Your first college visit is a glimpse into the collegiate experience, crucial for both students and parents. While exploring campus, remember admissions officers are also evaluating you. But beware, some questions and requests can be off-the-wall, sticking in the minds of admission staff long after your visit.

Consider these real-life examples noted by admissions and music department personnel:

• I was on Ancestry.com and saw that I may be a relative to at least two of your faculty members. Oh, they have no idea that we’re related: But, if I bring in the results from Ancestry.com can we get on the faculty–family reduced tuition plan?

• Do they supply free birth control through the student health clinic?

• Your school is world-renowned for your engineering program and you accept very few students into that program.  So, if my child comes in as a music major with the goal of transferring to the engineering program, how long does he have to be a music major before they can transfer? And remember, he made the All-State Orchestra in Indiana.

• My child’s dream is to be on Broadway. You can see from her resume the leading roles she has played in her high school and community theater, and you will have to admit it will be a real coup for your school to get here as a student.  So, I’m simply asking that before she accepts your invitation to become a student here you sign a contract that I got off legalzoom.com guaranteeing her a leading role in at least one musical by her sophomore year and a leading role in every year following.  She will put your school’s name on her Playbill bio when she appears in her first Broadway show if you sign this contract today.

• My child is planning on being a vocal performance major. However, she had a really bad experience with a private lesson teacher.  This teacher asked way too much of her time and energy.  Can we devise her own performance degree plan where she does not have to take private studio lessons?

• I understand that the ensembles in your music department go on tour every spring, but my child still gets car sick and sometimes still wets the bed.  Because of these issues, can we go ahead and plan for my child to not be required to go on tour?

• What is the party scene like on this campus?  My child has already been arrested once for a DUI and I just don’t want to put them in a place where they may be drinking.

• My son and his girlfriend are both planning on attending school here.  They’re going to live off campus together so when they are on choir tour can they be assured that they can room together? This might be a deal breaker if they cannot.

• Our family are pot smokers. It’s legal in our state. My son also smokes pot and it really helps his academic performance.  Since you now know this can I be assured that his professors will let me know about pop quizzes a day before so I can get a good drag in before he takes the pop quiz?  As I said, it really enhances his academic performance.

• We’ve narrowed down our discussion to three schools, two are within an hour’s drive from our house and this school is a four-hour drive.  I know that your wife is from our town and the two of you have no children, do you think it would be inappropriate if I was to ask when you and your wife come home to Greenwood if my child could ride home with you?  This could help sway our decision.

• For the cost of attending this school, do you provide free valve oil and mutes?

• I see that you have only a master’s degree, and I understand you’ve performed at the Met, but how can I be guaranteed that my child will be taught only by people who have a doctorate?  Or can we get a discount when professors like yourself with only a master’s teach him?

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With these examples in mind, be careful what you ask on your college visit; your questions can leave a lasting impression.

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