Trying to Find the “Perfect College”?

Dear Parent, 

Many families of high school juniors are entrenched in the process of determining a list of candidate colleges.  The conventional “do it yourself” approach tends to be focused upon finding the “perfect college”, to the exclusion of literally dozens of high quality, affordable colleges that could meet the academic and personal needs of the student. 

There are many colleges for which your student is perfectly suited.  Some college guides that might be helpful are the Fiske Guide to Colleges (www.fiskeguide.com) and the Barrons Guide (www.barronsedu.com).  The Fiske guide offers an insight into the “personality” of a school.  Barrons offers several different books.  When you go to their home page, click on school guides (under books by category), then click undergraduate, and you will see all they have to offer.  Their guides are comprehensive and a largely accurate technical resource. 

With all of these options available, it is astonishing that most are never explored.  When students are surveyed about how certain colleges make their short list, it is not uncommon to hear them respond with: “I keep getting mail from them” or, “They were rated in the top 20 of US News & World Report’s College Rankings” or, “My friend’s brother goes there and he says it’s great” or, “My girlfriend is applying there and we both love the college view book”.  Is this the kind of thinking you want your 17 year-old to use when making a $100,000 plus decision? A private college education could cost even more. 

It pays to be informed.  After determining what you can afford, a good college search often begins with the student completing a self-assessment or two.  It defines the student’s personality and how it relates to learning styles and career interests.  They provide insight into academic attitudes, assertiveness, learning skills, social and interpersonal skills, goals and self-reliance. 

This information coupled with an understanding of your financial parameters will help you realistically develop a candidate list of initial colleges that are appropriate. 

Until next month…Best Wishes!