[EPISODE]

[0:00:07] BHA: One of the first decisions a student might make when exploring colleges and universities isn't just what they'd like to study, but where they'd like to spend the next four years. For some students, their dream school might be right down the road. While for others, it's a road trip, train or plane ride away. I'm Becca Haupt Aldredge from Bucknell University, recording solo today.

On today's episode of College Admissions Insider, we'll talk with my colleague Cameron Walsh — regional associate director, also at Bucknell — about attending school far from home, what that means for your college search, and more importantly, your college experience. Cameron, welcome to the podcast.

[0:00:48] CW: Thanks for having me.

[0:00:49] BHA: Can you tell our listeners a little bit more about the work you do as a counselor and where you're located.

[0:00:54] CW: Yes. I'm blessed to have this opportunity to be a regional admissions counselor. So you're seeing this trend across the country where we want to be accessible to our students a lot more, especially if where our primary focus is a little bit of a few hours away from campus. So I am a regional counselor for the southeast and I am based in Charlotte, North Carolina — my home state, and the state in which I attended college, and had my collegiate experience in as well.

[0:01:21] BHA: And where do you recruit students from?

[0:01:23] CW: All over. I always joke and say, I have the bottom right corner of the country. So for the primary area that I cover is kind of that North Carolina-Tennessee line, down to Florida, and then, over to Louisiana. So kind of everything in that corner. I do also have Kentucky and West Virginia, who don't fit in that geographic map, but where I tend to catch my planes and my rental cars to are primarily in that North Carolina, Georgia, Florida area.

[0:01:50] BHA: Awesome. What a great way to expand a university's reach, right? You're not necessarily here on campus with us all the time — even though you're here today in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania — but spending most of your time connecting with those students in the southeast.

[0:02:02] CW: Yes, it's fun to be there and be kind of a member of their community. The counselors can easily call me up and say, "Hey, Cameron, I have a parents panel tonight, and I need your presence, I need your experience, I need your knowledge. Can you join me?" Being 20 minutes from the high school is great. Or "Hey, we're having a case study in Palm Beach in two months. Can you be here?" That's an hour and 15-minute flight for me, versus coming all the way from the northeast down to Florida. So it is nice to be a little more present and kind of have a physical presence within the high schools, the communities. And we do get to build great relationships with the high school counselors.

[0:02:35] BHA: So going off of that, as someone who's immersed in the community and really familiar with these schools in the southeast, where do you start when talking to a student about Bucknell, knowing our location might naturally be the first thing that comes up in that conversation?

[0:02:50] CW: Yes, I'll say, I'm blessed here at Bucknell, that our amazing marketing team has kind of set me up for success. One thing I've noticed at many college fairs, whether that's at the high school or a community center, community college, wherever we may be, our table banner first and foremost says, Lewisburg, Pa. So right off the bat, I have that benefit of we're not really hiding to an extent where some schools across from me, maybe a school I've never heard of, and then have no geographic marker on their banner or on their tablecloth. So I am fortunate that that kind of breaks the shell a little for me, if you will. So it begins that conversation for me and allows me to broach the subject of, we're not in Florida, we're not in North Carolina, we're not in Georgia, we're not in the southeast.

It's kind of the initial touch point of, if they come up to my table. Or in some cases, they'll see our location and go, "Yes, that's where I want to be. I want to leave home. I'm open to the idea of going away to school." So by having that readily available, it can bring up some conversations where a student may not normally know of Bucknell, but they know of Pennsylvania, or they know of, "Well, I have family in Pittsburgh. I have family in Philadelphia." So just knowing that we're in a geographic region that they're interested in or may want to know more about can begin that conversation.

[0:04:03] BHA: That's a great point. I know college fairs can be intimidating for students. So, something to give them a signal that maybe we are something they're looking for, or even where a school is located if the name of a school is unfamiliar. Sounds like a great way to start to introduce the conversation.

You talked about the student who knows that they want to go far away from home. What does the conversation look like with a student who is set on attending school in their home city or home state? How do you broaden their horizons?

[0:04:32] CW: Yes. Sometimes, I mean, in higher ed and in college admissions, there are students who say, "I'm from North Carolina. I was born and raised in North Carolina." I see myself in that student. And they're like, "I want to stay close to home." And I'm like, "Well, I did too. I ended up going to school about five hours away from my home." So to change the experience to open my horizons, it was a simple conversation, saying that, "You know, it's an opportunity for me to grow personally, academically, socially, try new things."

