Welcome to The Admission Game (TAG) College Planning Blog, an ongoing discussion of the factors that impact the college planning process. This space will keep you abreast of critical planning strategies, introduce you to key resources and comment on timely issues that relate to your college planning effort. I look forward to staying in touch and seeing your comments as we progress through the college planning process together. An extensive listing of past articles as well as those written by other authors can be found in The College Planning Library, a feature of the Best College Fit Resources.
Did you know that barely half of the students who enter college each year will graduate in 4-5 years? That statistic is numbing when you consider the potential costs involved—your time, your parents’ money, and the lost opportunity to you as a wage earner upon graduation. Over the last five postings in this space, I have given you ideas about how to identify the colleges that are best for you—places that are likely to attract and keep you through graduation. Before we wrap up this discussion, it might make sense, then, to address some of the common pitfalls that lead to unproductive college choices—colleges that do not fit well.
Scenario #1: Love I hate to break it to you but the best college for you is not the place that your love interest attends! Before you and your boyfriend/girlfriend get too far along in planning the rest of your lives together, you need to know that the odds of maintaining the relationship over four years of college are not in your favor. In fact, most high school romances break up before the end of the first year of college. Does it make sense, then, for you to commit to four years at somebody else’s college just so you can be together when there is a very good chance that before the end of the first semester she’ll find some other guy—and you’ll end up being a spectator on her campus. Would you call that a good fit?
Scenario #2: Friends The same logic applies to your friends. While you are ready to graduate from high school, you might not feel like you are ready to leave the people with whom you hang out. As a result, the whole gang heads off to college together—in many cases, site unseen. If anybody asks why you chose to attend that college, your response will probably be, “my friends go there.” How much sense does that make?! One or two of your friends have it figured out. They know the program and have made considered decisions. But the rest of you just want to hang out. Now, you are on a campus that is strange to you except for the guys you want to hang with. A good fit?
Scenario #3: ParentsThe best school for you is not likely to be the place your parents attended or the place they want you to attend! This can become uncomfortable if your parents are already working on your college list for you. While you don’t want to disappoint them, you want to find your own college—a place that is the best fit for you. After all, you and your parents are different people. What worked for them might not work for you. If you sense a conflict in interests brewing, you need to find a diplomatic solution to it early in your search. The longer you allow your parent’s expectations of a destination to linger prominently in the picture, the harder it will be to extricate yourself from those expectations later in the process—that is, assuming you truly want to look in different directions.
Scenario #4: SportsThe best college for you is not likely to be the place that won the national championship. Everybody likes to be around a winner and there is something to be said for body painting and the crowd frenzy on crisp Saturday afternoons in the fall. Just remember, though, that whatever colors you bleed, you still need to be a student Monday through Friday.
Scenario #5: Prestige Finally, the best college for you is not necessarily the place that will give you the most impressive car sticker! Consider how the events unfold. The “Committee of We” has been involved in an exhaustive college search process. I don’t need to explain that mom and dad are integral to this committee! “When are we going to get started?” “When are we going start visiting schools?” “When are we going to get the applications finished?” “When are we going to hear?” Does this sound familiar?
One day in late March of your senior year, the “thick envelope” from XYZ, a very prestigious college, arrives in your mail slot. A committee member is home (not you because you’re in school) and finds the letter. Unable to find restraint, this committee member rips open the letter to discover the good news and euphoria reigns—“We’re in!!” Before you know it, this unnamed person pulls the XYZ car sticker out of a drawer (where it’s been in safe keeping just in case), puts it on the car and begins to drive slowly through the neighborhood so everyone can see where “we’re going to college!”
This is an exciting time for the entire family because, of course, “we” got in. And good for you—if this is truly the place that you want to attend. Unfortunately, a lot of students and their families get caught up in the rush for “gold.” For them, the process is more about winning the prize then it is finding the best fit. They may have “won” the car sticker and all the bragging rights that go with it, but does the student have the right college? Maybe, maybe not.
Summing it up
You need to remain reflective throughout the process in order to make sure a school, especially a high profile place, is the right one for you. College choices based on emotion are often regretted. They just don’t “fit” you well in the long run. (Would you buy a good-looking pair of shoes even if they were too snug in the toes?) As you move forward, resist the temptation to act impulsively or run with the herd. You must be able to live with your choice for the next four years and it needs to work for you in the years that follow. Invest in learning more about places that might be right for you—not your love interest or your friends or your parents. Now is the time to focus on you and what constitutes a good fit for you—so yours will be a successful four-year college experience.
