Where are you going
to college?
Navigating the seemingly endless choices for
higher learning.
By Adam Davis
TWEENS
& TEENS NewsJanuary 2008
It’s an age-old question whose
importance seems only to grow as teens increasingly
look toward higher education. There are the
obvious choices like Harvard, Columbia, Stanford
and Yale. All such universities sound great
and look even better on a resume, but will
they cater to your interests? More often than
not, the best school for a student has more
to do with fit than it does with name recognition.
When you factor in the energy it takes to
narrow your list of potential colleges—
and how much four (or more) years at an institution
might cost— you want to make sure that
by the end of the admission’s process
you’ve found a college where you’ll
thrive both academically and socially.
Out of the about 3,000 colleges in the nation,
how do you zero in on the perfect school?
Simply put, you don’t. The notion of
a single, ideal college is pretty much unrealistic.
However, there may be several schools that
will make a great match for you. The key is
taking time to determine what criteria matter
most and focusing on where you will fit in,
rather than where you may get in.
Applying to a college you would never want
to attend is pointless. Regardless of how
esteemed the college may be, it simply isn’t
worth it if you’re not interested in
the school’s offerings. Plus, applying
to an “easy” but ultimately pointless
school for you takes valuable time and effort
out of applications to schools that might
be a much better fit.
Keep in mind that more than 2 million students
apply to colleges each year— with many
of them getting into their top choice schools.
In fact, 70 percent of respondents to the
Cooperative Institutional Research Program’s
Freshmen Survey gained admission to their
first choice schools, and an additional 22
percent got into their second choice schools.
These are more than just promising odds; they
illustrate the idea of “fit.”
If a student targets a school serving his
or her interests, it’s likely that the
school will be equally keen to serve the student
well.
You probably have an idea of what you are
looking for in a college. For example, is
there a school size and location you consider
ideal? Do you want a small liberal arts college
experience, or would you rather attend a university
with 20,000 potential peers? Do you want to
be 30 minutes or 3,000 miles from home? Are
you looking for a big library in a big city?
Columbia University, located in Manhattan,
lays claim to 7.4 million volumes. How about
a big stadium and great weather year-round?
University of Florida’s Ben Hills Griffin
Stadium can pack more than 90,000 impassioned
football fans. What about computer access,
whether minorities are well-represented on
campus, or the popularity of fraternities
and sororities? The list of questions could
go on and on— and it should. The broadest
list of questions possible yields an extremely
specialized view on what you’re looking
for in a college experience.
Tally your answers. Then start exploring the
most personally appealing college campuses
to see what school best fulfills your vision.
For some students, the antiquity— or
lack thereof— of a school can influence
a decision. Does the school in question date
back to English rule of the colonies, such
as Harvard University, established in 1636,
or is it an up-and-coming institution, like
Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering, which
received its accreditation in 2006?
Other students might want to know about unique
class offerings. You would be amazed by what
some schools teach. From classes on Star Trek
and religion (Indiana University-Bloomington)
to witchcraft and politics (Bucknell University)
to everything about Bob Dylan (Brown University),
there are hundreds of compelling— and
in some cases, downright bizarre— courses
that veer from conventional subject fare.
Another consideration is seeing if a school
belongs to a consortium. A consortium is a
partnership among various colleges in the
same region that promotes the sharing of services,
facilities and educational and cultural resources.
This partnership makes a broader range of
opportunities available to students. For example,
Five Colleges, Inc., which Amherst College,
Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College,
Smith College and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst
all belong to, allows a student at any of
these colleges to register for classes at
an affiliated campus. Consortiums are a great
way to enhance your college experience by
expanding your academic horizons through several
colleges— at the price tag of just one!
What about location? Forgive the cliché,
but it’s all about location when it
comes to academic opportunities for students
outside the classroom. Enriching possibilities
may include internships, research initiatives
and study abroad programs. In Northeastern
University’s curriculum exists co-ops
granting students access to career-strengthening
paid work experiences. Goucher College gives
all students a minimum of $1,200 to help them
with study abroad travel expenses. Many similar
programs exist; all it takes is a little research
to discover them.
Another consideration when it comes to location
is the kind of job market that graduates are
expected to find if they choose to settle
down where they studied. While a student who
graduates from St. Mary’s University
in San Antonio may find a veritable treasure
chest of career options, another student with
a fresh diploma from Drexel University in
Philadelphia might find the offerings decidedly
slim.
Finally, a happy social life can be a student’s
best friend when at college. And it’s
important for you to get some downtime between
study sessions, athletics, extracurricular
activities and interest groups, though all
represent great ways to exorcise stress and
make friends. Whether you’re looking
for secret societies, such as the “Sphinx
Head Society” at Cornell University,
time-honored traditions, like the puddle jump
at Bates College, or a little old-fashioned
rodeo fun, as at California Polytechnic State-San
Luis Obispo and nearly 40 other colleges that
offer such a program, you’ll find the
college that best represents your interests,
preferences and values when you factor in
the social opportunities at college.
The most crucial thing to remember is that
college presents an opportunity for you to
experience unparalleled academic and personal
freedom. The best scenario is that you find
a school that both fosters existing passions
and encourages the discovery of new ones,
while at the same time offering a community
of peers to accept and challenge you. Through
a thorough and well-considered approach, you
can work with your parents and perhaps a college
advisor to discover your best fit college—
and in turn tread the best path to a successful
future. Good luck and happy hunting!
Adam Davis is an editor for The Princeton
Review, the fastest growing education company
in the country. Princeton Review’s recent
book, COLLEGE NAVIGATOR: Find the School to
Match Any Interest from Archery to Zoology,
has almost 300 college lists identifying schools
for just about any criteria a college applicant
or parent might find important. Learn more
about this title and others at www.princetonreview.com.
