Top Questions To Jumpstart Your College Search
July 15, 2022
Kristen Tarantola, excerpts from Collegewise 2019
Students are frequently overwhelmed when asked about what colleges they are considering and what they want to study. Let’s face it, those are pretty daunting questions for a 16 or 17 year old to respond to! At Collegemind, we seek to gather information and determine interest and motivation in a variety of ways. The following questions can prompt further discussion and exploration with a student. Often, we rule out what students DO NOT WANT and build on that to create a comprehensive list of the qualities a student seeks in a college. Once we have a thorough list of the qualities that a student seeks, we’re ready to move on to develop a solid list. The student’s COLLEGE CRITERIA is the basis for all decisions that follow.
Why Do You Want To Go To College?
What’s your motivation? Are you looking to gain skills to become a nurse? Perhaps you are interested in studying Philosophy and French. Some students hope to broaden their knowledge and expand their perception of the world and their place in it, while others are looking to learn skills necessary to succeed in their future profession. Others see college as a natural progression from high school and want to explore a wide variety of coursework to help them determine an area to focus on. Answering the WHY question provides a wealth of information.
Do You Think You’re Ready To Go To College?
This one might require a good look in the mirror! Preparing for and attending college is a big step, and not one to be taken lightly. All students experience uncertainty and fear around the process, but those who are truly ready seem to progress with more ease and confidence. Just because you want to go to college at some point does NOT mean that the time is now. There are fantastic opportunities for students to learn, explore, travel and grow through alternative route programs and gap years.
What’s your Learning Style?
Most students tell me that they want a really big college with a great football team with a (seemingly) traditional vibe. Those same students often express that their favorite class in high school was a socratic seminar that they took in Junior year. When asked why, they talk about the interactive aspect and group work involved. If you enjoy small classroom settings, getting know your professors on a first name basis and possibly doing undergraduate research, perhaps a smaller school would be a better fit. Be sure you reflect on what you truly enjoy and gravitate to now and think about how that translates to your future college experience. You may be a year older by the time you step foot on campus, but your core approach to learning is not likely to change drastically! Also, when thinking about the size of a college, be sure to put that in perspective, a campus of 2,500 students on 300 acres of property is likely still significantly larger than your current high school.
What subjects are you Interested in Learning More About?
If “What do you want to major in?” is just too much to tackle, perhaps try, “What would you like to learn about?”. Considering the subject areas you enjoyed in high school as well as your extracurricular activities, what stands out? This is usually the best place to start. If you’re unsure, approach your college search by identifying schools where you don’t have to declare a major when admitted, or ones that offer numerous opportunities for several of the areas that you are considering.
What do you Like To Do On A Typical Weeknight In College? How about a Saturday Night?
We think this is a fun question because the answer draws out everything from the types of students you want to be around to where the campus is located to what you want to major in. You’re only in class for part of the day at most. The rest of the time, you’re living your life on (or off) campus with your fellow students. Think about what you’d like to be doing in your free time and look for where that will be possible.
Do You Want To Go To College In A Place That’s Different Or Similar To Where You Live Now?
This one hits on everything from your city and state, to the size of your town, to the type of people in your community. College can be a four-year opportunity to live in a place very different from where you live now. But that’s not the right opportunity for everyone. It’s good to consider just how much change you want to take on when you go to college.
Do You Want To Be With Students Who Are Like You Or Different From You?
Differences can come in lots of forms, like ethnicity, sexual orientation, where people are from, their religious beliefs (or lack of them), their politics, whether or not they drink or use drugs, etc. Some colleges are a lot more diverse than others, and it’s a good idea to consider whether or not you want to be with people who may be very different from you.
What’s Your Family’s College Budget?
Discuss finances with your parents. You can’t do a responsible college search without knowing your family’s financial limits and how much they can afford to help send you to college. Don’t automatically eliminate any college that’s over your family’s budget. You won’t know the amount of any potential financial aid package until you are actually admitted. You can estimate it, but the package could later be influenced by other factors, like your strength as an applicant. It is not a good idea to apply to a long list of schools your family couldn’t possibly afford, but don’t cross every school off your list that exceeds your family’s budget, either.