When the dust settles on your college search, there should be abundant evidence that the college you have chosen is excited that you will be joining its number. You will sense this enthusiasm at every step along the way as you get to know the place and apply for admission. More than just another face in the freshman directory, you are someone who will be valued in that population for the things you do well.
Think about your close, personal relationships. A relationship works because both parties are equally invested in its success. Each side values and respects the other. Problems arise when the degree of investment in the relationship is not shared equally. Despite the determination of one party to make things work, one-sided relationships are often doomed to failure.
The same is true of your pending relationship with a college or university. Your investment in the relationship would seem clear. You know what you want out of your four years and you know what you are prepared to do in order to achieve your goals. On the other hand, what type of investment in you and your goals can you expect from the institution? Where is the evidence that it is prepared to help you achieve your goals?
Be discriminating as you look for this evidence. How accommodating is the institution of your needs and concerns? Are you given the information you need regarding college costs and the potential for financial assistance? What is the response when you inquire about opportunities to pursue special independent study projects or to study abroad? In general, do you find yourself meeting with people who are eager to help you make things happen or are you left to figure these things out on your own. The manner in which a college engages you during the recruitment process often reflects the way it will treat you as an enrolled student. Colleges that value you for what you do well will:
Show an interest in actually getting to know you. They will recruit you and not just your application for admission.
Give you personal attention throughout the recruitment process.
Answer your questions about housing, registration and payment plans in a thorough and timely manner.
Provide financial aid to meet your need.
Recognize your talents with scholarships and/or special academic opportunities (i.e. study abroad, internships, research, etc.).
The last two points are especially important when it comes time to apply for admission. Why? What better evidence that you have found a good college fit than to be admitted and extended the financial support you need in order to enroll?! The best college fit for you will be a place that seems to be saying, “Among all of the really good candidates we are considering, we want you because of what you have to offer and we’re prepared to invest in your success.”
This takes us back to the discussion about relationships. The early stages of a college search are a time of discovery for both the student and the colleges. Just as you are trying to sort through your options in developing a short list of colleges that will fit you well, college admission officers are beginning to develop a sense of their own prospective applicant pools. While they are interested in attracting as many applicants as possible (to enhance their levels of selectivity), they are also sensitive to prospects whose candidacies would be most compelling. They are especially alert to students who present talents, interests or perspectives that would “fit” well into the community they hope to construct through the admission process. Ultimately, they will admit from among thousands of qualified applicants those whom they value most.
So, what does this mean for you? The secret to your success still rests in your ability to reflect honestly on “who you are” and “what you have to offer”—and to find a good college match for those qualities. Take stock of your gifts, talents and perspectives—and don’t compromise. What do you have to contribute to a new community and where might such contributions be valued most? Be true to yourself, then, and put yourself in a better position to experience a lasting relationship with an institution that makes sense for you.
Do you ever feel the urge to shout, “I need to get out of here!” and “here” is wherever you are at the moment?
It’s a common teenage affliction. You need space. The older you get the more claustrophobic your world becomes, so you’re ready for a new look, a change of scenery. And right about now, college seems like an especially inviting destination.
As eager as you might be to get up and go, though, I suspect there is a quiet voice inside you that says something like, “I’m not sure I want to go. They feed me and give me a place to stay. They let me drive their car. Besides, my friends are right around the corner. I actually have a good life here. Do I really have to leave?”
The answer is “yes.” At some point you will need to find a change of address. If that place will be a college, why not find one that feels like home to you—a place that includes people with shared values and interests, a place where people will encourage you on bad days and celebrate with you the good days? Why not find a place you can comfortably embrace?
When you think about it, the best college fit will be a place that offers a community in which you will feel comfortable. It will be a place where you won’t be distracted by worries about how you fit in. You won’t worry about what people think about you—how you talk, what you say, how you dress or what you think. You won’t have to prove yourself to anyone. Instead, you can relax and focus on getting the most out of your college experience and that includes, by the way, your academic work. There is a strong correlation between one’s comfort level in college—and one’s grade point average!
So, how do you find such a place? It’s hard to search the Internet for such a fit. Chat room conversations can be deceptive, as they tend to reflect only the opinions of those who participate. And the images you see on videos and in viewbooks are rarely unattractive.