I mean, I'm from the coast of North Carolina, and all of my friends would surf, and they would swim, and they would go to the beach and that's just not me. I knew when I wanted to look at college experiences, yes, I had amazing colleges right down the road from where I live. My dad, my mom went to school right down the road, but I wanted something different. I wanted to try something different. I wanted to open up my horizons and, you know, I grew up thinking that the coast and the hot weather is where it's at, and I can now tell you, I prefer the cool northeastern weather. I prefer the cold and the snow. So geographic region, what the student wants in their experience, just one location is a great way to open this topic.

I ask students in Florida all the time like, "Are you open to winter? Are you open to snow?" Something that they don't get down there. In many cases, that can be a quick and easy, like, let's rip the band aid off. "Are you open to a different geographic region?" Some students will tell me, "No, I want to stay at the beach. I want to stay in the hot weather. I want to stay in Florida." I'm like, "That's wonderful. There are so many amazing schools here that can help you." On the other hand, I have quite a few students who are like, "Well, I never thought about that. I never thought about what other criteria can go into my college decision other than, "Do they have my major? Do they have sports?"

So being able to talk about that we get all four seasons. I mean, Lewisburg, Pa., is a beautiful city. The fall, just breathtaking to see the mountains, and the valleys, and all the colors of the fall season. Then, I was really chagrined that I didn't make it back up in the winter. But to know that that's an opportunity for students to get a warm and hot summer, a cool fall, a cold winter, and a beautiful mix in the spring. So that area, that geographic presence, can be a way that I can open up students' ideas or broaden horizons to opportunities outside of their home state or what they know based on where they're coming from.

[0:06:44] BHA: It was almost like poetic, Cameron. I think that really is a testament to the counseling part of admissions counseling work, that this work is really relational, it's really getting to know and understand the students, and understanding their own lived experience where they're coming from. Maybe they want something because it feels familiar, but how exciting for you to plant an idea that might be something that they hadn't previously considered.

As far as a student taking the next step to visit Bucknell or a school that's far from home, we know that a visit is such an important factor in a student's decision, but it can be a hurdle for students who are looking at schools far away. What options do you talk through with those
students?

[0:07:22] CW: Yes, the past few years in higher ed, we've all heard COVID, COVID, COVID. I will say that, while it was a trying time for many folks in our country, there were many wonderful positives that came out of that experience. I know prior to the whole pandemic and shutdown…I worked through that in higher ed, and was in the office on a Tuesday, and then was told, "Don't come in, just stay home. Work from home, we'll figure this out on Wednesday." But the one major benefit in higher ed that came from that is, we as admissions professionals and as universities were forced to push forward in the digital age. We were required to build digital tours and virtual sessions with counselors, and to take what we know as the on-campus experience and bring it online, bring it to the webpage.

Again, I've worked at a variety of institutions in my career, and Bucknell hands down has one of the best virtual presences on the website. As a newer employee, when I first started here, I didn't have to constantly pester for questions, because it was there, I could find what I needed on the website. So now, when I travel and a student's like, well, I want more information on "insert major here", or you know, "I want more information on engineering." I know where on the website to begin that conversation with them, and that at least allows them to see our physical presence, but not have to be here on campus.

One of the tasks that I undertook when I came to Bucknell was helping to grow our virtual presentations. This spring, we had, I think it was almost 16 total versus the previous year, we had four. So to be able to grow that presence and bring the engineering faculty, and the management faculty, and Arts & Sciences, and study abroad, and financial aid, and bring those resources that a student would normally get when they come to visit campus, and provide that to them as they were at home, or across our country, or across the globe. We had quite a few international students sign in as well.

It was just a fun experience to be able to grow that, but that has kind of been the highlight. For those who aren't able to attend all the college tours that they want. I will, of course, always reiterate and encourage you to attend as many as you can. But if you can't, there is still that virtual presence that you can get your questions answered. You can schedule times or join Zooms, or take virtual and digital tours readily available on many colleges webpage.

[0:09:39] BHA: Yes, that is a great insight that a lot of innovation came out of the need to go virtual a couple years ago, and I don't think it's going away anytime soon. I know that the visit itself, while not accessible to everyone, we're a school that is open for visits nearly all year long, six days a week. So we really want students to visit whenever it works for them and their family schedule, and want to be as flexible as possible to have them here when it works for them to make it happen. But I also know that Open Houses and large-scale events can be another way to get some bang for your buck during your time on campus.

[0:10:13] CW: One hundred percent.

[0:10:14] BHA: Do you want to speak any more to that?

