What School Is Right for You?
Advice from experts on the college search
To help students cope with the process of picking colleges, U.S. News asked two veteran high school counselors, Bonnie Fitzpatrick and Marge Loennig, to draw on their collective 47 years of experience to address questions that are often on the minds of prospective applicants and their families. Fitzpatrick is guidance director at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in Maryland; Loennig is college counselor at the Holton-Arms School, a private school in Bethesda, Md. Here is their advice:
How do I begin? Before you even try to figure out what schools are best for you, take a personal inventory. Ask yourself: What kind of students do I want around me? What do I expect to get out of the college experience? Am I interested in a research university, or am I more concerned about the quality of undergraduate instruction?
Next, take an academic inventory. Include your unweighted grade point average in academic courses and your best combined SAT I or ACT scores. Did you take any SAT IIs? If so, write down those scores. If your high school ranks its students, see where you stand so you know how you compare academically with your peers. Succinctly spelling out your interests, academic profile and goals will help you focus as you develop a list of potential colleges.
How do I devise that college list? Think very specifically about the geographic location of schools, the kind of setting that appeals to you, the nature of social life you seek, the course offerings you want. Is religious affiliation a factor? Does it matter whether the school is single sex or coed? How important is cost?
Now flip the question around and ask yourself what kind of school you definitely are not looking for. You may learn even more by answering this question.
If you are having a hard time answering these questions--and many students do--try reading entries at random from one of the major descriptive college guides. Did any of the schools sound appealing? What made one more attractive than another? Visit nearby campuses to see what the atmosphere is like and how much colleges differ. Ask if you can attend a class. These visits will give you a much more realistic context for making your decision.
Once I have identified the type of school I think would be best, how can I zero in on specific schools? Develop an initial list of as many as 20 to 25 colleges. It will no doubt include institutions you think sound ideal. It may contain others you hear about from your guidance counselor, a classmate, a friend, your parents or a relative. Put them all down. Keep an open mind, but remember that you, and only you, must make the final decision.
How can I streamline the process? There are a number of commercial software and CD-ROM programs, such as EXPAN and those produced by Peterson's and U.S. News--available in many high schools or for purchase in bookstores--that will help you develop a list. Or you can build your list by using some good college guidebooks. The Fiske Guide to Colleges and the Insider's Guide to the Colleges--the latter written entirely by Yale students--are favorites of many high school students. Your guidance office or library will almost invariably have several such books.
Look at the retention rate at a given school. This is a good indicator that students like--or dislike--the place and that you might be equally happy--or unhappy--there. Find out if the school requires every student to take certain core courses to graduate. Are courses taught by professors or instructors? What is the average class size? You get the gist.
Attend college fairs, where you can meet admissions representatives from a number of schools. If you have Internet access, try looking at college home pages, where you may be able to examine required reading lists in a given course or virtually tour the campus.
Be sure to read college view books, mission statements and catalogs. Do the courses that are offered ring your intellectual bell? Does the school seem to have livable dorms? A good arts center? Music practice rooms? A great field house? Are the computer center and science laboratories state of the art? You will probably not be concerned with all of these things, but you should check out those that are important to you.
Should I trust my counselor to come up with a list of schools for me? Even if you develop your own list initially, your high school counselor will often be able to help you narrow it down. He or she will be impressed if you have taken the time to do some exploring on your own. Some counselors will be able to help you identify the best schools for you and provide advice on whether your choices are realistic given your academic record.
I attend a large public school where my counselor doesn't know me well. Will I be at a disadvantage because this person couldn't possibly write anything insightful about me? Gary Ripple, now director of admissions at Pennsylvania's Lafayette College, was asked this question when he was admissions dean at Virginia's College of William and Mary. He said to the student questioner: "I wonder why your counselor doesn't know you. Your counselor probably has over 300 students he or she is responsible for. You should take the initiative to get to know your counselor. At William and Mary, we look for students who take charge of their lives." The student sank slowly into his seat, Ripple recalls. The point of this story is that it is important to get to know your counselor. You are also likely to have the option of submitting one or two teacher recommendations. Ask teachers who are most excited about you as a student. Strong teacher recommendations carry a lot of weight.
How can I be sure I am using the right criteria in picking schools? Make certain you know why you are choosing a particular school. Be especially honest about the prestige factor. If attending a high-profile college is very important to you, admit that. If you are not honest with yourself, you may end up at a prestigious school for all the wrong reasons, such as ego or family or peer pressure. And chances are that because of how you got there, you will not be happy.
If I have narrowed my list to six to eight colleges, what should I do next? Visit as many as you can and try to obtain a campus interview at each so you can learn as much as possible. (Almost all interviews are now strictly informational.) Read and reread the material the college sends you. Perhaps a former student from your high school, a friend or a relative attends or recently graduated from one of your choices. A good talk with such a person could go a long way toward helping you decide.
To how many colleges should I apply? If you choose wisely, five or six should be enough. Most students apply to a dream college or two, then find two or three others where they would be happy. Those two or three backup colleges often are chosen at the last minute, and the decision is not well thought out. When April rolls around, the student who has been careless about choosing backup schools maynot find the choices happy ones.
