Today I want to share some thoughts about a few things to consider when you begin to explore colleges and universities.  I was working with a family last week whose daughter wants to attend a school in the south. She’s lived in Michigan all her life and wants to go to school some place warm. They asked me if I could help them narrow down the list of schools with them.

First we discussed academic fit. This student is very strong academically so admissions will likely not be an issue. However, we need to make sure that she chooses a school with a strong reputation in the field she wants to pursue.  She thinks she wants to pursue a career related to horses.  She has participated in western equestrian for years and believes she wants to work in or around this field.  I encouraged the family to consider all of the professions related to her interests in horses and to begin to compile a list of degree programs to consider for those professions.  Does the school you are considering offer the programs you are interested in and are they known for those programs?

Next we discussed cost. This family did not realize how expensive out of state tuition can be. So, we talked about what they had budgeted for school and how they might be able to stretch their dollars so that their daughter doesn’t have to rely on student loans. We talked about scholarships (where to find them and how to apply) and student loans (long term costs).  Since many college students work while attending school, we discussed the pros (help cover costs, learn to juggle competing priorities, etc.) and cons (working more than part time can be very detrimental to academic performance) of doing so.  How are you paying for school?  Will you owe student loan debt when you graduate?  How much will that debt be at each school you are considering?  Is working while in school an option?  Are you seeking scholarships?

One parent has been encouraging her to join the equestrian team wherever she lands.  While there are great opportunities and valuable connections that can be made by participating in college extra-curricular activities, I can tell you from personal experience that many of these activities (athletic teams in particular) are incredibly demanding and sports like equestrian can be quite expensive.  Bottom line – is participating in this activity going to lead to a career?  Could participating in this activity negatively impact academic performance?  Are there costs associated with this activity?  Is there an opportunity to earn an athletic scholarship by participating in this activity?

The last thing we discussed in the session was cultural fit. This family lives in a small rural community. It is important to them that their student has the opportunity to meet students who come from different backgrounds who might not share their thoughts and views. This has become particularly challenging in the current US political environment.  In a country where politics are reaching into all sectors, I encouraged them to go beyond what they can find on the school’s website and look for recent news clips about the schools they are considering. Just today I read about the situation in Texas where public colleges and universities are no longer able to offer diversity and inclusion programming of any sort. Because of this, students who were considering a Texas school may choose to go elsewhere which could result in a very homogenous student body.  This sort of thing isn’t isolated to Texas.  New leadership has been force placed in colleges in Florida and, similar to Texas, politicians have restricted diversity and inclusion programming.   These sorts of policy changes impact the student body and could potentially influence future employability as employers seek individuals from all walks of life who are able to understand and productively work with a diverse work team.  So – it’s important to do your homework to make sure your student will fit with the institution’s mission and values.  Is diversity and inclusion important to you?  Are you comfortable attending a school in a state where politicians have considerable influence on institutional policies and curriculum?

There is much more that should go into the selection of a school. In this post I am focusing on what was most pertinent to this family. Other families may have different things that are important to them in choosing a school. The bottom line is this: do your homework.  Don’t choose a school because you like their football team or because of friends who are attending. Read up on each institution you are considering – beyond the school’s website.  Google the schools.  Find new articles about them.  Talk to individuals who have attended the schools you are considering.  The better informed you are, the better decision you will make.