It appears there is. About 60 percent of incoming students opted in to receiving text messages from the university. They receive updates once a month with important announcements, reminders about preparing for the first day of classes and more.

So far, 99.24 percent of incoming students have logged in to virtual orientation at least once, an increase over previous years. A total of 93 percent have completed all online tasks, such as taking placement exams, making preferences for their courses and housing options and uploading a photo for their ID card. Schultz believes the text messaging has contributed to this year's high participation rate.

Virtual orientation does offer some opportunities for incoming students to connect with each other in a social networking community, however, in recent years, many students have moved their networking to sites like Facebook and Twitter. Schultz said the university's enrollment management office is planning to create a Facebook page for the admission office to be able to interact with these students in their preferred online space.

Wooster has expanded its contact with new students. Student Orientation Committee members have sent letters, post cards, and e-mails to new students inviting one-on-one chats to discuss "everything" about Wooster.

The college is also increasing its outreach to parents and families via the Web, with a new site that went live on July 20: http://www.wooster.edu/en/Parents-and-Families.aspx.

Saint Michael’s knows how to make the most of its Vermont location. Each of the three Summer Registration Days marks the start of a three-day Pre-Orientation Weekend, a POW, held at the Round Hearth (a ski lodge) in Stowe,Vermont, during which time new students get to know each other, learn what college is like, and talk to those who have been there. The program also includes a hike on Mount Mansfield.

In addition, students can choose a community service orientation called TREK, a five-day event for new students. TREK provides an opportunity for students to participate with other new and returning students on a service project, like cooking dinner at a homeless shelter, or an outdoor project, like clearing brush and helping maintain a mountain trail. Saint Michael’s also offers a three-day WOW, or Wilderness Orientation Weekend for new students. Again, students can meet other entering students, returning students and take part in various outdoor activities, including back-packing, hiking, climbing, and/or kayaking. There are eight different choices for students. Participation has been strong in all of these programs.

The admission office has increased communication with students and families significantly, building on its existing Facebook group and parents group. "We want to keep them hooked into campus events also," said Jacqueline Murphy, Saint Michael's College director of admission.

"We have expanded the amount of information available online, particularly video clips. The basic reason for this move is because students expect more information to be available. We generally correspond with incoming students via email and coordinate our messages with enrollment management who keep the students connected to Binghamton University through a steady flow of ‘BMail.’"

"The response we have received from employees has been overwhelming," says Nancy Komada, Ph.D, senior director of adult and off-campus student life, who implemented the University’s Connectors Program in 2008. "This is a volunteer program; we have over 100 individuals from security to student life eager to introduce our newest members to the Saint Joseph’s community."

While students will continue to ask their faculty advisors about which classes to take, questions about campus life will be directed toward the connectors. "Students have asked me questions about roommate selection, where to catch the train or when basketball tickets go on sale," says Patty Martin, associate director of government relations who volunteers as a connector. "I don’t work in an academic department, so the Connectors Program is a great way for me to keep in touch with the students. After all, that’s why we’re here."

"If we provide students with a strong start before they get here, some of the anxiety will be gone when they get here. When they don't know who to call, they have someone to call," said Kumarasamy, who is working with a San Francisco company called InsideTrack to engage students during the college-decision process, stem "summer melt" and ultimately help ensure student success.

Once students arrive on campus this fall, their success coach will check in periodically and point them to campus resources. The newly established Office of Student Success, for example, provides parents and students a one-stop shop for any worries on their mind — from a mother's loss of a job to a student's poor performance in a class.

"Success coaching is a great fit for our mission," Kumarasamy said. "At the University of Dayton, we take care of students one at a time. We're telling students that your experience here will be much more personalized."

Wayne E. Jones, professor of chemistry and director of graduate studies at Binghamton University, says that most students do not see themselves at the center of the learning process. Many expect to be lectured to and to absorb information from books. He offers the following tips for students to consider as they head to college.

1) The syllabus establishes expectations in a class. Students should ask themselves if the effort they put into an aspect of the course is important to the instructor as demonstrated in the syllabus.

2) Engage in the classroom. Be prepared to ask questions or answer questions asked by the professor. If the student is embarrassed to answer the question, write down the answer for subsequent review.

3) A student should keep a separate column in their notebook to write down potential questions that could be asked on this topic. These questions can be used for review, but they can also be used later to follow up with a faculty member if there is confusion.

4) Attend office hours at least a couple of times during the semester. This will help the faculty connect a face with the name and voice. This is also the best place to get feedback outside of assignments with respect to performance.

5) With any independent study work, communication is key. Establish expectations early regarding time and task to make sure that you and the professor are on the same page.

"Most history courses teach only what happened," Hyson says, "but a Reacting class is unique. It immerses students in the historical record through extended role-playing games, which presume that individuals play a significant role in history."

During the semester, students will enter two radically different worlds. The course will begin with the Athens game, which takes place in 403 B.C. They will role-play individual characters from a rabble of democrats and oligarchs of the Athenian Assembly, and will learn about the forces that shaped that particular historical moment by studying primary sources.

Later in the term, the class will play the Anne Hutchinson game, which is set in 1637 Boston and focuses on struggles over theology, authority and community among the Massachusetts Bay Puritans.