As a result, you will need to do some original research. Specifically, you need to get out and experience college campuses. In the June 1st Best College Fit™(BCF) Web-Side Chat webcast, I spoke at length about a three-step college visit sequence and the things you can accomplish during each visit. You can find a recording of the webcast in the BCF Webcast Archive (accessible to subscribers only).
In the process of visiting campuses, be sensitive to your “gut” reactions. Quite often when students believe they’ve found the college of their dreams, they are hard-pressed to explain the attraction, except to say, “It’s a gut feeling. It feels right—like I would be at home.” As you think about living apart from the comforts of home, finding your potential niche on a college campus is vitally important so let your gut go to work for you.
On each campus you visit, look for students who come from similar backgrounds—students who share your interests and your loyalties. While they shouldn’t be exact clones of you, it’s a good sign if you find them to be interesting and engaging—people you’d like to get to know better.
Moreover, what does your gut tell you about a college’s inclination to stretch and support you through various aspects of your college experience? Do you encounter people who will encourage and support you in your journey of self-discovery? Based on your experience on college campuses, where do you see evidence that interaction with members of the respective communities will help broaden your perspective—get you to take risks and think outside of the box periodically? What does your gut tell you about how an environment will respond if you struggle? Will anyone know? Will anyone care?
The answers to these questions will help define the ideal college community for you. At a time in your life when you may be aching to get away and have a different experience, it’s vital that you “land” well when you get to college.
Be careful not to react impulsively, then, as you consider your college “home away from home.” Be sure to test your reactions. Until you can experience a place first hand and come away with a really strong, positive “gut feeling,” the romantic notions you might have about a college exists only in your imagination. Be prepared to visit campuses—and revisit and revise your list—as your college search continues until one day you know you have found the place that feels like home!
How comfortable are you around water? Are you a strong swimmer or do you struggle to keep your head above water? Are you comfortable venturing into the deeper water or do you prefer to wade into shallow water as long as the bottom is visible and the footing is certain? Most people expose themselves to water and swimming situations according to their respective levels of skill and comfort—no more, no less.
The same might be true as you assess your comfort level with different academic environments in search of a good college “fit.” Just as you might study a body of water to figure out its temperature, depth and current (relative to your levels of tolerance) before venturing in, you need to investigate the rigor and pace of an academic environment—and your ability to keep your “head above water” if admitted—before deciding to apply.
The question of academic rigor as a measure of “fit” can be broken into two parts: 1) What is your capacity to do the work in a given academic environment? Do you possess the level of ability and preparation to get the job done? and 2) How competitive is your academic track record with those of other candidates in the applicant pools at the colleges to which you want to apply?
If you are like most students, you have the basic aptitude or capacity to compete in a range of college environments. Given the opportunity, you can perform with at least minimal success at most of the schools you are considering. The big question is, then, are you equipped to meet the challenges at higher levels of rigor? Do you possess both the aptitude and the preparation (through successful exposure to a regimen of demanding courses in high school) to achieve well in the more rigorous college environments?
Conversely, if you are immensely talented and accustomed to achieving at a very high level, will you continue to test yourself or will you choose environments that do not provide much of a challenge? If the latter seem appealing, be prepared for frustration if you choose to enroll. You might enjoy the easy pace for a while, but like strong swimmers hanging out in a wading pool, you will quickly become bored.
Your objective, then, should be to find academic environments where your levels of ability and preparation enable you to achieve well as you stretch yourself intellectually. These places represent appropriate “bodies of water” for you academically. The best sources of insight regarding your preparedness to meet the academic rigor of various colleges and universities are your high school teachers. Their familiarity with your capabilities can be invaluable in identifying the colleges where you will be well served academically.
Assuming you are able to identify appropriate environments academically, you now need to assess the competitiveness of your credentials for admission to those colleges. How does your record stack up with those of other candidates, most (about 90%) of whom are just like you in that they can do the work, too?
A helpful exercise in this regard is to compare your credentials with those of students who are already enrolled at the college you are considering. You can do this by looking at the Admission Profile for that school’s most recent entering class. If your scores and GPA fall within the top quartile of those reported on the school’s Profile, it’s a safe bet you will be a competitive candidate for admission to that school. While not a guarantee of admission, it is reassurance that you are looking in the right place. Your chances of admission diminish incrementally, though, as your credentials fall below the top quartile.
