June 16th, 2011
Over the last month, I have written about elements of a good college fit—elements that are just as important when you are getting started with your college search as they are when making the final choice of a college. “Fit,” more than rankings, rhetoric or the emotional logic that is bound to emerge, is the greatest determinant of success in both gaining admission and completing the degree requirements at a given college or university.
As you know by now, the best college for you will be the place that:
- Offers the course of study you want to pursue—and will provide opportunities for you to explore if you are undecided.
- Provides instruction and learning opportunities in a manner that is compatible with the way you like to learn.
- Is a good match for your level of ability and academic preparation.
- Provides a community that feels like home.
It is vital that you give each of these elements equal regard in your college search. A place that “feels like home” but does not offer your intended program of study is not a good fit. Nor is the place that insists that you declare your major as an applicant if you haven’t come to any good conclusions about a major yet. The best fit will be the place that meets your requirements as defined within each of these elements.
If you have charted your college selection around these elements of fit, you are bound to discover many places that meet your criteria. Among them, the best place for you—the ideal college—will be the place that values you for what you have to offer!
Think about it. Wouldn’t you prefer to be at a college that recognizes your talents and abilities, interests and perspectives—and demonstrates its commitment to investing in your success? As you contemplate your educational experience, think about each potential college destination as a partner you might choose as you attempt to reach your goals. Do you want to commit yourself to a partner that barely acknowledges your presence or one that embraces you with a full sense of the possibilities?
Be discriminating as you look for evidence of the latter. Do you see it when you seek help in finding financial assistance? What is the response when you inquire about opportunities to pursue special independent study projects or to study abroad? 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 is often an indicator of the way it will treat you as an enrolled student. In particular, colleges that value you for what you do well will:
- Give you personal attention throughout the recruitment process.
- Answer your questions about housing, registration and payment plans in a 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..
Not surprisingly, this notion of “value” is pervasive as admission officers engage in the selective admission process as well. The question, “Who among the excellent candidates under consideration are of greatest interest to us—who do we value most?” frames the deliberation as highly qualified applicants are considered for limited places in the entering classes at selective institutions. Remember, such schools don’t have to admit you simply because you are good. If they admit you it is because they chose to do so.
The last two bullet points are especially important, then, as you 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.”
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. 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.
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June 8th, 2011
“I need to get out of here!” It’s a feeling shared by teenagers almost daily that is expressed loudly to anyone within earshot. And “here” is wherever you are at the moment—home, school, community. Just about anywhere else would be better than where you are.
Perhaps you recognize the symptoms. It’s seems the older you get the more claustrophobic your world becomes. Everybody is in your business and you need space. You’re ready for a new look, a change of scenery. And right about now, college seems like an inviting destination.
As eager as you might be to get up and go, though, the chances are there is a quiet voice inside you (never to be heard by anyone else!) that says something like, “I’m not sure I want to go. They feed me and 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. And, if that place will be a college, why not find one that bears the qualities of your home environment that you like—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 community into which you can settle in comfortably?
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 in videos and viewbooks are rarely unattractive.
As a result, you will need to do some original research. Specifically, you need to experience college campuses and, in the process, be sensitive to your “gut” reactions. Quite often students who believe they’ve found the college of their dreams 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 niche is vitally important, so let your gut go to work for you.
What “gut feeling” do you hope to find as you look at colleges? Look for students who come from similar backgrounds—who share your interests and your loyalties. While they shouldn’t be exact clones of you, it’s a good sign if they are people from whom you can learn and around whom you can grow personally. In all likelihood, your gut will tell you when you have found 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 sense that people in a given environment 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 others 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, as you consider your college “home away from home.” Be sure to test your reactions. Until you can experience such a place first hand and come away with a really strong, positive “gut feeling,” that feeling only exists in your imagination. Be prepared to visit campuses—and revisit and revise your list—as your college search continues until one day you know—it feels like home!
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June 3rd, 2011
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, pace and depth of an academic environment—and your ability to keep your “head above water” if admitted—before deciding to apply.
When assessing academic rigor as an indication of “fit,” you are likely to find that you have the capacity to “get the job done” academically in a range of college environments. In other words, to follow the metaphor, you are not likely to have difficulty with the water itself. You will fit best, however, in environments where your ability and preparation enable you to rise to new levels of challenge.
Your objective, then, should be to find academic environments where your levels of ability and preparation will 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 guide 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 diminish incrementally, though, as your credentials fall below the top quartile.
You need to 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 very choosy, the reality is you need to be in the top 25% of an applicant pool to have a fighting chance of being admitted. 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, then, about choosing where to apply. Put yourself on competitive playing fields that are most appropriate given your skills and preparation. 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 prove your capacity to do the work and are competitive with those around you. Put yourself into competition where you fit best and enjoy the success that is bound to come your way both as a candidate for admission and as a subsequently enrolled student.
For further discussion on the essential elements of finding a good fit in the college search process check out the 2/15 webcast, “How to Find the Best College Fit” in the Best College Fit Webcast Archive.
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