The College Search Begins!

Dear Parent, 

Many students begin to receive college information during the summer after their sophomore year of high school. When your child starts his or her college search, it might feel like someone has begun a letter writing campaign against your family. You will be inundated with brochures, letters, CDs, sometimes even DVD’s or video tapes, all about prospective colleges. 

There are more colleges in the United States than ever, and everyone is fighting for the same pool of talent. One student joked that she thought tuition was so high because colleges had to pay for their marketing materials somehow. This might not feel far from the truth once the brochures and packets start rolling in. 

The key to sorting through these materials is to think of it as something just a step higher than junk mail. Don’t feel obligated to look through every packet that comes your way. Sorting them into three piles might help: 

Priority: These are schools your child is interested in.

Maybe:  These might be worth looking into if you have the time.

Junk:     Recycle them and don’t look back. 

It’s important to remember that a marketing brochure might not be an honest representation of a college or university. If your child is interested in a school, he or she should request more detailed information.                      

Also, as targeted as some of these marketing campaigns may be, you won’t receive materials from everyone. Therefore, be sure to write any college of interest for more information. This can usually be done online at the college website. 

It’s never too early to start the search.  This way your student can be well advised of the admission requirements of a particular school. 

Until next month…enjoy your summer! 

Randy Stoltz, President