Be honest in assessing this part of the picture especially if you are considering schools that can be highly selective. A lot of students get in over their heads competitively when they fail to consider the odds of gaining admission. While you might feel you are a viable candidate at schools that can be choosy, the reality is you are probably a statistical long shot to be admitted. Those schools don’t have to take you—and probably won’t—just because you are “good enough.” By the way, you don’t increase your chances of getting into at least one such school by applying to a dozen of them!
Be smart about choosing where to apply. A key to success in any competition is making sure you are competing at the right level. You know this from your own life experiences. Whether you compete in the pool or on the stage or in the classroom, you have the best chance of finding success when your skills are competitive with those around you. Simply having knowledge of the fundamentals and a passion for the event will not advance you very far in the competition. Put yourself into competition where you fit best and see what happens.
Reality: This country boasts a rich array of more than 3,000 colleges and universities dedicated to providing post-secondary educational opportunities. Their personalities, curricula and institutional cultures vary, though, as greatly as 3,000 sets of fingerprints! While they teach the essentially the same stuff, they do it very differently.
Think about what this means for you. While your educational needs can be met in many places, you can’t assume they will be met in the same manner—or, more importantly, in a manner that is well suited to your learning style. If you and your family are going to invest in a four-year college education, it only makes sense that you put yourself in situation that is most likely to support a successful learning experience.
Finding a good college fit begins with identifying places that provide, not only the program you need, but a style of instruction that is most comfortable for you. Just as students possess unique learning styles—they each process information differently—colleges offer different styles of instruction. For example, let’s suppose you want to study Biology. Some colleges will teach Biology in seminars that include 25-30 students while others teach it in lecture halls of five hundred! Yet others will attach labs to the instruction or offer research opportunities. In each case, the material is the basically same—Bio is Bio—but the experience is different. How would you function in these different environments? What sort of interaction do you want to have with the information that is being presented?
The objective, then, is to find a style of instruction that complements the way you like to learn. As you begin looking for a good college “fit,” take stock of your learning style. How do you like to be engaged with learning? Who or what inspires you? Under what circumstances are you most likely to produce your best work? The more you know about how you like to learn, the easier it will be to make critical distinctions among the learning environments of different colleges.
Consider the following questions as you try to get your arms around your learning style. Be particularly attentive to the “why” part of each question.
Who is your favorite teacher—and why?
What is your favorite class right now—and why?
In which type of classroom setting (i.e. large group lectures, seminars, etc.) are you most comfortable—and why?
With what kinds of people and personalities do you enjoy exchanging ideas—and why?
As you reflect on your answers—especially the “whys”—you come to better understand the characteristics of a learning environment that would be the most appropriate for you in college. The next step is to look for colleges that mirror these characteristics. They will be the best fits for you.
If, for example, your approach to learning is to take good notes, read diligently and prepare carefully—all in the relative anonymity of the large lecture hall, then you are more likely to function comfortably in a larger, more expansive instructional setting. On the other hand, if you like the engagement of a small classroom where you can ask questions—where you can challenge and be challenged—then the seminar format will be more productive for you.
Now, let’s take a quick look at what can happen if you are not attentive to the information you are gleaning about your learning style. If you do prefer the large lecture hall experience—but you’ve chosen a college where most of your classes put you front and center around the seminar table, won’t you feel like the proverbial “fish out of water?” On the other hand, if you really like the engagement of the small classroom but find yourself in a setting that features lectures of 300 or more students—all the time—will that learning environment bring out the best in you? In the final analysis, you are more likely to get the most out of your ability when you find yourself in an environment that is well suited to the way you learn.
I asked these questions of my daughter as she was looking at colleges. After some reflection, she concluded that, “choosing a college is one of the most important decisions I will make in my life. In order to make a good choice, I need to know myself a little better.” Take the time to get to know yourself—and how you enjoy learning—in order to make good choices that reflect your interests and needs. Doing so will put you in a better position to find and get into colleges that fit you well.
As you begin your college selection process, it is important to stay “student-centered.” Focus on what is most important to you as think about where and how you will spend your years in college. Students who are truly reflective in this manner as they enter the process are more likely to make decisions based on a set of core priorities that guide them in the discovery of colleges that fit them best.
The discussion of finding a good college “fit” is central to student-centered college planning. It’s a concept I explore at length in Winning the College Admission Game and The College Planning Workbook and one I will address over the next six weeks in this space.
In searching for a college, it is important to find an academic program that meets your needs. On the surface, this might seem self-evident. Amazingly, though, thousands of students chose colleges that don’t really have programs in their intended areas of study. Such choices turn out to be costly in terms of both time and money. Let’s take a closer look.
