Find An Academic Program that Meets Your Needs (Part One of Six)
In my last posting, I talked about the importance of staying “student-centered” as you begin your college selection process. 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 as they enter the process are more inclined to make decisions based on a set of core priorities that guide them in the discovery of colleges that fit them best.
In this first installment of “the good fit” series, I would like to discuss the importance of finding an academic program that meets your needs. Students often 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.
Follow your passion. If your passion happens to be film studies but a college you are considering doesn’t offer a very substantive program in that area, then you need to recognize early that it is not a good fit. Look into colleges that offer strong programs that meet your needs.
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, on the other hand, you are still searching for that passion and you don’t feel drawn to a particular career interest or academic direction, don’t worry. You’re 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 is 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 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 the following question: “How many of you are now doing in your careers what you knew you would do when you were 17 years old?” When I asked this of my audience last night only six of nearly 100 parents present indicated that was true for them. Interestingly, that response is pretty typical of most parent groups around the country. Despite their many achievements in life, most of them have arrived at their current positions 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.
For more insight into dealing with indecision, check out my January 28, 2008 blog, “Seize the Opportunity in Indecision.” (http://www.TheAdmissionGame.com/blog/archives/46)
In summary, go into the college selection process with your eyes wide open! Be true to your passions. Be careful about adding schools to your list that don’t offer academic flexibility if indeed what you need is the opportunity to explore. If you are undecided about your future academic directions 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.
- Most students enter college “undeclared” with regard to a major?
- The odds are that 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:
http://www.petersons.com/ugchannel/code/searches/srchCrit1.asp
http://collegesearch.collegeboard.com/search/adv_typeofschool.jsp
http://www.collegeview.com/collegesearch/index.jsp
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