When I meet with students during an initial consultation, I ask many questions about grades, test scores, favorite and least favorite subjects, and extracurricular activities. I also ask a question that usually prompts smiles on the face of families and surprise on the face of students. My simple question is: In a perfect world, that we do not live in, what does your perfect college look like?
I am not looking for the name of a particular college, but characteristics that are appealing to your student. While many students are not sure what they want to study or where they want to go, they do know what is appealing and what is not. Exploring what they do know can help create a diverse and meaningful preliminary college list.
Here are some key questions to ask and think about with your student as you develop options to explore:
Location: Does your student want to live in a city, suburb, or rural community? Do they want to be a car ride away from home or are they okay with flying back and forth to their college? How far is too far and how close is too close? How much are you willing to spend on transportation costs?
Setting: Does your student imagine being on a small campus with 2000 students or less, or a campus that has more than 35,000 students? Do they want their class sizes to be in lecture halls for 200 or more students or would they prefer all their classes be 25 students or less?
Student Activities: What activities are really important for you to have access to? Does the Greek Life system (fraternities and sororities) seem appealing? Do you want there to be a large sports culture and/or a diverse music and arts scene? What activities can be done on campus and what options are off-campus?
Residential Life Options: Does your student want to live on campus? How many students live on campus in their first year versus their senior year? Do students move into off-campus apartments at some point in their career? Do you need to have vegetarian/vegan/Kosher/Halal/allergy-free food options?
Religious Life Options: What campus ministries are available to serve your student’s religious preferences? Are there regular faith-based services available to students? How prevalent is religious life on campus or part of the college’s mission?
Career Development Opportunities: Does the college offer internship programs as part of their academic requirements? What companies recruit on campus for future employees? What help is offered to students to find and secure jobs?
In addition to some of these characteristics, students and families must also explore the college selectivity, academic programs, support programs, and financials. To navigate the complexities of this data along with the characteristics of the ideal college experience, please reach out to us to schedule an introductory consultation at www.consultwithdana.com