[0:10:16] CW: Yes, of course. My territory is a little bit farther than some of my colleagues here on campus, who may have states that are a little bit closer. So, when I do talk to families who are like, "We may be able to visit campus, but we have to plan accordingly." I always mention the Prospective Student Days and Admitted Student Days, if they're that far in the process, is a way to get all of campus. Not just a tour, not just a chit chat with your admissions counselor, but a chance to meet faculty, and financial aid, and tour the engineering studios, and the residential halls. And together, all of that information to make the most informed decision. For you, as a prospective student, get all of that information all at once on an open-house style visit.

I know we have an amazing team here that puts a lot of work into making sure that these events are readily available. We can take as many students as physically possible to really experience the magic and the wonder of not only Lewisburg, as you get to explore the city, but what Bucknell as a university can offer you as a prospective student. I also work with some families and may plan two or three days or a week, and say, "Help me make the most." So I've helped students look at other institutions around us, saying,  "Hit them on a Monday and a Tuesday. Come to us on a Wednesday, then follow up with the Thursday visit here. And then fly home on Friday." So there are ways depending on how you want to plan this experience, that it can be more than just Bucknell. It can be other institutions in our greater area or wherever you may be going to visit to see what other institutions are there.

I used to work for an institution in North Carolina, that was at a very touristy style city. So we'd have a lot of just walk-ins that are like, "I didn't know a school was here." And now, they're on a tour five minutes later, just because they were there, they were visiting. Or if you're going on vacation with family, like you can also look at, what's in the area? Where are we going? We're taking a trip to New York. Well, there's quite a few schools in New York. Why not maybe pick up a visit, or if they have an Open House. Just taking advantage of where you're going to be at certain times can also be a huge benefit.

But like you said, the best bang for your buck, if you're a family that finances are a little bit tighter, the Open House, the Admitted Student or Prospective Student Days are definitely the worthwhile investment to get all of that information, all of those questions answered all in one setting.

[0:12:23] BHA: Students who live farther from campuses or colleges or universities that they're considering just need to be a little bit strategic about how to make it all work — in a calendar year and in an academic year, especially when they're busy. Seeing campus is one thing, but actually, living far away from home can come with a host of other concerns for students and families. Do you ever encounter those worries? How do you help students and families feel confident about the idea of going far away?

[0:12:48] CW: Yes, it's one of the many challenges as a prospective student considering school away from home. It's a different culture, it's a different experience, it's a different climate, it's a different location. And many of these factors are going to go into play as a student makes that prospective decision. But the one thing that I always go back to, especially in my territory where I recruit, is the ideal of southern hospitality. That's something that I can say, every time I'm in Pennsylvania, every time I'm in Lewisburg, every time I'm on campus here at Bucknell, it is that true southern hospitality feeling. It's that everyone's welcoming, everyone's accepting, everyone just is excited that I'm here, and I'm back on campus. And whether that's in our office or the dining staff, because I love to eat in the dining hall when I'm on campus during the academic year, get to see the students, get to experience that feeling of being back on a college campus again.

That's the one thing that I typically go back to is the culture of the campus that you're considering. Is it going to feel like home? Because that's the goal at the end of the day, whether you go to school five minutes, five hours, or five days somewhere else in the country or the globe, is it going to feel like home? So going back to the idea of that southern hospitality feeling, the welcoming nature and encouraging support that all of our Bucknellians and prospective students receive here on campus is a way to kind of calm some of those nerves that, yes, it may feel a little bit different. It may look a little bit different. There may be people that are a little bit different than you here, but again, that's what makes that experience so unique, is that everyone's coming together, everyone's welcoming, and everyone's accepting of each other here on campus, and in Lewisburg, Pa.

[0:14:21] BHA: So, you spoke to the idea of fit and feeling as one worry that a student or family might have coming to a school far away. But another consideration that comes to mind for a lot of students is financial. You touched upon this a little bit, but whether it's the flight to and from school, dorm essentials that you might need to buy on location, instead of packing to take with you on an airplane. What should students consider financially when looking at a school further away?

[0:14:46] CW: Yes. I mean, there's so many factors nowadays that I really wish I knew about as a prospective student or going through the college search. I mean, there's, of course, merit and assistance-based, academic-based scholarships. There's the federal from the FAFSA. There's outside scholarships, which I'm a huge advocate for. I always joke and tell a fun story of my little brother got a scholarship from Dr. Pepper, because he found their essay contest that they had at the time because he did the research that I didn't.

