Making a list (and checking it more than twice) – where to start and how to proceed.
Whether you’re a prospective college-bound student, the parent of a prospective student, or someone looking at grad school – congratulations – you’ve completed step one just by deciding to further your education. So now what?
There is no doubt that the process of applying can be overwhelming. You might not know enough about your options, or are experiencing information overload. You feel you know exactly where you want to go and have not thought to look elsewhere, or you kind of have an idea but aren’t really sure. What are your friends doing? What did your second cousin’s niece do? Where do you stand amongst your peers? What are your chances of getting in?
We can very much empathize with how you might be feeling; the CollegeNova team is made up of people who have been through the exact same process. Regardless of what you are applying for, it is very important to remember that your education needs to work for you – there is no one size fits all. What works for one person might not be the ideal match for you – at the end of the day, it is you who will be living the college experience, putting in the effort, and taking advantage of the opportunities that higher education opens up for you.
STEP ONE: What do you know right now?
Write down what you already know. List out all the places that come to mind when you think of yourself studying further, any place that might have interested you in the past. This list can be broad – it’s just a starting point that you’ll delve further into.
STEP TWO: Know Yourself
Seems obvious, but understanding yourself and what are the things that matter to you most is where you would begin. This doesn’t mean that you need have all the specifics – “I don’t know” is perfectly fine too, because at the very least it gives you an idea of what you need to explore further along the process.
Higher education IS about the academics, so let’s start there. Do you know what you want to study? As per a National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) report a few years ago, roughly 80% of college students change their major at least once during their undergraduate career, so what you pick now is not set in stone. However, identifying an area of interest will let you consider schools that (1) offer your intended field of study (2) have strong programs within that field, even if you do make a change later, and can help you narrow down your search. Other academic-based questions to ask revolve around how you learn, like class size. Do you want lecture halls or smaller classes? Outside of your field of study, are there other courses offered that you would be interested in? Interested in study abroad? Different schools have different strengths, which are easier to identify if you have some idea of what you are looking for.
Location and Social Fit are the next set of things to think about. What do you envision your life in college to be? For some, geographical considerations like the weather or distance from home matter very little. For others, bundling up to head to class in the middle of winter or being out in a rural area are unthinkable. Consider the following as you introspect:
- How far from home do I want to be? Do I want to be able to travel easily within the US – is this important to me?
- Do I want to be in an urban, suburban, or rural setting?
- What extracurriculars and clubs are offered? Is there a sport I’d like to pursue? At what level?
- What kind of campus culture do I think I’d vibe with? Do I want a large school with thousands of undergraduate students, or a smaller tight-knit community?
- How diverse is the student body? Is the college religious or secular?
The answers to these questions will rule out or add options you might not have considered otherwise to your list
The outcome you are looking at comes next. What do you intend to achieve with a higher education? Your intended career path might include employment immediately after your degree, or you might be interested in grad school to further your academic path. It might seem way too early – and overwhelming! – to consider these factors even before you apply, but taking into account the things that matter to you will help you approach your applications in a systematic and efficient manner, rather than picking something and hoping for the best.
Finally, the financial fit. Paying for school is the number one worry that prospective students have, which is too often met with “Let’s get in first, we’ll figure it out later.”
The truth of the matter is that this approach all too often leads to disappointment and frustration, and can have repercussions that last well beyond the years you spend in school. The most expensive school is not always the best for you; neither is the cheapest option. Take an objective look at finances and whether merit or need based aid are options you need to explore.
STEP THREE: Exploring Colleges
You should now have some idea of what a successful application looks like to you. Explore your initial list and see which schools on there meet your criteria. Look at other schools by your most important factors, and get to searching! Keep an open mind – the fact of the matter is that not all schools with programs that might be ideal for you are very well known, so DO keep an open mind.
There are TONS of ways to get information on a school, right from the comfort of your home:
- Sign up for mailing lists and see what the school has to say about itself. Attend virtual campus tours and talk sessions.
- Follow their social media – often a school will have current students featured on their social media pages who can give you an up-to-date, experience-based understanding of why they picked the school, and what their journey has been like since acceptance.
- Speak to alumni – reach out to alumni from your high school, or official alumni organizations.
- Look at campus publications and official communications from the college – these are great to give you an idea of campus culture and what the school has in mind as goals for the future.
STEP FOUR: The Final List:
When evaluating whether a school is the right fit for you, try to strike a balance between objective and subjective criteria. A school may be very prestigious and have the wrong learning environment for you. That makes it a bad fit.
It also should be realistic and attainable. A healthy college list would have a good mix of Dream Schools, Target Schools, and Safety schools, and would have 6-10 places on it.
Your list should be based on what you’re looking to get out of your college education, what you are willing to compromise on, and what things are simply not negotiable for you.
TL;DR: It’s not about one single criteria or factor – the right fit is multifaceted. Keep that in mind. Don’t automatically go for the “obvious” choice, or where everyone else is going. Invest time in understanding what you want out of a college education, because it’s more than just a degree. Learn what different schools have to offer, and make your decision to apply based on what is affordable, attainable, suits you, helps you work towards your larger goals, and offers you the opportunities to grow. Most importantly, keep an open mind!
To sign up for a free consultation with CollegeNova, reach out to us via our Contact Page.
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