A lot has been said of what makes a college a good fit.
The thing is what makes a college a good fit for the student may not be
the same for the parents. How many times do you hear someone saying that
they are living vicariously through their children’s lives? Or that they
wished their child attend x or y school, if they get accepted. The danger
is what sounds like an aspiration turns into expectations that may bring added
stress and anxiety to the college admissions process. If you realize that
this is starting to happen in your own family - please stop, take a step back
and let your child lead the way.
What makes a college a good fit? Experts1 recommend students research themselves key aspects within the following areas:
- Academic - a good fit
college must provide the programs your child is considering to pursue.
Even if your child is “undecided”, s(he) should narrow down the
choices and ensure the school of choice provides all options. To
note, some colleges require the student apply to a particular
college/department and may require that the student transfers internally
if s(he) declares a different major. Secondly, the
level of rigor should be one that your child can thrive on.
While getting into a rigorous “stretch” program is a
great accomplishment, a greater one is to graduate with strong GPA which
could open employment and graduate work. This is particularly true of
Medical Schools which overemphasize GPAs for admissions or selective
employers that state minimum GPA requirements in the college career
centers. Therefore, understanding how your child learns best
is key in selecting good fit schools. Will s(he) thrive in a
small class setting where you get more attention but also have more
participation expectations? What will be the day to day
interaction with professors and/or teacher assistants?
Will there be research opportunities at undergraduate
level? All of these learning style factors must be researched
and verified during the college visit.
- Social -
colleges have distinct values that shape the social and
cultural environment. Just recently, when I visited NYU, you
could feel the diversity value in its DNA- you do not need to read their
marketing material to appreciate it throughout the school campus. A
good fit college is one that will value what your child has to contribute.
Likewise, studies have shown that most students thrive when they
feel a sense of community. This community comes in many
forms - dorms, clubs, sport team, greek system, experiential programs,
diverse groups - and should be explored. Importantly, you
should look at what’s life like after freshman year - do students move off
campus? Where do they socialize? It may be helpful to talk to current
students or young alumni to get a better understanding of this important issue - this can be arranged through the Admissions office or school visit. Some
websites like niche.com and unigo.com also provide some of this perspective.
- Physical - the school’s
size, location and weather conditions have a great impact on the quality
of life of the student: large, mid or small college in an urban,
suburban, rural or international setting. While large universities universities may provide great
variety of course/major selection they may rely on graduate students to do
much of the teaching - especially in the introductory classes.
On the other hand, there may be a plethora of cultural
activities and performance opportunities in large urban institutions that
your child may love to have access to. Likewise, your child may love
the outdoors and be surrounded by nature loving students near ski areas or
hiking trails, for example. Much has been said about the value of a
small liberal college which not only gives individual attention to
students- academically and socially - but may also be a feeder school to excellent graduate school
programs. Lastly, while not many students venture beyond a 300 mile
radius from their home, a note should be made not only of the
distance from home but also for the change of weather that that may bring
for for the first time in your child’s life.
- Financial -
last but not least the financial situation must be one
that’s a good fit not only in year 1 but throughout the duration of
college. The high cost of college may seem daunting but the
vast majority of families pay a fraction of the cost after they learn to
navigate the financial aid process and other scholarship opportunities.
Depending on the school financial aid policy, the financial aid may
include need based as well as merit aid, in the form of grants,
scholarships, loans and work/study program. In addition, your
child’s profile may have a significant impact on the amount of aid you
get. For example, some well endowed schools are known to offer merit
based scholarship to encourage high achieving students to enroll in their
institutions. Yet, for the majority of students it is a question of
sustainability. If there is a financial gap, can your family afford the this cost
without creating a major burden in your child’s future or your own
retirement plans? Importantly, what are the requirements to maintain
this level of financial aid for year 2 and beyond?
In sum, nothing is black or white, and one must weigh the pros and cons on the factors that make a college a
good fit for your child and your family finances.
1. See Springer, Reider, Vining “Admissions Matters”, chapter 4, for a more detailed discussion.
