It's already the second half of the year and your child is not yet done with his or her college applications. You're hoping your kid gets into such-and-such a university because that's where members of the clan have been studying for the last five generations and where half the men in the family gained fame and popularity for joining the varsity basketball team.
Whatever the reasons for zeroing in on a particular college, ask your child and yourself if it is indeed the right college. Don't get carried away by family tradition or prestige. Your child will be studying in that institution for the next four years so you better think it over well. Otherwise, your kid might want to transfer schools before the end of freshman year. While you can guide him or her through several options, in the end, it's his or her decision.
Here are some things for the senior high school student to consider when choosing a college:
1. Size. College comes in all sizes, from a school that enrolls only a few hundred students to schools which can enroll thousands. Which one is better? Well, that depends on you and what you're comfortable with. Did you go to a small high school or a large one? Did you like the size of your high school? Did you grow up in a city or a rural area? Do you like being in places where everybody knows you, or do you like the anonymity of a crowd?
2. Type. All colleges are not the same. Some have large graduate programs and devote much of their time and resources to research. Others enroll only undergraduates and focus their attention on teaching and learning. Some schools have a specialty in one specific area, like students a broad education. Other differences include whether schools are single sex or coed, if they have a religious affiliation, and whether they are public or private.
3. Location. If you have always lived in the suburbs, choosing an urban campus can be an adventure. But after a week of urban noise, dirt, and rude people, will you long for a grassy campus and open space? On the other hand, if you are used to the suburbs and mall life and choose a college in a rural area, will you run screaming into the Student Center some night looking for noise, lights, and people? Think about where you grew up and how much of a change you want from that when you go to college.
4. Distance from Home. Closely tied to location is the issue of how far from home you want to be. For some people who will be boarding, going to college is a chance to explore a totally different part of the country. For others, they want to make sure they can have dinner with their family once a week, or go home to do their laundry. When you decide how far you want to be from home, think about how likely you are to get homesick, and how much money you can afford to spend in travel. The farther you are from home, the less often you'll be able to visit. On the other hand, with e-mail and cell phones, you can still feel close to them.
5. Your Gut Feeling. Trust your instincts. If a place feels right, that's important. Similarly, if it just feels wrong, no matter who wants you to go there or how good it looks on paper, it probably is. College is a very personal choice, and after considering all the other objective factors, the fact of the matter is that it comes down to you. Visit colleges you're interested in, and see how you feel walking around their campuses. Could you imagine yourself going to school there? Once you find a few places that you like, you'll be well on your way to finding the college that's right for you.
Good luck, happy hunting!
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