Many students enter the college search process with specific academic programs or career interests in mind. And why not? If you know what you want to study in college, it makes sense to target places that will accommodate your interests and support your strengths. For example, if you want to pursue chemical engineering, focus on schools that offer it. The same is true whether your interests lie in business, elementary education, or graphic design.
That said, be careful not to let emotional interests override your academic priorities. Embracing a college or university simply on the merit of its overall ranking or reputation, or because it has a great athletic program or is in a location you like, on the assumption you’ll be able to figure out the academic piece later, is not wise. When you do that, you become “destination-centered” and set yourself up for frustration down the line. Think about it. How often do you hear about students transferring because the colleges they have chosen don’t offer the programs they want to study? If you know what you want to pursue academically, put yourself in the best position possible to do so.
It isn’t always that easy, though, as many students are still searching for their passions and don’t feel drawn to particular career interests or academic directions. If this sounds like you, don’t worry. You are normal. It’s difficult to know at any age what you’ll do for the rest of your life, so relax. You’ve got a lot of time to figure it out.
And here’s the good news: hundreds of institutions across the country—liberal arts colleges as well as universities with robust general studies programs—are eager to embrace the undecided student. If you are not sure about your future directions, look for places that will allow, if not encourage, you to explore. Whatever you do, don’t succumb to the notion that there is something wrong with you if your future plans are not laid out in great detail. You’ll be fine—you just need to plan accordingly to give yourself options.
Whenever I present to groups of students and parents, I like to ask the parents: “How many of you are now doing in your careers what you knew you would do when you were 17 years old?” Rarely do more than 15% of the parents surveyed in audiences around the country indicate that was true for them. Despite their many achievements in life, most people in your parents’ generation have arrived at their current positions in life by pathways they couldn’t have imagined when they were your age. You, too, need to be flexible in finding and following your path. A good college fit is one that will encourage you in this direction.
It is important, then, that you go into the college selection process with your eyes wide open! Make your college years count by being true to your passions. Focus on places that will give you the best opportunity to achieve your academic goals.
And, if you need the opportunity to explore, be careful to add schools to your list that offer you academic flexibility. If you are undecided about your future academic direction, yet find yourself looking at an application for admission that requires you to declare a major as you apply for admission, you are looking at an institution that is not a good fit for you. Don’t abandon your academic needs in favor of factors that will have little or no impact on your learning experience.
Did You Know…
You will probably change your major in college? Most college students do at least once.
The majority of students entering college are “undeclared” with regard to a major?
The odds are you will change jobs at least four times and change careers twice?
Many colleges report that 80-90% of the people who graduated more than 25 years ago are now in careers that did not exist when they graduated?
For help in finding colleges and universities that “fit” well given your academic interests, check out the following websites:
Expectations. Everyone has them. In fact, they are such a part of our daily lives that we rarely stop to think about how our expectations influence the choices we make. When we expect certain outcomes, we tend to think and act accordingly as though those outcomes are certain to become reality. They are our manifest destiny.
Consider, for example, a college education. For many, going to college is a long held expectation. If not an end in itself, it is regarded by many as a means to a greater end. The choice of a college, then, is regarded as critical to leveraging desired outcomes and quite often holds greater significance than the fact of college attendance itself.
Across the spectrum of credentials presented by more than two million graduating high school seniors each year reasonable expectations with regard to admission outcomes should enable them to gain entrance to appropriately “fitting” institutions.
The key word in this assessment is “reasonable.” It’s not surprising that many students and parents have high expectations with regard to college outcomes. However, at a time when extraordinary competitiveness and economic uncertainty frame college access, outcomes don’t always match the expectations. Having the requisite credential to compete for admission—being “qualified”—at selective colleges is not enough to secure admission for many students who will find themselves in competition with thousands of other applicants who share their ambitions—and their credentials.
Finding happy—and appropriate—outcomes, then, is a function of managing expectations. Having the “goods” academically is no longer a guarantee of admission at selective institutions that are bound by increasingly complex admission agendas—agendas that cater to special interest groups and students with unique talents as well as agendas related to yield (who will show up if admitted?) and ability to pay.
The implications of these agendas are especially impactful for students who may require financial assistance. While colleges are awarding tens of millions of dollars in financial assistance, they are directing it strategically at students whom they value most.
