This is a very good question that students constantly ask me. It may seem obvious to parents and on-site guidance counselors WHY a school seems in alignment with a student’s academic and social/extracurricular interests, but sometimes evaluating a school for the “perfect fit” requires additional contemplation and metrics.
Size
Some students think they want a BIG university and once they begin college touring, they, like Goldilocks, discover that a smaller school “feels” just right. Others say they want a small liberal arts college; they then visit a large university because someone “suggested it” and boom: they’re smitten with the research opportunities and career connections. My POV? Stay open to all shapes and sizes when college shopping and seeking the right fit.
Students
“Did the kids look like you or your friends?” This is a question I ask my students when they’re hemming and hawing over applying to a certain school. For the most part, students want to go to college with people who share similar backgrounds, whether it be religious, academic, athletic or artistic. I recently had a student turn down an offer from a competitive school because he just couldn’t envision himself as being happy on the campus. When I asked why, he said he wasn’t sure he’d make friends or fit in. “Everyone had pink hair and I just don’t.” Whether that’s a true reflection of the school or not doesn’t matter; the student didn’t feel socially comfortable about attending that college.
Majors/Minors
Most colleges offer similar programming, but in the current moment of research funding cuts and faculty reduction, it’s important for students to do their homework and make sure the colleges on their list offer the academics they intend to pursue. Some state universities already reduced offerings this past scholastic year. More colleges are anticipated to follow suit.
Price Tag
This past cycle, many of my students decided not to matriculate to schools requiring a plane ride to access. It wasn’t just the tuition cost that drove their decision but the travel costs. Yet an East Coast student opted for a California school after receiving a large merit aid offer. Some colleges use money as a lure to expand their demographic composition, creating more geographically diverse communities. In other words, a tuition “sticker price” reduction can make other expenses affordable.
JUL