By Isis Galeno, Assistant Dean of Admissions
As I approach my one-year anniversary of working in Admissions at Pomona, I’ve been reflecting a lot on when I started and everything I’ve accomplished during my time with the office. One memory that stands out is my parents’ and family’s reaction when I told them how excited I was about being able to travel to many cool places for my job. Since then, I’ve traveled to various places I wouldn’t have been able to visit if it weren’t for this position.
I have to be honest: while travel remains one of my favorite parts of working in Admissions, it’s definitely not as glamorous as you might think. Yes, I’ve had the opportunity to visit amazing places and explore new cities, but most of my time on the road is spent working!
So, you might wonder—what do admissions officers actually do while they’re traveling? I’m going to break it down for you: we’ll cover how we travel, the types of travel we do, why we travel, and how you can make the most of travel events.
Before we dive in, I want to preface this by saying that college admissions offices all operate differently. While some of this information may apply to other colleges, this overview focuses specifically on how Pomona’s Admissions Office works.
With that said, let’s discuss the types of travel we actually do. Every year, our officers schedule school visits within states or countries in our territories, primarily between August and October. During these trips, we aim to visit a balanced mix of schools—public, independent, and charter—within our regions.
High school visits usually include some form of information session, either a full presentation or a more informal verbal overview, followed by a Q&A. Sometimes, high schools invite multiple colleges to table during lunch, before, or after school. Tabling is a great way for students to learn about many different schools at once.
Either way, our main goal during these visits is to engage directly with the students at each school!
Because it’s impossible for us to visit every single school in our area, we also conduct other types of visits throughout the year that may be more accessible to a broader audience. First, community-based organization (CBO) visits. We reach out to different CBOs, or are invited by them, to see if we can stop by and talk with their students. Sometimes, these visits include information sessions and mini-college fairs; other times, we walk students through a case study featuring a mock application, demonstrating how we read and evaluate applications at Pomona. I find case studies especially rewarding because it’s always great to see students have that “a-ha!” moment when they learn how we review applications and make admissions decisions.
Another great way we connect with broader audiences is through college fairs. At these events, we usually set up a table where attendees can stop by to ask questions and pick up brochures. Much like our tabling visits at high schools, college fairs offer a fantastic opportunity to learn about many different colleges at once and to build connections with admissions officers.
Wondering how to find college fairs? Here are some tips. First, check the websites of the colleges you’re interested in. Pomona College, like many others, maintains a dedicated site listing all travel events, including college fairs. These websites are an excellent resource for discovering fairs and other visits happening near you.
Next, I recommend exploring NACAC College Fairs (no sponsorship here, just a fan!). NACAC fairs are held in various cities, offer virtual options, feature top colleges, and are free to attend.
Finally, don’t hesitate to ask your school counselor. Some high schools organize trips to these fairs, but not all have the resources to do so. Simply reaching out to your counselor to inquire about reputable college fairs in your area can be incredibly helpful.
I want to take a moment to highlight some of the lesser-known travel we do that I think is among the best: group travel! Group travel is exactly what it sounds like—every year, we host joint in-person and virtual events with other colleges across the nation. While we travel and collaborate with a variety of colleges, there are two groups we most commonly partner with: the Six Colleges (Amherst, Bowdoin, Carleton, Pomona, Swarthmore, and Williams) and the LAUNCH Consortium (Cornell, Emory, Pomona, Rice, and Washington University in St. Louis). Six Colleges and LAUNCH events are similar in format, but feature very different (yet equally awesome) schools!
Here’s what our events usually look like: we start by gathering all attendees in an auditorium, where each college presents a brief info session, followed by a group Q&A. Afterward, we break into a mini-college fair where you can interact with representatives from each individual college.
You might be wondering why we travel with other colleges when they’re technically rivals. The truth is, there’s absolutely no bad blood between us—our admissions officers are actually good friends! Our colleges enjoy traveling together because these events offer great exposure for all schools and give attendees a chance to find the college that’s the best fit for them. Many students have shared that while they came for one specific school, they left excited to apply to colleges they hadn’t even known about earlier that day!
This is really the heart of why our colleges travel together and the mutual benefit these events provide.
Now that we’ve covered the main types of travel, let me share some tips on how to make the most of your time at these events. First, I encourage you to stay curious and keep an open mind. If a college you’ve never heard of is visiting your school, make sure to attend their session! Similarly, at tabling events, don’t limit yourself to just the big-name schools. While well-known colleges have earned their reputation for good reason, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re the best fit for you.
Challenge yourself to visit tables and attend visits from colleges you’re unfamiliar with—you never know what you might discover. Who knows, you might even find the perfect place to call home for the next few years!
Next, always bring a buddy. As an introvert myself, I know these kinds of events can feel intimidating. For many of us, approaching an admissions officer to ask questions, or even just showing up alone, can be overwhelming. Let me start by saying: I promise my fellow admissions officers won’t be mean or scary, so please don’t hesitate to talk to us!
I know that’s easier said than done, so having a friend with you can act like a security blanket, providing comfort during what can sometimes feel overwhelming. And, as we’ve discussed, bringing a friend (or being the friend who tags along) can introduce you to colleges you might never have heard of, helping you build a more dynamic college list.
Similar to a friend, consider bringing a family member if possible. Although they might not offer the same kind of comfort as a friend, your family will likely play a significant role in your college decision. If that’s the case, they should have as much information about the colleges you’re interested in as you do.
In any case, bring someone along to these events, believe me, it’ll make the whole experience much less intimidating!
While I could go on and on, I’ll leave you all with one last tip: do your research! For many of you, travel events will likely be the only opportunity to chat with admissions officers face to face. Because of this, you want to make sure you maximize your time in front of them.
With that in mind, here are a few recommendations to help you make the most of these interactions. Imagine you’re walking down your school’s hallway and see a sign outside the counseling office that says Pomona College will be visiting next week. You might think to yourself, “Pomona College? Who is that? Never heard of her…” Instead of showing up to the visit the next week still not knowing much about Pomona, take the rest of the week to explore the admissions website, check out the fly-in program, and read the student blog. Learn as much as you can so that, by the time the visit happens, you have some specific questions ready for the admissions officer.
Or, maybe you find yourself at a Six Colleges event. You came just because you heard Pomona was in town, but now you’re outside the auditorium, seeing all the college’s
Tables are set up. Suddenly, you come across a college’s really cool mammoth mascot and become intrigued. Once the info sessions begin, pay close attention to Amherst’s presentation and take as many notes as you can. That way, you’ll be ready to ask their admissions officers any lingering questions after the presentation (including how they got that awesome mammoth mascot).
Let me be clear: when I ask you to do research, I don’t mean you need to know absolutely everything about the college (if that were the case, you’d have my job!). Similarly, there are definitely times when you’re at a college fair or get dragged to a school visit by a friend and don’t know much about the college or aren’t prepared. That’s totally okay! In those cases, it’s perfectly fine to ask more basic, introductory questions to learn about the college.
However, if you have the time to prepare, then do! If you’re already really interested in a college or just attended their info session, come with questions that you couldn’t find answers to on their website, brochures, or other materials—not just questions like, “How many majors do you have?”
All in all, while travel involves a lot of work and can be exhausting, it remains one of my favorite parts of the job, not only because I get to visit new places, but mostly because I get to connect with all of you! I find great joy in speaking with families, students, and counselors, and it’s a privilege to do so while traveling to new and exciting destinations. Now that you know all the ins and outs of travel, keep pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone, engage with admissions officers, explore different types of colleges, and most importantly, do your research!