The College Search Process: Part 2

Now that we are neck deep in the college process, my family and I are learning a great deal about not only what colleges might be a good match for our daughter, but how this process works.

During the past year and a half, we have visited large state schools, tiny liberal arts schools, colleges in the country, cities, and suburbs. We have seen stretch and safety schools and colleges in between.

As an educator, I encourage families to fit colleges to students like a tailor fits clothing. However, competitive colleges seem very desirable to many families. Some students only want to go to schools that are just out of their reach. While I understand the lure of prestige, I can’t understand why parents would want their children to be the kids with the lowest grades or scores on campus? Although most parents believe that their children will be able to succeed under such circumstances (and sometimes they are right), my experience is that students do better when they attend schools that are a good academic and social match. Finding that match has been the focus of this part of the process.

It would be easier if we simply said to our child, “You are going the big state school.” Many families make this choice and there are many good reasons to do so. Our state universities are not only excellent and less expensive, but offer students an outstanding education. As a family, we have chosen to both spend more money and time and explore smaller private colleges.

It was wonderfully validating for me that the school with which my child fell in love was one to which she has a good chance of being admitted. While she liked several schools that are more selective and academically competitive, she “connected” more with schools who usually admitted students whose grades and test scores look like hers.

As we visited campuses, talked to students and college admissions counselors, a much more clear set of criteria developed. She figured out what characteristics were important to her. She was able to see more subtle differences between schools and connect those differences to her educational and personal needs.

By the end of the summer, the process shifted from search and select to evaluate and research. My daughter started drafting college essays and looking over the Common Application (commonapp.org). She researched a few more schools that appear to meet her criteria. We are making plans to visit two or three of these schools but we believe the list now has a clear end to it.

My daughter is doing focused research on a handful of “finalists.” She is reading their newspapers, looking more closely at their course and club offerings, and using guidebooks to hear about others’ views of them. Chances are we will make second visits to two or three of them.

Many colleges ask students to write about why they want to attend. The process of answering this question has required additional research and reflection. As she starts to fill out applications and supplements and write essays, she has to slow down and really think critically about each school.

While I would not say that picking a college is no big deal. Yet, I believe that my daughter would have a great experience at any of the schools on her short list. However, the flavor of that experience would vary. And figuring out how these schools will feel, with a little taste from visits and good research, requires digging far more deeply than glancing at glossy books, surfing websites, or taking tours.