"In both games, students will speak, discuss and write entirely in character for weeks at a time, forging alliances and developing strategies to achieve their victory objectives," says Hyson. "Evaluations from other Reacting courses indicate that students often become deeply invested in the games, studying texts and contexts more intently than they would in traditional lecture classes."

Hyson adds, "The Reacting pedagogy is great for first-year courses because it challenges students to become active learners, to develop both creative and critical thinking, to improve their written and oral communication skills and to work co-operatively with their classmates."

Saint Joseph’s is a member of the consortium of 40 colleges and universities that have helped develop the pedagogy. The 2009 spring semester marked the first time the course was offered at SJU. To read more, access http://www.sju.edu/news/archives/changing_history_051109.html

• Avoid products with lots of extra packaging.
• Stay away from paper cups. Instead, bring travel mugs and bottles.
• Don't buy individual-sized water, juices, soda, etc. Buy bigger, reusable containers.
• Be sure to shut off lights when not in use.
• Keep heat and air conditioning on low when not in your room.
• Turn off lights, stereo and TV when you're not in your room.
• Many universities provide energy saving light bulbs. Ask for and use them.
• Don't print unless absolutely necessary. Re-use the backside of paper for scrap paper, drafts, etc.
• Recycle anything that can be recycled.

The green products fit in with U.Va.’s green emphasis in general, Director of Accommodations John Evans said. Additional environment-related initiatives include the 2008 establishment of a President’s Committee on Sustainability and the creation of three positions to support sustainability efforts.

Saint Joseph’s University Sociologist George Dowdall warns that parents should take the time to look at the alcohol policies and track record of their son or daughter’s school of choice. "Many colleges collect data about drinking but don’t share those data publicly. This means parents can’t always get a clear or informed picture of the drinking culture," says Dowdall. "They should ask the college’s vice president for student affairs or the college’s drug and alcohol counselor or administrator for more information.

"Colleges are required by the Clery Act, a federal law, to report campus crimes and drug and alcohol violations," states Dowdall, the author of College Drinking: Reframing a Social Problem, which presents these data on almost 400 leading colleges.

"Individual colleges are required by another federal law to make public their drug and alcohol policies as well as state and federal laws about substance use," he adds. "To find an individual college’s policy, visit the college alcohol website set up by the federal government’s alcohol research agency, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/)."

Dowdall stresses that while parents may not want to think about their child engaging in dangerous drinking, it is important that they be realistic.

"The single biggest misconception is that college binge drinking is a harmless rite of passage," Dowdall explains. "We now know that more than 1,800 college students die each year because of college drinking, so it’s hardly harmless. One study I coauthored found that almost one in 20 college women had nonconsensual sex since the beginning of the school year, as revealed in a large national survey done in the spring semester. Most of these women were too intoxicated to give consent." Dowdall’s website (http://collegedrinkingbook.com/) gives links to several websites that provide more information about this and related topics.

During the school year, peer advisers help students find alcohol-free activities and offer support groups called ‘Hoos Sober?’.

While some fathers and mothers fear the experience will be a traumatic one, it doesn’t have to be, said Mark Thompson, director of Colgate University’s Counseling & Psychological Services and father of a current college student. "There are definitely healthy ways for today’s involved parents to stay connected with their sons and daughters, and maintain their distance — and sanity — at the same time," he said.

Thompson offered his own advice for parents feeling anxious about sending a future undergraduate off to school:

Be realistic about frequency of contact. It may have been the norm for you and your child to talk constantly during high school, but all bets are off once that first semester begins, said Thompson. Answer e-mails and phone messages promptly, but don’t push it; a constant stream of encouraging communiqués, though well-meaning, can sometimes actually hinder a student’s personal development. "Ask yourself what your child ultimately wants to be. Independent? Self-reliant? Self-sufficient? You can help her be those things without calling her ten times a day."

Remember that the road will be bumpy. Many students go through bouts of homesickness after suffering a major setback at college, so keep in mind that you might only hear from your son or daughter at points of extreme distress, said Thompson. "Your gut will probably tell you to try and save him somehow, but you need to encourage him to solve his problems by himself. Real growth happens at these types of moments, though they may be heart-wrenching for you as a parent."

Educate yourself about your child’s experience. When you’re feeling particularly lonely for your son or daughter, take a minute and surf the website of the school’s newspaper (Colgate’s Maroon News, for example, can be found at http://www.maroon-news.com/), said Thompson. You’ll feel better knowing what’s happening on campus, and you’ll have fodder for future conversations with your college student, he explained.

Do something productive. "For parents who are really struggling with the absence of a child, work at turning your negative energy into something positive," Thompson suggested. "Put together a care package or write a thoughtful letter. Your son or daughter will be happy with the gift, and you’ll feel like a million bucks for doing something nice for your child."

Negotiate school breaks well ahead of time. It always pays to have something to look forward to, said Thompson, and knowing when a son or daughter will return for vacation and how long they’ll be home — particularly for children of divorced parents — is no exception. "Work out a schedule with them beforehand, and actually mark off the days on the calendar," he said. "It will help the days pass faster.

Identify the issues causing concern and raise them with your child. If you are worried about issues related to alcohol or other substance use, financial responsibility, making good choices about sleep or nutrition, or class attendance, let your child know about your concern and talk about these issue. Although peer pressure/influence certainly plays a role in the decision-making for most college students, so does the influence of parents. Rather than holding your concerns alone, consider sharing them with your child. You just might feel relieved at their response.

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