What role should my parents play in this process, since they'll end up footing most of the bill for my education? Your parents should be your greatest allies in this venture, and since they are likely to be helping you fund your college education, it is very important to consult them. At the very least, let them know the direction in which you are heading.
In most cases, regardless of their preconceptions, if you are carrying out your search logically and intelligently, they will back you up. But even if your school choices do not please your parents, keep in mind that they are not going to be spending four years at a particular institution; if your choice feels right to you, stick with it. If you are true to yourself, you cannot possibly make the wrong choice. And even if you are unhappy with the school, it is not the end of the world. You can always transfer after a year. Your parents will feel better if they keep that in mind, too.
In our years as counselors, we have found that when students make the final decision themselves, that greatly increases their chances of having a pleasant and fruitful college experience. Those who choose their own colleges are also the undergraduates most likely to make friends early, enjoy their classes, enter wholeheartedly into campus life and do well in their courses.
Help! I've filled out forms, made lists, talked to my parents, talked to my counselor--and I still don't know what I want. You may want to ask yourself: Do I really want to go to college right now? You might be wiser to take a year off from academia and work or, if feasible, travel abroad. If, on the other hand, after thinking things over, you decide you really do want to go to college right away, then take a deep breath and start going over your choices again. If that doesn't work, try throwing in some new choices. That may shake loose the right decision. But don't force the issue. If no match readily suggests itself, it may be best for you to plan to take some time off from school.
I have 1580 on my SATs, have a 3.6 grade point average in a very competitive high school and am enrolled in five advanced placement courses. Are the very selective colleges going to accept me? Colleges and universities with 20 percent or lower acceptance rates turn down many, many students with your credentials. To assess your chances, you need to think in terms of how you will stack up against the entire applicant pool at a given college--and that is not always easy to do, particularly since in any given year, schools are seeking to fill particular niches in a class and it is hard to know what those niches are and whether you fill the bill. That is why it is important to apply to backup schools. And remember that some colleges consider geographical distribution in selecting a class, so try not to limit your choices geographically.
Are certain extracurricular activities favored by highly selective colleges? Don't spend four years in high school trying to second-guess what colleges may want. Let your interests be your guide. Get involved in something you feel passionate about. Commitment, leadership and success in what you do are what matter most to colleges.
My SAT and ACT scores are not very high. Should I take the tests over? Every college uses scores differently. Schools such as Bates, Bowdoin and Lafayette give you the option of not submitting your scores. Some state schools, community colleges and even private colleges rely solely on your academic work. Many "Big 10" schools use a formula that weights grades two thirds and test scores one third. If you have doubts about your junior year scores, read all summer, take a test prep course if you can afford it, then retest in October. You have absolutely nothing to lose by following this path.
How can I enhance my chances at a highly selective college if my test scores are not impressive--SAT I 1110, ACT 27--but I have taken rigorous courses and earned A's and have been a leader in extracurricular activities? Take the SAT II tests. There are a number of tests from which to choose--and you can suppress those scores you do not like and just release your best ones. Colleges notice high SATII results; they demonstrate your knowledge of subject matter. Also take AP tests, ideally one or two in your junior year. Scores of 4 or 5 will grab the attention of schools and show them you can succeed in college. Perhaps take a course at a local college. An impressive recommendation from a professor will enhance your application. And remember that in filling out applications, strong, well-written essays will help convey your strengths.
I had a 2.3 in ninth grade, but every year since then my GPA has improved and I have taken more demanding courses. Will colleges care? Yes! Such a record indicates academic growth and discovery. Experience has taught many admissions officers that you are a good risk. However, some colleges use a formula that combines overall GPA and/or class rank with test scores; in that case, you will be at a disadvantage. Before applying, ask the admissions office how you will be treated.
My mother graduated from Princeton and my father graduated from the University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill. Will I have an advantage if I apply to either school? A number of schools--both public and private--favor legacies. Often, colleges will look at the degree of commitment the parent has to the alma mater.
I need to apply for financial aid. Will this hurt my chances? The National Association for College Admission Counseling has spent three years asking that question. It discovered that there is no simple answer. Colleges want to be need blind in making admissions decisions and to meet the full need of those admitted. But some simply do not have the resources to do so. Generally, financial aid needs will not affect you negatively if you are very competitive in the pool of applicants. Colleges that must look at financial aid needs are often able to accept the first 80 to 90 percent of their class without regard to need but may look at need in filling the remainder of the class. Some schools are need blind in admissions but do not meet full need in their aid packages, a practice known as gapping. Others will admit students with high need but deny them aid.
I do not qualify for financial aid, but my parents never dreamed college would cost over $25,000 a year. They are opposed to taking out big loans. Will I be limited to attending college in state? Not necessarily. If you are a top student, you may want to look at colleges that award merit scholarships. Talk to your counselor and look at data like U.S. News's best-value rankings (which appear in next week's issue) to see which schools offer substantial merit aid. Before you rule out a school, discuss your situation with its financial aid office. More colleges are offering merit awards to attract top students. You may have many more choices than you think.
This story appears in the September 16, 1996 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.