This is the time! Your student has been admitted to one or more colleges for the following year! This is a time for celebration, but also of stress, because now they have to decide, and you’re wondering what college should they choose?
It’s all about the Fit
I’ve addressed this in my post “It’s All About the Fit,” from 2018. I’ll get back to that in a bit. And if you think no one has advice to give you, just ask them “what college should they choose?” and marvel at the endless suggestions you’ll receive. But fear not; many reputable organizations—in addition to experienced parents—will have plenty advice to offer you.
US News and World Report, besides offering their Best College issue every year—their best selling issue of the year, by the way—also offered several suggestions for you and your student. For example, they ask students to consider the kind of lifestyle they want beyond the campus. If students want to go mountain climbing or hiking, they won’t find that in a city, while students looking for lots of arts opportunities and clubs won’t find it in rural communities. But students already know this before looking at the campus, or they should. US News continues by suggesting that students and parents consider their eventual debt load after graduation. Another factor to be considered is co-curriculars, those activities beyond the classroom. If students are looking for big time athletics or sororities, that may not find them at some universities.
One Visit May Not Be Enough
Augustana College’s (Illinois) Courtney Wilson shared her views on this question as well. Were someone to ask her what college should their students should choose, Wilson would highlight many things, but one of her strongest points is the importance of the campus visit. Many people talk about this, but Wilson makes it clear that the additional visit is crucial. I’ve mentioned this, too, as the second visit has a wholly different feel to it. During the first visit, students are looking for elements of fit, but also trying to sell themselves to the school. During the second or subsequent meeting, they have the luxury of knowing they can attend the school. They have the chance now to be a little pickier and ask themselves: do I really want to go here?
Transfer Credits
If you student have taken Advanced Placement courses, or are taking college courses while enrolled in high school, they’ll want to check out if those credits will transfer to their new school. This can be a great head start to completing their college career, perhaps by shaving a semester off the process! But policies about transfer credits vary tremendously from college to college. For example, some colleges will take an advanced placement score of 3 and award credit for the course, while others colleges require a score of 4. Another difference in policy is that some colleges won’t offer credit for specific courses course through advanced placement, just general elective credit. While these credits counts toward graduation, they may not help your student advance in their major.
Trust Their Gut
Unigo shared their view as well in their article by Lorraine Serra of PortfolopPrep. In the article, Lorraine addressed looking at both the logic of the decision and the gut of the final decision, and I agree with her. The numbers can look perfect but if the student doesn’t feel it’s right, they shouldn’t attend that institution. That was the case for a colleague of mine in 2022 whose daughter was choosing colleges. She visited two excellent schools for a final campus visit and was unimpressed and offended by both of them. While she wasn’t sure going to school where her mother worked made sense—and it certainly wasn’t her first choice—she was received warmly by an approachable faculty, which she wanted. My gut says she is making the right choice, and I’ve asked her to join my scholars program, too!
This final choice is likely to be stressful, but temper that with the knowledge that no decision is final, and that your student can make the best of every decision they make.
Good luck!