If you are a student, then, you need to be thoughtful and deliberate in your decision-making so you can put yourself on “competitive playing fields” that make sense for you when applying for admission. For example, focus on schools where your chances of getting in are least 50-50 rather than applying to high profile places where you think you might have a chance of gaining admission. If cost is a factor, focus on places where your credentials are likely to put you among the top 25% applicants—places where you will be valued for your potential contributions. Those schools are more likely to admit you and give you what you need financially.
That said, I would urge caution with regard to three tendencies I have observed among applicants. One, they often succumb to the notion that the more applications they submit to “reach” schools the better the chances of getting in—and getting financial assistance. Before you buy in to this notion, think logically about what is likely to happen. If you are a good but not superior candidate for schools that admit 20% of their applicants—or fewer—applying to more of them doesn’t increase your odds of getting in.
On the other hand, managing expectations—applying to 4-5 colleges where you are in the top of the applicant pool—means you are likely to see very compelling opportunities financially.
The second worrisome tendency is that many students will target elite institutions with the understanding that, if things don’t work out, they’ll go to local state universities. What this suggests is that the decision-making is destination-oriented rather than student-centered—it’s not about what’s best for you.
Focus instead on your academic priorities and apply accordingly. When you do this, you should see consistency in the types (size, shape, selectivity) of institutions you are considering. In this case, managing expectations can produce huge dividends in terms of learning opportunities you might not have otherwise considered.
Finally, an increasingly popular assumption is that “we can find comparable value (to private colleges) academically at state universities for much less the cost.” The good news: this is true. The bad news: it seems like everyone is coming to the same conclusion! State universities, especially flagship programs, have seen record levels of interest over the last two years. As a result, their enrollments are pressing their institutional capacities to meet students’ programmatic needs.
While you might be able to get into these schools, you need to be alert to the pressures they are feeling to accommodate their students academically in four or even five years. As you visit their campuses, be sure to inquire about graduation rates—in general and in your intended field of study. In fact, ask the same questions of all colleges, public and private. Make sure the likely outcomes meet your expectations.
As you proceed through your college search and selection processes, you are in a much stronger position to influence the outcomes than you might imagine. Take the time to reflect carefully on what you want to accomplish during your college years—and how you can best accomplish it. Set your expectations accordingly and be prepared for happy outcomes!
If you are a rising high school senior, close your eyes and imagine a day in the future. No more applications. No more essays. No more SATs or ACTs. No more worrying and waiting. The final choice of a college will have been made! A year from now, it will all be over except for the celebrating.
It’s a wonderful image, but you aren’t there yet! Getting there—getting to the point where you are in a position to make that choice—actually boils down to making many good choices in the coming weeks and months. Every day, you have opportunities to make choices that can have a bearing on how you live the rest of your life. And if you are about to become a high school senior—and a college applicant—the choices you make take on added importance each day.
The opportunities for decision-making are everywhere. For example, what courses have you chosen to take during your senior year? Will they challenge you to learn and grow—or are they merely place-holders as you ease your way to graduation? How will you choose to address the daily expectations of the classroom as a senior? Will you push yourself to achieve at the highest levels—or will you be content to do that which is merely good enough?
What will you do this summer? Will you find opportunities to invest in the things you like to do, seek new adventures or look for productive engagement in the community—or will you sit back and wait for the action to come to you?
Think also about how you will engage yourself in the college application process. Will you step up, take ownership and give definition to college planning—or will you sit back and let others do it for you? Will you reach out to colleges to learn more about application requirements—or is that something that can wait until later? Will you get an early start on your essays when doing so gives you perspective and allows you the opportunity to edit critically—or will you rely on the tried and true “adrenalin rush” to throw something together at the deadline?
These are just a few examples of the many situations that are bound to arise between now and the end of the admission process. While you shouldn’t feel the need to be on top of everything, you do need to understand how the choices you make may impact the bigger picture. With that in mind, I would like to share the following with you from the “author unknown” chronicles:
Be careful of your thoughts, because your thoughts will become your words.
Be careful of your words, because your words will become your deeds.
Be careful of your deeds, because your deeds will become your habits.
Be careful of your habits, because your habits will become your character.
Be careful of your character, because your character will become your destiny.
The thoughts, words and deeds of the coming months will indeed continue to shape your character and define your destiny as you apply to college and in your life beyond. Choose them well.
As you anticipate making important decisions over the coming year, remember that the Best College Fit™ provides resources that can be helpful as you navigate the college planning process. Visit the Best College Fit to learn how you can access these resources as a subscriber.