So whether it's the additional costs of going away from home, the trips back and forth, there are ways to make sure you as a prospective student or family can prepare for that additional cost of college. Some students will receive additional federal financial aid through the Pell Grant, that can help. They can get work study. It's another area where a student has an opportunity to universities given means to help the student. The student can work and earn said means that can be used to help pay for transportation. I worked all through my collegiate experience and saved up money. So when I did have to go home, because again, I went to school about five hours away, I had the means for gas, or if I wanted to fly, or I wish trains were a little more relevant here in the South. But I had the means to help my transportation costs back and forth between campus and home. There are ways a student can help save up or earn money to make that concern a little bit easier on them as a family. I also knew like holidays, my parents were prepared to help me. They knew they wanted me home. So as a student, talk to your parents. That's a great way to ask for some support to help there. They want you to come home for the holidays. They want to see you again after being away for months on end.

But whether it's through federal financial aid, state financial aid, Pell eligibility, or work study, working a job, it doesn't have to be on campus either. I mean, I worked for a restaurant that was about 20 minutes away from campus. So whether that's working in a local grocery store, working in the library here on campus, there are ways a student can earn or save money to make that trip back home very cost-effective.

I mean, we have Harrisburg International Airport not too far down the road from us. So I can get back to Charlotte, I can get back to Florida, I can get back to Georgia pretty easily, and I know that they send flights all over the country as well. So Philadelphia a few hours away, Pittsburgh a few hours away. So if you're going on a really long trip, maybe California, West Coast, like there are ways to help get you back. There are means of transportation to help get you back home.

[0:17:06] BHA: Thinking critically about the finances, and the transportation, and travel implications, feels like it's a really big part of the decision-making process for a student considering a school far away. It's just responsible to be able to think through all those things, and have that open dialogue with families. So speaking of families, what advice do you have for a student who wants to broach the topic of schools far away with their family. Because at the end of the day, everyone in the family should feel good about the schools on a student's list that they're applying to, and ultimately, considering attending.

[0:17:40] CW: Yes. We're seeing a trend across our country right now where schools like Bucknell, for example, want students from other geo markets. So they're putting counselors in these regional positions or sending them to these territories more frequently. So I talk to students all the time. A part of my regional cohort crown in Charlotte, North Carolina, that a majority of us are from institutions outside of the Carolinas that want North Carolinians. We want South Carolinians. We want those from that geo market to come and consider us.

So know that as a prospective student who may be considering attending a school out of state or far away, there might be financial means to help. The institution might be willing to give an additional scholarship or grant because they want to target your area. They want to target you as a prospective student. So now, flipping my lens from the parents…I have a three-year-old. So I've got a little bit of time, but coming up quicker than I would like to admit. If I'm going to send my student away, to know that the institution values where they're coming from, and values where who they are as an individual, and is willing to potentially offer some form of financial aid to help cover some of that additional cost is a huge benefit. And as a parent, would be more open to that idea.

But I also, at the end of the day, want my students to be happy. If they know that this institution has a major that they're looking for, especially if it's a really specific or unique major. I'm from Wilmington, North Carolina, which has one of the best marine biology institutions on the East Coast. So I talk to friends all the time who want to go away from home. They want to come there, because that's such a unique major and has a geo specific requirement living on the coast that institution can fulfill. So being open and honest, broaching the subject of academic, of financial, of just what's going to make you happy.

Know at the end of the day, as admissions counselors, I would love every student I talked to to come to Bucknell. It would make my life so much easier as an admissions counselor, it would make the university quite happy to have a ton of North Carolinians come. But at the end of the day, I want you to be happy. I want you as a prospective student to go and find your home away from home for four years. I want you to have an amazing collegiate experience. I want you to get the degree that you want and enjoy that experience. So we as admissions counselors want to help. We want to be a resource. We want to help you make that decision and know that we're here to help. So if your parents do have concerns about you going out of state or going away from home, talk to us. We are the experts in that area and can help you every step of the way. But don't be afraid to consider attending an institution away from home.

[0:20:07] BHA: Cameron, that was such great advice for students and for their families navigating this process. And a great reminder that admissions counselors, school counselors in your high schools are here to help you navigate these difficult conversations and big considerations for your college search. That's why we do what we do. To Cameron's point, we want students to end up somewhere where they can be really happy and ultimately thrive. Cameron, thanks for bringing some of that southern hospitality to this episode right here in Lewisburg. Thanks for being on the podcast.

[0:20:35] CW: Yes, thanks for flying me back up to campus and getting to spend time with you here in the recording studio. It's been a blast.

[0:20:40] BHA: Thanks to everyone out there listening. If you're a fan of the podcast, please take a moment to rate, subscribe and share this episode with the students and families in your life. We'll be back with another new episode in a few weeks where we talk with current students about their experience attending school far from home.

In the meantime, send your questions, comments and episode ideas to podcast@bucknell.edu. We read every note you send. Lastly, you're invited to follow Bucknell on your favorite social media channels. Until next time, keep reaching for your dreams and your dream school.

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