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Personalizing Your College Search: Finding the Right Fit for You

The college admissions process can feel overwhelming, but it's essential to recognize that many colleges admit more students than they reject. Embrace possibilities beyond a narrow selection of schools and make informed choices based on your academic profile and personal interests. Talk openly with your parents about their hopes and your own desires, and seek guidance from school counselors. Focus on what makes a college the right fit for you—not just its reputation. Remember, college planning is not a game; it's about discovering what suits you best for a satisfying future.

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Personalizing Your College Search: Finding the Right Fit for You

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  1. Finding the Fit Personalizing the College Search/Selection Process Bellevue School District February 2012 Claire Nold-Glaser, M.Ed.

  2. Don’t Be Scared By The Stories! • The majority of colleges and universities in this country admit more students than they reject. • Reality lags reputation • Open yourself up to possibilities beyond a narrow band of colleges. You will be pleasantly surprised. • Compare your academic profile to those of recently admitted & enrolled students. • School counselors/career specialists have institutional knowledge.

  3. Adolescence & AdmissionsKeeping perspective • Erickson’s Theory of Social-Emotional Development • Identity vs. Role Confusion • Who Am I? • Internalized recordings of external messages from family, friends, school, community, popular culture, e-community on the internet • Am I normal? • Am I competent? • Am I lovable & loving? • Swings between independence & dependence-input from parents as supporters & guides, not shaming dictators So, how is the college process like learning how to ride a bike?

  4. Students-Own your process • Talk with your parents. What are their hopes & dreams for you? What parameters do they have for you? • Be patient with your parents. They want the best for you & you can help them understand. It’s very normal to not know exactly what you want to do. • Making sound decisions will lead to satisfying & successful experiences.

  5. Points for Parents to Consider • Listen to your child…be patience with the process. What are their hopes & dreams? • Don’t micromanage the process. Check in but don’t nag, nag, nag. Ask counselor for help to get your child moving. • Established college update time • Don’t get caught up in the frenzy: test prep, summer programs, resume builders • Don’t “package” your child. Encourage their true sense of self.

  6. Know Yourself & Your Reasons for Attending College • Why really, are you going to college? • Expanding education & preparation for careers • Interests & values • Personal goals • Strengths & weaknesses • Extra-curriculars & social life • Influence of family & friends

  7. Consider College Characteristics • Majors & Educational Programs (undecided-ok) • Accessibility of faculty & advising • Location & Size (don’t use high school size as the comparison) • Mission statement of the college. • Costs (COA) & Financial Aid (WUE) • Religious Affiliation • Accreditation of school & of selected programs • Campus Activities/Student Life • Support Services • Admission, Retention & Graduation Rates

  8. How Do You Pick Colleges? • How do you pick your friends? • Spending time together • Learning about each other & the interests you share • Judging a friend’s value based on their GPA?Zip code? Circumference of their head? • Admission Statistics  Value of hospital based on who is sitting in the ER • Substance vs. reputation & status

  9. Beginning Your Search • Sizing Yourself Up Survey (handout & can also be found in the Fiske Guide to Colleges • College Navigator Website-Use Search Tool on the LH side. Be sure to click on “More Search Options.” Generate & SAVE list. • UCAN-network.org, collegeportraits.org, insidecollege.com

  10. Campus Visits • Plan ahead • Reserve your spot on the daily campus tour & take the tour. Get out of the car! Students, ask questions on the tour. • Meet with an admissions counselor • Attend a class • Meet with a professor from a department in which you have some interest • Walk the halls & read the walls…snoop politely • Talk with students & faculty. How about the lunch lady? • Career services…of more interest to parents than students • Send a thank you note

  11. Marketing • The underbelly of college admissions… • Beware of “priority applications.” • Doctoring of data (apps completed vs started; student to faculty ratio, scores) • Does the school participate in NSSE? What have they learned about their student’s experiences? • Contact professors (strengths of program, description of students, faculty retention) • Text Messaging/Facebook-be polite & clear—no thank you

  12. Thoughts • College planning is not a game. • There are no absolutes-look out for “list-mania.” • Research! • Be mindful of the teenage years. Anxiety, anger are covers for fear & uncertainty. • Open yourself up for discovery • The key question is not, “Is college X a good college?” Rather, the question is, “Is X a good college for me?”

  13. Take responsibility for your future • This is an important decision…there are great options for you! • Be patient, listen & explore with an open mind. • Find your fit, don’t change yourself to fit a college image. Remember the glass slipper. • What you do in college is a better predictor of future happiness & success than where you go to college.

  14. How is the process like having a part-time job? • Trophy school vs. fit. College admissions isn’t a judgment on your parents or your upbringing. College admissions is not a judgment of your life.

  15. Handouts • Sizing Yourself Up Survey • NSSE Pocket Guide http://nsse.iub.edu/html/pocket_guide_intro.cfm

  16. Resources • Books : • Looking Beyond the Ivy League-Pope • Colleges that Change Lives-Pope • College Match: A Blueprint for Choosing the Best School for You-Antonoff & Friedemann • Less Stress, More Success: A New Approach to Guiding Your Teen Through College Admissions & Beyond -Jones & Ginsburg • The Fiske Guide-Fiske • Making the Most of College-Light • The College Finder-Antonoff • The College Board Book of Majors

  17. Websites • http://nsse.iub.edu/html/students_parents.cfm • http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/ • www.ucan-network.org • www.hecaonline.org (click on “Families”) • www.ctcl.com • www.act.org • www.collegeboard.com • www.ncaa.org • www.google.com • www.collegeplanninghelp.com(see Useful Links)

  18. Congratulations! Best wishes as you embark on this exciting adventure! Questions? Comments? Claire Nold-Glaser claire@collegeplanninghelp.com LIKE College Planning Help on Facebook

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