Find the Right College for Your Student

Finding the right college can take a little work. Fortunately, many great websites are available that allow students to plug in their interests, SAT scores, grades and a bunch of other things to get a list of schools that match who they are as a student.

Its important for students to talk to adults they trust about the colleges they are interested in. They should plan to meet with their high school counselor during their junior year to talk about colleges that might be a good fit. They can also visit a College Access Center to talk with a college counselor.

Three-Three-Three rule

An easy rule for deciding what colleges to apply to is the three-three-three rule. Students should apply to three colleges they will definitely be accepted to, three colleges they will probably be accepted to, and three colleges that might be more difficult to get into.

Applying to a wide variety of schools increases their chances of being accepted somewhere, but also allows them to apply to colleges that are more likely to challenge them academically. Additionally, different types of schools often provide different amounts of financial aid, so the more schools they apply to the more financial aid packages they will have to choose between.

There are often fees for submitting applications, however, these fees can usually be waived if a student has “financial need”. Students should ask their counselor if their high school is eligible for fee waivers. They may also contact the admissions officer at the colleges they are applying to directly to ask about waivers, it won’t effect their chance of being admitted!

College Fairs and Campus Visits

College fairs and campus visits are great ways to learn more about colleges and talk with admissions officers, students, and faculty. Look over the websites below for more information. If your student is interested in visiting a college that is far away they should contact the admissions office and ask if they help applicants pay for travel to their campus. You can help your student plan for this kind of call, but they should be the one picking up the phone. Colleges would much rather hear from prospective students then from parents or mentors.

Click here for information on touring Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

For information on upcoming college fairs visit: www.nacacnet.org.

If your student can’t make it to a campus, they can take a video tour on unigo or youniversitytv.

College Search Tools

The Center for Student Opportunity offers an online search engine that allows students to complete a profile, and then finds colleges that match their needs and qualifications. By creating a profile they become an “Opportunity Scholar” which makes them eligible to apply for a $1,000 scholarship.

College Board offers a detailed college search engine.

College Navigator guides students through a college search process and allows them to save
“favorites.”

Click here for information on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Click here for a list colleges in Philadelphia.

Guiding Questions for Choosing Colleges

First, students should think about what they want in a college:

- Where would they like to go to college? Do they want to be close to home or far from home? In a city, a suburb or a rural area?

- What are they interested in studying? What activities would they like to participate in?

- Is it more important to have the small classes and personal relationships a small school offers or the large student body and wider variety of activities and classes a large school offers?

- Is racial, economic, religious, etc. diversity important to them?

Second, ask the tough questions:

- Students should ask college administrators and current students about the types of support structures in place for new students. They should make sure colleges they are interested in don’t let students fall through the cracks.

- They should ask for contact info from current students so they can talk with them and find out what the school is really like.

- Does the college seem to have a strong financial aid program? What percentage of students receive financial aid, and what is the average amount they receive? Students should ask financial aid officers if the college offers scholarships.

- What are the college’s academic requirements for admission? Test scores? Grade Point Average (GPA)? Students should think about how these requirements match their qualifications and which category of the 3-3-3 rule the school falls into.

Third, make a list:

- After thinking about the factors above, students should make a list of pros and cons for each school.

- They should try to judge colleges based on how what they offer matches up with what they want. Gut feeling about a college matters, but its important to take the time to look at each college objectively too.

- Students should remember to compare colleges to other colleges in the same category of the 3-3-3 rule, and make sure they are choosing a variety of colleges to apply to.

Applying

The Recommendation: Most colleges require recommendations with the application, in the fall of their senior year students should start identifying adults who would be able to write their recommendation. They should ask for recommendations several months before application deadlines so that their recommenders have plenty of time to complete the forms. Teachers, guidance counselors, or other adults students are not related to, but have worked closely with, are good people to ask. Make sure to pick people who see the best side of you, and who would be able to honestly write a positive recommendation.

The Resumé or “Activities” Section: Students should brainstorm everything they have done for the last four years, make sure they don’t miss anything! Work experience, volunteering, school clubs, church groups, sports, music, etc., anything they do when they aren’t in school could be something to list. Don’t let your student sell them-self short, this is their chance to brag about all the great things they have done, admissions officers want to hear about any activity that shows leadership or perseverance.

The Essay: Students should do more than just list information in their essay. They should try to express their emotions and their personality in their writing, colleges want to see more than facts on paper. Students should take time to think about the question and make sure they are answering it completely. The essay is their chance to show who they are besides grades, test scores and resumé, this is their chance to get personal and show them-self as a whole person.

Proofread: Make sure your student proofreads their application and essay carefully, spellcheck doesn’t catch everything and small errors can be a big deal. They should also ask someone they trust to read their application and essay, and give feedback. Another person is more likely to notice errors, and they can also make sure the application shows the student’s positive qualities, and is clear. Encourage your student to be open to constructive criticism.

Make sure your student knows to ask for help if they have questions or run into problems, and you should feel free to do the same!

-  Students can contact the admissions department at the colleges they are applying to and explain the problem if it is specific to the college, or is related to obtaining their transcript.

- Contact the PhillyGoes2College Office: 215-686-0315