This page should answer any questions you have about SOAR. If you still have questions after reading through this page, contact Tracey Howard, Director of the SOAR Program.

Who Will Be There?

Each SOAR session will accommodate 150 new students who will be assigned to an academic advising group of 10-12 members. This will allow for personal contact with the faculty adviser and other administrative staff members. Parents will engage with other parents in discussions with staff regarding Albion College. Programs are designed to explore academic and extracurricular life at Albion College.

What Happens at SOAR?

Students will take assessments in the areas of English and mathematics, and the results will be used for placement purposes to ensure students choose the most appropriate classes. The primary emphasis for the rest of the day will be on developing a class schedule and registering for fall classes. Students as well as parents will get an opportunity to meet with faculty advisers, including directors of special academic programs (Brown Honors Institute, Institute for the Study of the Environment, Ford Institute for Public Policy and Service, Gerstacker Liberal Arts Institute for Professional Management, Institute for Pre-Medical and Health Care Studies, and Shurmur Education Institute).

Click here for a more detailed  student schedule or parent schedule.

Why Should Parents Attend?

In only a short time your student will begin his or her education at Albion College. Whether this is the first time you are sending someone to college or part of a continuing involvement, we believe it is extremely important that we work together to help your daughter or son have a positive college experience.

“SOAR for Parents” offers you the opportunity to discuss the academic programs offered at Albion College with our professors. Members of the College administration will be on hand to answer your questions about student life. College expectations of entering college students will be discussed and methods for problem-solving will be presented. 

With that said, please do remember that the Parent program is optional and should other obligations prohibit participation or you simply decide that the program is not for you, please understand that is a completely acceptable choice for you to make. 

What About Sibling or Other Family Members?

If family members would like to attend, that is fine with us. They may eat lunch with parents at the same fee (half-price for children under 12). Keep in mind there is no separate program for younger children or day care services.

What If I Need Overnight Lodging?

Those who live longer distances from the Albion, Michigan area may be interested in overnight accommodations. A small number of rooms are available at our on-campus conference facilities, Bellemont Manor and Haven House. For cost and availability, please call 517/629-0365. For more traditional off-campus lodging options, please visit our list of local hotels, motels, and bed-and-breakfast inns on the College Web site at http://www.albion.edu/alumni/hotels.asp .

What Should I Bring/Wear?

All materials that you will need for the SOAR program will be provided to you. Just bring your excitement and enthusiasm for Albion College. However, if you have specific questions regarding information that has been sent to you already, you may want to bring those along to help facilitate quick and accurate answers. Attire at the SOAR program for both students and parents/family members is casual. Comfortable walking/athletic shoes are also recommended.

International Students

International students and American students from overseas schools are encouraged to attend SOAR 5, which includes a special two-day orientation program that begins with van pick-up service at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport on Monday evening, August 18, 2008. For additional information, please contact the Center for International Education at 517/629-0307 or via e-mail at cie@albion.edu.

Disability Services

Placement tests for English and Mathematics will be given during SOAR.  Testing accommodations will be provided for students.  Prior to the beginning of each test, the moderator will identify a Learning Support Staff member present who will provide whatever accommodation is required.  If you have questions, the Learning Support Center is open during the summer.  Pamela Schwartz, Ph.D. is the campus disability coordinator and can be reached at 517/629-0825 or by email at pschwartz@albion.edu .

What Does it Cost?

There is no charge for the SOAR program for incoming Albion College students. Lunch and program materials are provided at no cost. There are no additional registration costs for the basic SOAR for Parents program. However, if parents/family members would like to have lunch on campus in the dining hall with the student attending SOAR, there is a charge of $9.00 per person for lunch. Cost for children under age 12 is half-price. Please sign up for the lunch in advance on the online registration form.

How Do I Register?

SOAR registration is available  through our  Online Registration Form.   Following receipt of your registration form, we will notify you of the SOAR session for which you are registered.  Arrangements are made on a first-come, first-served basis.   

Please note that, in order to register for SOAR, students must have paid the $300 general deposit to the Admissions Office. The SOAR program cannot place you into a session until that deposit is received by the College.

Do students need to attend the entire day?

The SOAR program is scheduled very tightly and in a very specific sequence. For that reason, students must be able to participate in the program from its beginning at 9:30 a.m. until its completion which is sometime close to 5 p.m. that afternoon. Arriving significantly late or leaving early will break the sequence and make it impossible to advise you correctly and complete your registration for classes. If you have a conflict requiring that you arrive late or leave early, the best suggestion is to select another SOAR session date. If you have registered and need to switch your date (subject to availability), please contact the SOAR program at 517/629-0433.

About When We Schedule SOAR

People often ask us why we schedule SOAR during what is typically a busy time of year for high school seniors. We do this primarily for two reasons. One is the availability of our SOAR faculty members. We want your student to be assisted by the best faculty advisers at Albion College. Once summer begins, many of these individuals leave Albion for research and other summer commitments. Secondly, and just as important, we believe that the SOAR experience significantly lessens the anxiety students often feel during the summer before college begins. At SOAR, students not only register for classes, they often meet the professors they will have in the fall, familiarize themselves more with the campus, and meet potential friends and roommates. We are confident that you will find SOAR to be a good use of your time.

If you have additional questions, please contact:

Registration Questions: Lavada Weeks
Program Questions: Tracey Howard