With college application season upon us, it is a daily occurence to hear an announcement over the intercom about a college presentation taking place during tutorial or lunch.

These presentations, which take place in the office, Library Research Center or the MAP Annex, are intended to provide prospective students with information about various colleges, allowing students to ask representatives any questions they might have. Although these presentations seem beneficial, spending 35 minutes during tutorial listening to one person giving one perspective about a campus where thousands of perspectives could be heard isn’t as useful as it seems.

When students enter these presentations, they are often get a pamphlet and possibly a business card from the representative or a sign-up card for an email list. While attending this presentation and subscribing to an email list might show demonstrated interest to a college, this is a very small or unconsidered factor in the process of making an admissions decision. If students are keen on going to that college, such as an Early Decision school, it’s probably better if they actually visit the college.

Also, students can easily find the information presented during these presentations online or in the hundreds of emails that colleges send to prospective students every day. The pamphlets handed out by representatives are also mailed to students’ homes, making the information redundant.

For rarely attended or lower-tier universities, presentations tend to get very minimal attendance as students are more inclined to show interest in higher-ranking ones. As a result, not only does the time spent for the event’s arrangement get devalued, but it also wastes the admission representatives’ time and effort to come to school.

Although some argue that a major benefit of attending these presentations is the opportunity to ask more specific questions to somebody knowledgeable about the college, students often ask questions just to appear interested in the college. However, since college reps see more students in the months they present, it is highly unlikely they will remember any of those students.

Many of these questions could also easily be answered by sifting through the College Confidential website or researching the college’s website, which are much more accessible resources that also provide a wider variety of perspectives.

Seniors would truly benefit more by studying chat forums of students who attend the universities rather than merely accepting the one-sided story presented by a college representative.