Hello from the Road (or Airport)

For those of you who don't know, the job of a college admissions counselor is certainly an exciting one. Every Fall we travel from city to city around the country (and world) talking to high school students, families, counselors, and the occasional curious onlooker about all of the thrilling opportunities available at Hofstra University. Some of us travel only a short distance from campus and others travel very far away (Africa and Asia are among the places we travel!). Some of us travel by car and plane, while others even travel by subway and boat. We spend our days in rental cars and high schools and our nights and weekends standing behind a meticulously prepared table at college fairs. We see some amazing sights along the way (so far my favorites are the Texas Capitol building and the Pink skyscraper in Miami), but by far the most exciting things during travel season are the conversations we have with students learning about Hofstra University, whether for the first time or the fifty-first time!

One conversation in particular stands out in my mind from this travel season. I can't remember the day or even the city I was in, but this 5 minute conversation with a prospective student and her mother really struck me. The conversation started out like most with the familiar questions of, "What programs does Hofstra have?" and "How big is Hofstra?" But it was when I got to talking about where Hofstra is located and answering questions about our School of Communications, that her and her mother started to tear up. I was confused at first. Did I say something wrong? What did I do? But they must have noticed my confusion because they immediately started to explain themselves. Hofstra had been everything they were looking for. She wanted everything a big city had to offer, but not to live in the city. (25 miles from NYC anyone!?) She wanted a beautiful campus with great student life. (Check!) And most of all she wanted a strong Broadcast Journalism program. (Got it!) These hadn't been sad tears, but happy ones! Finding the right 'fit' for this student had been a hard task and having me there at that moment talking about a school that could be the right place for her hit them all at once. They had finally found it!

Finding the right 'fit' for a student doesn't always happen the way it did for this student. Often times it happens behind computer screens, in conversations with family members, or on trips to visit various college campuses. However, having the opportunity to help this student and many others find the right colleges (hopefully Hofstra!) for them makes the trains, hotel rooms, rental cars, and weekends away from home, not just worth it, but well worth it and exciting too!