may have approached. It is important that the student understand that accreditation and transfer of credits is two separate entities. Thanks for sharing as I am sure others are asked this question often as well.
Cindy Bryant
Will I get a job after training - just have to direct the student to career services and inform them that getting the jobs is ultimately up to them but we help all along the way
