Choosing a College

Your junior probably knows where they’ll be next year at this time - but where do they see themselves after high school? As junior year winds down, they’ll want to start thinking about choosing a college.

Not all our kids will choose the university or college route in their post-secondary endeavors. There are many other options for further education and training these days. However, if your son or daughter has decided to go the college route, then there are some key factors to consider.

Preparing for college can be exciting and fun. It can also be quite daunting and stressful. What can you as a parent do to help your kids anticipate their college career with confidence? Once your kids have decided to head off to college, there's plenty to think about:

Which college offers the best options for the program I am interested in?
How big is the college?
Where is it?
What is the campus like?
Will I enjoy campus life?

These questions may be going through your head as well as your kids' heads!

The First Step

One thing to keep in mind is that there is no such thing as the "perfect" school for everybody. Every school has advantages and disadvantages. Each offers a unique experience.

In the process of selecting a college or university, the first step is self-evaluation. A little soul searching can help your child consider their dreams and limitations.

So what's in their heart? Why is post-secondary education important? Is it just something that's expected in your family, or does your student have a goal they want to fulfill? Goal-setting is incredibly important, because if a student can't pinpoint what they want to get out of college or university, then they might as well not go.

It doesn't have to be as specific a goal as, "I want to major in English with a specialization in the Romantic poet Keats and minor in Latin American studies." Something like, "I want to spend the next four years learning how to think critically and figure out my career options" is just fine.

They need to figure out their preferences when it comes to things like learning environments, campus culture, location or what kind of people they’ll be dealing with. What are their interests and abilities? What is their personality?

Reality Checks

This can be a tough step for students whose ambitions might exceed their grades, but they’ll also need to take a realistic look at their academic record, including their grade point average and standard test scores.

Having dreams and goals is fantastic, but somewhere along the way you're going to have to deal with reality -- including the financial reality of tuition costs.

Is your family in a position to consider schools far away from home or not? Is going to a private school (with a higher tuition) important? Sit down together to determine what you can really afford to spend.

Having said that, don't discount scholarships or financial aid packages. Many schools have excellent plans for students who want to go to a certain campus but need a little help with finances to get there.

What are some academic factors to consider?

As your child researches the schools they’re interested in, here's a list of things to look at:

What types of academic programs or courses does the school offer?
Are there specialized studies in the field of interest?
How long does it take to get a degree?
What are the school's attendance and grade requirements?
What's the school's academic reputation and how selective are they?
Is there a co-op program (which combines work with study)?
What do students do when they graduate? Do they get jobs? Get into graduate school?
What's the dropout rate?
What about faculty quality -- do heads of departments teach first years or only do research?
How accessible is extra help?
What about class size and the student-to-faculty ratio?
Is special equipment up to date?
How extensive are the library and other academic facilities?
Is there a counseling center and financial aid office?
How are students recruited? Is there an orientation program?
And one of the most important considerations: how much is the tuition?

What are some non-academic factors to consider?

Here are a few questions you could ask your child:

Want to live at home and go to a nearby school or live some distance away?
Do you prefer a large school (lots of students) or a small school (fewer students)?
If living away from home, live in a small town or big city?
Non-denominational or religious (church) affiliation?
Co-ed (males and females) or single gender school?
Bimester system or trimester system?
Ethnic composition of student population important or not?
Variety of social activities and clubs?
Housing availability? Quality of dormitories and residences?
Transportation access to the campus?
Layout of campus?
What's campus life like? Are the other students friendly?

Scrutiny of Schools: The Research Process

But how do you and your child find this information? Try some of resources outlined below to aid your research process.

College counselors: They're free and they're right there at the school, so use them! Guidance counselors are trained in the collegiate choice process and often have calendars, application forms and additional information. You can also spend some money and hire an independent college counselor. They'll often do a lot of research for you and will even help you write your application.
Internet: One of the best tools you can use to find specific information about individual schools. It will certainly be quicker to get your questions answered this way than to wait for pamphlets in the mail. Look out for contact names and e-mail addresses, too; it never hurts to strike up a relationship early!
Guidebooks and software: If you've visited the education section of your local bookstore or library lately, you probably found a stack of manuals and guidebooks that specialize in helping students track down the right school. Flip through some you like. Another option is computer software that does the searching for you. All you have to do is enter some key information about academics and preferences and you'll be presented with your best options.
College fairs: These are gatherings of representatives from different campuses. They may be from around the state or even from all over the country. Sometimes college fairs take place as assemblies in a school's gym.
College materials: Feel free to contact admissions offices at schools that interest your child. Ask for pamphlets, newsletters and other information pertinent to a new student. Or you can just ask about admission requirements in general.
Alumni and personal contacts: Encourage your child to talk to people who go (or went) to the school your child is interested in. If they’re not the shy type, this is a very valuable way to get the real picture of campus life.
Visiting the school: Unless it's absolutely impossible, you should definitely plan a visit to the school. Go on a tour with your child to get a general feel for the place.

Counselors, parents, alumni, current students, college materials and even most guidebooks aren't completely objective. They will necessarily take a certain slant toward the college in question. Just remember that these are opinions and that, in the end, only your child’s opinion will count.

The Final Cut: Ready for Application!

After completing the research, you can sit down with your child to shave their list down to the top five or seven. These are the ones they might send applications to.

You'll want to include "reach" schools (these are your dream schools that you have a shot at getting into), "probables" (these are the realistic choices), and "safeties" (these are the sure deals).