College Selection Tips! 

Dear Parent, 

Choosing a college isn't a light decision, for both students and parents. After all, it's not only an investment of money, but it's also an investment of four years of both you and your child's lives and will help shape the person they're going to become. 

It might be exciting but it is probably the biggest decision your student has had to make up to this point in their life? 

Here are a few things you can do to help pick the right college: 

Have your child make a list of things he/she wants in a college. When you go on the campus tour, make sure to ask all those questions. What is the student/teacher ratio? Do students go home on the weekends? How many students graduate in four years? What kinds of student activities does the college offer? Talk with alumni or current students, and go out of your way to talk to people who aren't associated with the admissions office since they're going to give you the cleaned up version of the school. While a school might say they have 90 clubs and organizations, only 40 of those might be active. Another way to see a clearer picture is to pick up a copy of the school's student newspaper. Don't be afraid to call and ask more questions. That's what their admissions counselors are there for. 

After you think you have all the information you need, go back to that original list and rate each selection factor for each school. This will give you an outline of what schools are compatible with the needs and desires of your student. 

These are just a few suggestions to help you in the college selection process. 

Until next month…Best Wishes! 

Randy Stoltz, President