Parent and Student Focus During the College Search
Shifting focus beyond reputation
Often, during the college search process, parents and students focus heavily on a school’s reputation. As a result, many families treat admissions like a contest to be won. Winning can feel like earning the privilege of putting a sticker on the rear window of the car. One admissions counselor at my daughter’s school described it that way.
Of course, it is important for teens to find a school that matches their academic goals and interests. However, families also need to look at colleges from a broader perspective. The real question is where a student will thrive, not just which name appears on a decal.
What “right fit” really means
Simply put, helping your teen find the right fit takes time. You need to research and visit campuses. Ultimately, you want them applying to colleges or universities that meet their academic needs and also fit their personality, extracurricular interests, and social preferences.
Naturally, it makes sense to begin with academics. First, create a list of schools that offer the courses and majors your teen is interested in. Once that list is complete, it is time to narrow it down.
Start with a questionnaire
One effective way to narrow the list is a short questionnaire. This tool should ask simple questions about your teen’s interests and high school background. In addition, it should include prompts that ask them to reflect on their personality and how they see themselves fitting into different academic, social, and living situations.
By answering these questions, both you and your teen gain valuable insight into who they are and where they might feel most comfortable. From there, you can put together a more detailed list of criteria. Then, as you and your teen review printed materials, college websites, college-related blogs, and college guides, you will get a clearer sense of which schools may meet those criteria.
Time to visit colleges
After that, it is time to visit campuses. A well-planned itinerary will give you and your teen enough time on each campus to get a feel for both the academic environment and student life. In addition, you should make every effort to gather as much information as possible during each visit. In addition to scheduled campus tours and information sessions, it is helpful to arrange meetings with professors or department heads in areas that interest your teen.
As you move through this process, you may discover that a supposed first-choice school is not the right fit at all. For example, consider a student who wants to pursue an interest in music. For years, he might have had his sights set on Juilliard, one of the top performing arts schools in the country. Yet, after a recent trip to Manhattan, he realizes that he does not want to attend college in a large city.
In this case, it does not matter how strong the program is. The school is simply not the best fit for him. Fortunately, there are many other schools that may better match his preferences and criteria.
The bottom line: fit over prestige
Bottom line: whether you enlist the help of a college consultant or work through the process on your own, remember that the goal is to dig deep. Help your teens get to know themselves so they can identify what they truly need from a college. Most importantly, the school they ultimately choose may not be the one everyone has heard of, but it can still be the right environment for them to grow and thrive.