How to Help Your Student Create a College List

By
UFit College Consulting
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For most of us parents, applying to college didn’t require much more than a number two pencil. Deciding which colleges to apply to was mainly based on grades, test scores, cost, and proximity to home. If we had decent grades and a decent state school, the college decision was a no-brainer. If we visited a campus before applying, it was to see a friend. We didn’t spend months doing research, touring colleges around the country, and sitting in on classes. We didn’t have dozens of resources available at our fingertips and a visit to our local library just wasn’t worth the effort.

Today, parents and students have access to a multitude of information about colleges. More importantly, students are more invested and interested in making informed decisions about their future home and want to play a more active role in this important milestone. While some students are lucky enough to be able to scour the country, or even the world, in search of their perceived pinnacle of higher education, having so many options can make the task quite daunting. As parents, we are likely to place our own aspirations, experiences, and opinions upon our children as we help them make their college list. The resulting list may not align with our students’ ideas and could potentially exclude colleges that we are not familiar with but might be a great fit for our students. 

This is where college counselors, like me and my partners at UFit College Consulting, can help. We guide students as they navigate the crowded, competitive, and often confusing college marketplace and we help them develop a customized and strategic list of great-fit colleges to which they can confidently apply. When we work with students, we spend time really getting to know them and asking them a carefully constructed set of questions.

If you and your student are putting together a list on your own, discussing the following topics together will help your student determine what types of colleges should and shouldn’t be on their list:

• Academic Interests:  ​One of the best places to start is with your student’s academic interests. If they know what they want to study in college, they can start searching for colleges that offer strong programs in their area of interest. If they are undecided, they should probably be considering colleges that offer a wide variety of areas of study.​  

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• Academic Reputation and Rigor:  Obviously the type of student you have will help determine the amount of rigor and competitiveness that will be best for them in college. This does not necessarily mean that just because your student gets good grades in high school they would do best at a highly selective school. Some students do better when they are at the top of their class. For instance, they may have anxiety, place importance on having a great social life, need to have a job, or want to ensure top grades because of plans to attend graduate or professional school in the future. Others thrive when they are challenged and surrounded by those of equal or greater intellect. ​

 

• Cost:  This is still a key factor for most of us. As much as we may want our kids to go to the best college they can get into, the cost of college has skyrocketed and each of us needs to determine what we can truly afford and whether or not we are willing to take on debt. It is best to have a frank discussion about finances with your student early in the process so that expectations are expressed out loud and can be aligned. It would also be helpful to become familiar with the types of financial and merit aids available at different colleges.  If your family is counting on merit aid, consider schools where your student will be in the top 25% for GPA and test scores for incoming students.

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• Location, Location, Location:  Due to the pandemic, many students are now choosing to attend colleges closer to home. Others can’t wait to explore a new region far from where they grew up. This is another important discussion to have with your student early in the process. Do you want your student to be within driving distance or are you fine with them having to fly to and from college? Will you and your student be comfortable only being able to see each other during school vacations?  Your student should also think about the setting of their ideal college  - would they prefer an urban, suburban, or rural campus? Do they care if winters are cold and snowy? Is it important to be near an airport or good hospitals?

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• Size:  When it comes to college, size definitely matters! Some students might prefer a large public university with numerous academic and social options, usually including Greek life and Division I sports. Others may prefer a small, close-knit community where they can find similar-minded students. Similarly, some students thrive in small, discussion- based classes while others prefer large seminars where they can sit quietly in the back and not have to worry about being called on.

These are just a few of the many factors to consider as you and your student begin to create a college list. If you feel that your student would benefit from the help of our experienced and nurturing college consultants, please email us at info.UFitCollegeConsulting.com. Our first consultation is always free.