The Top 5 things that students should consider when applying to college:
Generally speaking, a high school student graduates at the age of 17 or 18 years of age; this graduating age is a raw and inexperienced time, void of a great deal of life experience or accumulated wisdom. At the time of graduation, a high school student needs to make one of the biggest decisions of his or her life, but he or she does not truly understand the repercussions behind that decision. Therefore, the adults and the spiritual leaders in a student’s life are often left to gently guide him/her in his/her choice for admission consideration. However, which factors should be considered in making a wise choice? The following is a list of 5 things to consider when applying to a college:
1) Location! Location! Location! -In choosing a college, the student should first determine if he/she wants to live close to home, is willing to travel within a driving range or wants to venture out and study in a new territory. In making this determination, he or she can then start to research colleges and find the right area to consider living or applying. Some helpful questions that I give my students in determining whether to apply to a locally or to distant school are: Where you would go for the holidays? Is it important to celebrate every holiday with your family or are you content with only returning only once or twice a year? It is often a more successful venture if a student has family close to the college or has a roommate with family close to the vicinity. If not, research the price of a plane ticket round-trip and add that to the list of considerations.
2) Financials: The amount of a student’s college financial debt is generally the first major debt that that a student incurs; this can set the precedence for not only the amount to paid back, the period of time for the repayment, but also a strong determining factor of a student’s initial credit. Selecting a college is like buying a car; there are choices to be made and factors to be considered to find “the best bang for your buck.” It is a good idea to create a spreadsheet or another comparative chart (see www.nj.gov for a shopping list spreadsheet) to evaluate the financial packages offered by each college, in comparison to loans, grants, interest rates, payment plans etc. Incidentally, location also has a large impact on the financials to be considered.
3) Size/Campus Feel: There are many students who state that the minute they walked on the campus, they knew it was the right choice them. In making a decision regarding a college, it is a necessity to visit the campus. The size of the college can feel too small, too large, too cold or too hot…it is a “Goldilocks’” decision; what feels right for one may not feel right for the other. I have had many students choose a college based on a website or representative visit, but without walking on the campus, the student will not know if it is the right campus for him/her.
4) Diversity/Student Activities: It is important that a student adopts his or her chosen campus as a place of belonging or “a place that feels like home.” A student needs to evaluate whether he or she identifies with the other students on the campus; not in terms of race, beliefs, religion or other demographics; as diversity is strongly conducive to growth…but more in terms of comfort and comradery. The student should attend a college that offers activities and clubs that appeal to him or her with people who feel who have like-minded interests.
5) College major- It may seem unusual to place this as the last factor of consideration, but in evaluating the success rates of a new college student, the college campus itself is generally the biggest factor of consideration. With that said, one of the most substantial reasons to attend a college is to obtain the skills for a career direction. Therefore, it would only make sense that student chooses the right major for him /her, and that the college would provide the finest academics to teach the skills needed to succeed in his/her given career path. Be sure to visit the department, review the graduation requirements and evaluate the student’s strengths and weaknesses, successes or difficulties to determine the right college major; there are many career inventory aptitude tests to best make a decision.
By: Lisa A. Ford, BA- English Literature, MS-Psychology/Counseling
EPIC College Consulting
President/Educational Consultant
Trenton Catholic Academy
Director of Student Services
School Counselor
