I've worked in and around college admission for nearly 50 years, but when my own two children went through the college admission process, I didn’t pressure them to strive for the “top of the top” or apply to the so-called best colleges. Neither of my children took SAT prep courses or was anxious about the college admission process. So why didn’t I push them more? Because I knew that of the 4,000+ colleges and universities in this country, there were at least 50 schools that would be great places for my children specifically—schools where they could grow, develop, and engage.
With the help of caring faculty, many colleges and universities help students find a voice that serve them well in the future. These schools did not necessarily coincide with the top 10 as ranked by popular magazines and guidebooks. When it came to their college search, my children were more interested in substance than in status. I heartily recommend all students adopt such an attitude as they embark on their college search and application process. Our society reinforces an image of success defined by name brands, whether we’re talking about cars, clothes, or colleges. Don’t let this happen to you in your college search. Follow the advice below to discern what you truly want and need out of your college of choice.
Finding a college that wants you as you are
My son taught me the importance of substance early in his college search when a scheduling conflict forced him to decide about AP vs. regular calculus. His SAT scores and grades were strong, and even though I knew colleges would prefer to see an AP class, I encouraged him to make his choice based on what he wanted to do. Ultimately, he chose to take the regular calculus class. “Look, Dad,” he said, “if a college isn’t going to admit me because I took regular calculus rather than AP, then I don’t want to go to that college!” Case closed.
Today, when I speak with high school students and learn about the struggles surrounding college admission, I sigh with an insider’s knowledge of the process at some selective schools. There is absolutely no reason for students (and parents) to be nervous about the college admission process—unless the student is applying to a college for poor reasons. Reasons like “because it’s competitive” or “because everyone will be impressed if I go there.” This is the misguided definition of success we have developed as a society! Is it more valuable to have an impressive name-brand bumper sticker on your car than to make the most out of a college experience that fits your personality, learning style, and educational objectives? Is it more important to look impressive than to be impressive? Answering these questions will help you understand yourself and what you want to get out of your college experience.
Related: 4 Key Ways to Find Your College Fit
Questions to help you figure out your educational goals
Self-knowledge is the first step in the college search process. While there are a lot of learning-style tips and advice online, simply asking and answering a few key questions will help you better understand how you learn and what kind of environment you need.
What type of learner you are
- Are you an independent learner, or do you need some direction?
- Are you inquisitive or accepting?
- Do you prefer to work alone or in teams?
- Are you an active or passive learner? Do you prefer to figure things out on your own, or do you want to be taught how to find the answer?
- Do you prefer a structured or unstructured learning environment?
How you interact with others
- Are you an initiator, or do you prefer to wait and see how things unfold before jumping into new situations?
- Do you prefer to interact in organized groups with a purpose or informal groups to hang out?
- Are you open and tolerant of differences, or do you prefer to be with people similar to you?
Your general goals for college and life
- What causes stress in your life and what makes you happy, whether academically or something you do in your free time?
- When are you most productive?
- What do you enjoy learning about most? You don’t have to know what you want to major in, or even what you want to do after college, but you do need to have academic objectives and interests.
- Who do you want to be? Do you want to be someone who gives back to others, travels the world, or creates art?
These questions are the first step to selecting the right set of colleges and universities for you. From there, you can use that self-knowledge and your goals to guide your search for colleges and universities that fit this learning style.
Related: How Do I Know Which College Is the Right One for Me?
Ways to get to know a college’s personality
Colleges and universities have personalities like we do: athletic, artistic, social, service-oriented, etc. And whether a school is small or large, residential or commuter, teaching or research heavy, undergraduate or graduate, and diverse or homogeneous can make a big difference. So, how do you discover a college’s personality and determine whether it’s a good fit for you?
- Use multiple college search sources: You should never rely exclusively on one college search resource, particularly sources such as best-of rankings, top-school guidebooks, or college review websites and forums. Conduct your college search using a variety of websites like CollegeXpress, College Board, College View, and Peterson’s, which all offer search tools worth exploring. Even word-of-mouth recommendations, while helpful, will never take the place of a full and rigorous college search.
- Talk to your counselors and teachers: They can help you develop an initial list of possible colleges that fit your interests, style, and academic profile, especially at the very beginning of your search.
- Use the college’s website: When you have a reasonable list of colleges and universities to explore, go to their institutional websites to cut down your college list. Learn what faculty are doing in your desired major. Learn about extracurricular organizations and alumni accomplishments. Get to know the school on its terms.
- Use email to your advantage: After searching a college’s website, consider emailing some faculty and students who are doing things that interest you. Also, contact admission representatives and introduce yourself by asking targeted questions about the school.
- Follow the college’s social media: Follow events on campus and what students and prospective students are saying about the college, programs, and people via social media.
- Visit after you narrow down your college list: Visiting campus is the best way to get to know a college. Talk with students about their experiences, speak with faculty about their expectations and how they interact with students, speak with your admission counselor, and stay overnight if you can.
- Choose three to 10 first-choice colleges: One of my good college counseling colleagues advises her students to make their final list of colleges they want to apply to all top choices—aka all schools they would be thrilled and financially able to attend if admitted. If you select your colleges right, you can’t go wrong when the final decision comes.
Related: The CollegeXpress Ultimate Guide to the College Search
The substance of the college experience and how a particular institution fits your needs should be your top concern. Many students will never consider a small liberal arts college over a large university because even the best of these smaller institutions are much less visible than brand-name universities, but they would undoubtedly benefit far more students than ever apply.
The college selection process does not have to be stressful if students and parents focus on what is really important to them in school and life. The only way to feel confident in your college options is to embark on a fearless path of self-discovery and a probing assessment of institutional characteristics. Once you have done this well, you will find that your final college choices—and acceptances—are broader and better than you would have ever imagined.
Now that you’re equipped with all this knowledge on finding colleges and universities that fit you, start your college search on CollegeXpress!
