What Should You Consider When Choosing Colleges?

In thediscussion forum a member asked a very good question: what students should consider when comparing and deciding between college options?

There are probably hundreds of individual reasons why students make their final choice of where to go to college, but there are certain factors that should be considered by every student and their families. Here are some of the questions I try to get my students to consider before they finalize their college list:

The student's admissions profile: What does the student have to offer to colleges? What type of colleges might be most interested in what the student has to offer, and why?

The student's personal learning style : how do the student learn best? What are their strengths and weaknesses in the classroom? How does their learning style fit with the college's approach to instruction and curriculum? What type of instructional and curriculum approach would be the best fit for them? If the student has a learning disability, what types of accommodations will he or she need in college?

Financial considerations: How much can the family afford to pay? How much is the family willing to pay? How much does the family have saved to pay for college? How do the student and the family feel about student debt? Is the student eligible for merit scholarships at some colleges? How important is merit money to the student and his family? Will the family be willing to pay more for certain types of schools? If so, what are the characteristics of those schools?

Potential major What are the elements of a good program in the student's potential major? How do various programs compare on these elements? What other subjects is the student interested in studying? If the student changes his/her mind, do the colleges being considered have strong programs in other academic areas of interest, and will the college still be a fit for the student in other ways? What type of advising in the student's major is available? If the student changes their mind about the potential major, what advising is available to help them decide on and plan for a different path? Are internships available? What types of employers recruit on campus for students who have majored in the student's intended major?

Social considerations: How comfortable does the student feel being around people who are very different from him? What types of people might make the student uncomfortable? What types of people did the student hang out with in high school, and is she hoping to have similar types of friends in college, or branch out in a different direction? How does the student react in new social situations? How does the student hope to spend their free time in college? Does the student hope to live on campus all four years, just in freshman year, or would they prefer to live off campus all four years? What do they picture themselves doing on a Saturday night while they are in college? How does the student feel about student drinking and drug use? What are the extracurricular activities they have participated in during high school that they would like to continue in college? What new activities would they like to try? How important is a sense of "school spirit" to the student? Is the student interested in joining a fraternity or sorority?

Other personal considerations: How often does the student expect to visit home during the school year? Does the student mind flying? What parts of the country has the student visited? What parts of the country does the student prefer? Is it important to the student to have access to certain types of religious activities while at college? Does the student have health issues that might need attention? Are there family issues that might influence the student's choice of college?