Steps
to Selecting a College |
| 1) |
PRAY |
| |
Ask
God to guide you through this process. He cares about you
and your future more than anyone, and this is a great time to take
Him up on his promise to never leave or forsake you. |
| 2) |
SELF
ASSESSMENT
(from
"Making
the Right Match" by Tony Jeffrey, Ph.D.)
|
| |
Before
you begin to make a list of colleges, it is best to spend some quality
time thinking truthfully about yourself. Rather than make a list
of colleges you think you can get into or that will be acceptable
to your friends, answer the following questions regarding what makes
you unique, what your needs are, and what type of environment brings
out the best in you. Once you have a good feel for the type of college
environment you are looking for, narrowing down your options and
making a great match are much easier. If you skip this process,
your odds of picking a good match are slim. Think for yourself and
realize that what is right for you may not at all be what is right
for your friends or siblings. |
| |
|
1. |
Why
do you really want to go to college? |
|
2. |
How
academically competitive are you? Do you thrive under pressure?
Do you choke? Are you not even academic? Are you self-motivated
or do you need close personal attention? |
|
3. |
Do
you like "being known" or is there more freedom
in being anonymous? |
|
4. |
Do
you function best in a place where everyone is "like
you" or do you like diversity in a student body? How
much diversity have you really experienced? |
|
5. |
Do
you know exactly what you want to major in? Do you have a
strong sense of a calling in a specific area? |
|
6. |
If
your faith is important to you, would it be more exhilarating
to be in a Christian or secular school? What type of environment
would help you grow vs. failing in your Christian walk? |
|
7. |
Do
you like to have lots of options or does that only confuse
you? Can you handle frustration and rejection? Can you persist
without giving up? |
|
8. |
Do
you like the thought of being near family and friends or does
being far away seem better to you? |
|
9. |
How
do you define success? Are you satisfied with your accomplishments
to date? |
|
10. |
What
kind of person would you like to become? Which of your gifts
and talents would you like to develop? |
|
11. |
What
would you most like to change about yourself? Why? |
|
12. |
What
values are truly important to you (spiritual, political, financial)?
How will your college environment affect these values? |
| 13. |
Are
you worried about being homesick and/or making new friends? |
|
| |
Before
you begin picking possible colleges, have a candid conversation
with your parents. Are there limits to what they can or will contribute
to your college expenses? Are there colleges they hope you will
consider? Are they comfortable with letting you travel far away
to attend college? Negotiate differences of opinion at the start
of the selection process rather than at the end. You don't want
to select a college that your parents will not support as a final
choice. |
| 3) |
COLLEGE
CHARACTERISTICS
(from
the College Board's, "Finding a College That Fits") |
| |
The
next step is to make a list of “everything I would want to know
about a college before I decided to apply.” |
| |
PHILOSOPHY:
Is the college public, private or Christian? If Christian,
how are various areas of the school (curricula, dorm life, extra-curricular
activities, etc.) affected by the school’s religious views? |
| |
SIZE:
Is the size a good one for me? Is it too big or too small?
What is the average class size? Investigate not just the number
of faculty, but also the ratio of faculty to students and how accessible
faculty are to students. |
| |
LOCATION:
Distance from home may be important. Do you want to visit home frequently,
or do you see this as a time to experience a new part of the country?
Some like an urban environment with access to museums, ethnic food,
or professional sporting events. Others hope for easy access to
the outdoors or the serenity and safety of a small-town setting. |
| |
PERSONALITY:
Does the college fit me? Is it conservative, liberal, geographically
diverse, ethnically diverse, etc? |
| |
ACADEMIC
PROGRAMS: Do they have the major I am seeking? If you know what
you want to study, research reputations of academic departments
by talking to adults already in the fields that interest you, and
using some of the materials available in the Counseling Office that
evaluate academic departments. If you are undecided, relax and pick
an academically balanced institution that offers a range of majors
and programs. Most colleges offer expert counseling to help the
undecided student find a focus. |
| |
CAMPUS
LIFE: Consider what your college life will be like beyond
the classroom. In order to grow in all ways, aim for a balance
between academics and social life. What extracurricular activities,
athletics, and special interest groups are available? Does the
community around the college offer interesting outlets for students?
Is there a Christian group in which to take part?
Colleges
often require that you live in campus housing for one or more
years. So, in considering social life, be sure to look carefully
at the quality of life in the dormitories. Ask if housing is guaranteed
to be available to returning students. If so, how are dormitory
assignments made after the first year? |
| |
COST:
Today's college price tag makes cost an important consideration
for most students. At the same time, virtually all colleges work
to ensure that academically qualified students from every economic
circumstance can find financial aid that allows them to attend.
In considering cost, look beyond the price tag to assistance available. |
| |
RETENTION
AND GRADUATION RATES: One of the best ways to measure a school's
quality and the satisfaction of its students is to learn the percent
of students who return after the first year and the percent of entering
students who remain to graduate. Comparatively good retention and
graduation rates are indicators that responsible academic, social,
and financial support systems exist for most students. |
| 4) |
RESEARCH
(from
the College Board's, "Finding a College That Fits") |
| |
Utilize
the following resources to find college information: |
| |
College
guidebooks: Begin with one or two of the college guides available
in the Counseling Office. |
| |
College-produced
resources: Colleges will continue to shower you and the Counseling
Office with publications. Don’t ignore the college catalog. It is
an excellent source of information. |
| |
The
Internet: You can search for colleges, find scholarships, and
even apply to colleges online. |
| |
People
resources: Talk with teachers, recent college graduates, youth
pastors and others about selecting a college. Meet with college
representatives when they visit Calvin. Ask about student satisfaction,
retention, campus safety, support services, etc. Feel free to follow
up with letters or phone calls to this admission person. |
| |
College
fairs: At a fair you get to meet and talk with representatives
from many colleges and universities, ask questions that are specific
to your search, and get on mailing lists for applications. |
| |
Computer
resources: Many libraries, public high schools and community
centers have computer software tailored to the college search process. |
| |
College
Visits: The best way to gain firsthand knowledge of a college
or university is to visit. Visit some campuses near your home that
vary in size and kind. This will give you a baseline for judging
the kind of environment you are seeking. It is important to visit
the college you think you will attend before making a final commitment.
Through the admission office, arrange to attend classes and stay
in a dorm, if possible. |
|
5) |
MATCH
YOURSELF WITH ADMISSIONS STANDARDS
(from
the College Board's, "Finding a College That Fits") |
| |
Before
you consider your college search complete, compare your academic
and personal qualifications to those of students typically admitted
to schools where you want to apply. Large public universities
usually make admission decisions based on objective information
including: number and rigor of high school courses, grade-point
average, class rank, and standardized test scores (SAT I/II, and/or
ACT). Private and highly selective institutions will also consider
special talents, community service, personal qualifications demonstrated
by extracurricular and leadership activities, and other unique
qualities you can bring to the college campus.
As
you narrow your college list, select one or two institutions that
present an admission challenge. Counselors often call these schools
"reaches," because the admission criteria are competitive
and a small percentage of applicants are admitted. Make sure your
final list includes a number of "mid-range" colleges-schools
where your qualifications closely match those of the average student.
Include a "safety" school or two, where your statistics
exceed the profile of most students. Give at least as much thought
to your "mid-range" and "safety" schools as
you do to your "reaches." Apply only to schools at which
you believe you would be happy for four or more years (or two
years at a community colleges). |
