D Day=Decision Day, How to Choose the Right College
Across America, students are overwhelmed and intimidated by the college application process. Pressure around test scores, the fear of rejection, and confusion from really complicated application processes leave students and parents reeling. Over and over, I meet with or speak to very scared families who are embarking on the process.
It’s happening. Students applied to a myriad of colleges this fall and dreamed big dreams about next year. After a wait that felt torturous to some, colleges are rolling out decisions and offers to students’ inboxes. Let the deliberations begin! And the accompanying emotional rollercoaster! Cue the excitement, disappointment, elation and fear!
One of the most common fears I see on the front end is a student worrying about not getting into college. In reality, the question should be-what if they get into the wrong one? Students who come to me after picking the wrong college have extra challenges. Challenges such as a blow to their confidence, a delayed graduation timeline, and wasted tuition dollars. I think the reason this one hits me hard is that it is so completely unnecessary. Believe me when I say that there is a college out there for everyone. Whether it is a large state school, small private, or technical college, there is a spot that fits you just right. One of my favorite times to see Bloomies is Christmas Break. When I ask how it feels to be home and I’m met with a response of confliction because they already miss campus, I know we picked right.
How to pick right:
Do a values list. Write down all of the things that are important to you in your college experience. This may seem silly, but it can also be very clarifying. Picture yourself at college. What do you see? Picture your future career =-what do you see? Your list should include things like the major you are thinking, location of the college (from geographical areas to urban vs. not so urban), climate, student life experience outside class, class size, etc. I’ve had students apply to 6 California colleges because they could surf if they went to said colleges. Right. Do they have a major that interests you? Nope. Ok then-next.
Open your mind. Sometimes that college that fits you may look a bit different than we initially think. I’ve had students wrinkle their nose to a college because the school is affiliated with a religion, but then once they visit find themselves loving the way the college feels. They are also often offered scholarship monies that solidifies the good feel even further. Ok then-check.
Visit campuses. Yes, you have heard this from me before. Yes, you will hear it from me again. The college visit is one of the most important things a family can do to decide on a college. The visit is where you can get all of the feels, good and bad. A visit will let you experience things a website cannot communicate. Things like the level of their support of students outside the classroom, campus community, how they live out their mission, and most importantly how they communicate their mission through action.
Consider things such as tutoring, mental health services, campus life, and community resources in your decision. If a student has a history of practicing music, an eating disorder, playing basketball, anxiety, student government, under or over academic achievement, loving nature, etc. evaluate what the college has to support those needs. It may seem like a random disjointed list-but it isn’t. It’s a list of human needs-of which need to be supported with the appropriate resources. Sometimes those services make the choice clear.
Know that there is a college out there for you. I’ve had students come to me who absolutely dread the thought of one more minute of education. In those cases, the fit made all of the difference. One particular special student came to me initially for credit recovery in his senior year. In our consult, he made sure I knew he had no interest in college and that higher education was all a rip off and a midieval torture device. His idea of college was lecture halls, papers, and tests. He is now happily and successfully enrolled in an automotive technology program at his local community college. The day I walked him into the auto lab, his brain broke-in an amazingly beautiful way.