The College Search: Choosing the Right College

“Remember that the source of happiness is within ourselves. Nothing outside can give it, even if you make your circumstances ideal. You will be happy if you will it.”

Janet Erskine Stuart, RSCJ

When generating an initial list of colleges, self-awareness is key. As you examine different options through the exploration process, you will also need to constantly analyze your own needs, interests and values in order to make the most truly thoughtful decisions. It is important to take personal considerations into account: your interests and career plans, along with your academic aptitude, strengths, and weaknesses. There are over 3,600 four-year institutions of higher learning in the United States that offer an excellent academic program. Look for a college that will challenge you, but will also offer you a chance to be satisfied and successful. Each student and her family should embrace this journey as a personal, individualistic process. No two pathways, approaches, or decisions are the same.

The following are factors that may help you put a list together:

Student Body

• Size of a school • It is a good idea to visit both large and small campuses to see what size environment feels most comfortable to you. • In very general terms, a small school is considered to be one with 2,500 or fewer students, medium is generally one that has approximately 2,500-10,000 students, and a college is considered large when it has a student enrollment of over 10,000.

Location

• Do you prefer to attend a school close to home so that you can easily return home periodically for dinners and to do a load of laundry? Or would you rather go far away to experience a completely different type of environment or culture? • Would the cost of airline travel pose a financial difficulty? • Do you want to be in a city, just outside a city, or in a rural setting? • Do you want to be in a cold climate where you can ski, or a warmer climate with access to a beach?

Academic Offerings

• If you have a sense of what you hope to study, research those programs at various schools to see what resources would be available to you in your chosen field. • If you are looking to explore options as you begin to take college courses, look into liberal arts institutions or universities that offer a wide range of majors. • Does the college have a study abroad program? • Independent research programs. • Strong pre-professional programs. • Look into how many students on campus have internships and whether internships are required for any programs or majors you may be considering. What does the college offer in terms of internship access or placement? • What are the core requirements for graduation? • What are the credentials of professors and how many classes are taught by teaching assistants? • Will you need to declare a field of study at the time of application (i.e. nursing, engineering, or business schools)? What are possible academic pathways if I change my mind? • When do students have to declare a major? • What is the graduation rate?

What percentage of graduates are employed or attending graduate school?

Campus Life

• During your visit, pay attention to the diversity of ethnic backgrounds, religions and political views present. • Is it a private school with a particular affiliation or a public university with in-state and out-of-state tuitions? • Do you have your heart set on joining a sorority or intramural sports team or cheering at football games? • Do you prefer a co-ed or all women school? • Is housing provided for four years? What percentage of the students live on campus? • Do most students stay on campus on the weekends? • What is the freshman retention rate?

• Pick up a school newspaper written by the students and see what is happening on campus and what hot topics have the students talking. • Caution: often students and families are heavily swayed by the campus tour guide. Do not let a flat, poor or unenthusiastic guide jade your impression of a school.

Cost and Financial Aid/Public vs. Private Schools

• How much does the school cost? • What is the average amount of aid awarded? • Is aid mostly given in the form of grants or loans? • Would you be eligible for an academic or athletic scholarship? • Is it a public school with in-state and out-of-state tuitions? It is important to remember that “on paper” state universities are less expensive, but often a private institution can compete with these publicly funded colleges by offering generous financial aid packages. • Use Net-Price Calculators available on most college websites. Contact the financial aid office with questions.

Admissions Criteria

• What percentage of applicants were offered admission? • What is the average GPA of the current freshman class? • What are the average ACT/SAT scores of accepted students? • Is this school test optional? • Look at the required (or recommended) high school curriculum and standardized testing for accepted students. • Competitiveness for a particular major, athletic recruiting, legacy, socioeconomic background, etc. are also factors of consideration for college admission committees when making final admission decisions.