How to College Search
Parent Resources to Help Your Child Choose a College or University
Apr 10, 2007
At first glance, it appears to be an overwhelming task.
As soon as your child takes the PSAT test, he’ll start receiving college fliers in the mail. His friends will start talking about their school choices. You’ll start to feel the pressure when other parents start listing the schools they’ve visited and decisions they’ve made.
Don’t let it overwhelm you. You can help your child in finding the right college. Keep the process simple and follow these steps.
Research
There are a multitude of resources for college searches, both online and in annually-updated books. Here are some essentials:
U.S. News & World Report publishes a ranking of 1,400 U.S. colleges and universities every year. Both online ($14.95) and print ($9.95) copies are available.
eCampustours.com – offers 360 degree panoramic tours of campuses and inside key buildings, includes information about schools, and can schedule campus tours for you.
College Board – Its annual college handbook sells for $28.95, but the web site offers an excellent free college matchmaker service, help with financial aid and more.
The Fiske Guide to Colleges ($22.95) is an exhaustive resource by the former education editor at the New York Times.
The Insider’s Guide to the Colleges ($19.99) includes the opinions of students, who tell it like it is on everything from the quality of the residence hall food to fraternity night life.
Visit
When you’ve narrowed down the list to a manageable number, schedule visits. Prepare to be shocked that the campus is not as crystal clean, the students not as wholesome and smiling, and the dorm rooms not as cheery as the brochures depict.
Keep an open mind throughout your tour. You may be turned off by the crumbling entryway, but at the end, something may make you and your child fall in love with the place.
Ask as many questions as you can fit into your time there. And take notes.
Hone in on your child
Don’t let others’ opinions sway you. Other parents may brag about their children getting into big name schools and your school guidance counselor may put the pressure on to choose a school that would be a feather in his own cap.
The college search process is an individual decision. The best fit for your child may be the school that no one in your circle has even heard of, or one that has a bad reputation for a number of reasons that don’t apply to you.
When making the final decision on where you’ll send your college student, ask yourself:
- Does it fit?
- Does the school have a quality, credited program in his chosen major?
- Will he be happy there? Are there students who are like him, with similar interests?
- Does it offer the extra-curricular activities he wants? Is the location safe, practical and in your comfort zone?
Narrow it down
Narrow down our choices to the top three or four choices. Make a list of pros and cons for each in terms of the following:
- The basics – location of campus, its distance from your home, size of college in relation to what best suits your child,
- Finance - Tuition cost, room and board cost, scholarship opportunities, and financial aid offerings
- Academics – Accreditation, quality of school in your child’s major, class size, percentage of instructors that are tenured professors vs teaching assistants.
- Campus life – dormitory conditions, campus safety, student housing perks and inclusions, rules for cars on campus, sport and organization offerings.
- The X Factor – give each school a rating on your gut feeling about it. Trust your instincts.
Still getting used to the idea of your baby leaving home? See what the experts have to say in Dealing with Empty Nest Syndrome: How Stay-at-Home Parents Can Cope When Children Leave Home.
