4 Keys to Helping Your Child Make the Best College Decision

One of the most difficult decisions a high schooler is faced with is the decision about which college to attend. There are so many factors to consider: tuition, financial aid, location, campus life, student demographics, and the list goes on and on. So how do you make a decision about college? I’ll give you four keys that’ll help you and your child make the the best decision.

Admissions Requirements

This might sound obvious, but your child needs to be able to get into the college they want to attend. If they’re in their Senior year with one semester left, their cumulative GPA is not likely to go up much. I wouldn’t bet on it increasing by much in order to get into their dream school. That doesn’t mean that they still shouldn’t shoot for the highest GPA possible, it just means they should temper their expectations about getting into their dream school. Many schools are test optional right now which means that the ACT/SAT isn’t required for admission, but they will accept them if a student wants to submit them. Schools are using cumulative GPA and core GPA as the metrics to decide if students meet first year admissions standards. I’ve had plenty of students be disappointed they didn't receive the scholarship, not aware that their core GPA was being assessed. Although a school might be test optional, they may not be test blind which means the college doesn’t consider test scores in the admissions process. If the college is test blind, students will likely still need to submit ACT/SAT scores to qualify for institutional scholarships. Depending on how selective the school is, your child might have to provide a personal statement, reference letters, a portfolio, conduct an interview, and/or audition. If admission is competitive, you should connect with an admissions representative at the school to get an idea of the profile of students they typically accept and the average ACT/SAT first year students have. A key here is helping your student to consider a number of options. They may have their heart set on one school, but it just may not work out. Whatever your child’s career and life goals are can be accomplished at more than one institution and if they aren’t able to get in, there is always the possibility of transferring after their first or second year

Cost of Attendance

Here’s the big one. Money. Here’s where I tend to have to burst a lot of bubbles. Cost of attendance is defined as the costs associated with attending an institution and includes tuition, fees, books, room and board, and miscellaneous expenses such as travel, dorm supplies, and transportation. When I’m helping a family calculate cost of attendance, I only focus on what can be covered by financial aid which are tuition and fees, books, and room (housing) and board (meal plan). Once you add up the basic cost of attendance, subtract the financial aid award (total amount of scholarships, grants, and loans) from it. If your number is negative, YAY! It means your child has enough in financial aid to cover expenses. If your number is positive, how big is it? This number is referred to as gap cost. It’s the amount the student would need to come up with to afford attending the institution. You have a few options as a parent. One option is paying out of pocket. If you’re able to cover the gap cost, great! If not you could look into getting a Parent PLUS loan. If approved, it’ll cover the remaining gap cost. If you’re not approved, your child could still receive up to $5,000 extra per year to help cover those costs. If you do not want to take out a Parent PLUS loan, your child will need to make searching for and completing scholarships their part time job. If your child doesn’t have a financial aid award letter yet, you can estimate, but should definitely not make a decision until you get that award letter and know exactly how much your child is receiving. Once your child’s application has been processed and they’ve been accepted, it might take a few more days to process their financial aid. Stay in contact with the financial aid office. If your child is a Senior, I wouldn’t bank on getting $10,000 in the next five months. It’s okay to keep schools with a large gap cost in the running, but their list of schools should have some where the gap cost is zero or negative. Your child’s college experience is going to be what THEY make it.

Academic Fit

This one is straightforward. To gauge academic fit, ask, “Does this school have my child’s intended major?” If not, it may not be the end of the road. Is there a major adjacent to your child’s intended major? For example if your student wants to major in marine biology, but there’s no marine biology program, is there a similar program that sets students up with the experiences and coursework to prepare for a career as a marine biologist? Reach out to a representative in admissions to find out more. If there is no major and nothing close, it’s time to move on to a different college.

Social Fit

Social belonging is a critical factor in any college student’s success. To figure out social fit, they should ask the following questions: Do I want to attend a big school where I’m a small fish in a big pond? Do I want a smaller, family-like feel to campus? Also, think about the location of the college. Is it in an urban area? Rural? College town? Is it the type of campus where there’s a lot to do? Will your child be okay with feeling “stuck” on campus? How far away from home is the college located? Are they close enough to visit on weekends? Are they so far away where they probably won’t see you until Thanksgiving? Homesickness is real and this is important to consider. Some students think they’ll be ready to be on their own before they realize how much they miss home cooking.

Another important question is, do they want to be around a lot of students that look like them? A campus visit will help to get a better idea of what it will be like to attend, but when you visit, don’t get distracted by all the amenities they’ll show you. Talk to current students and ask them what their experience has been like. Research if the school is showing up in the news for good or bad reasons. If you really want to go the extra mile, see how active cultural student organizations are. Many schools will boast that they have a hundred student organizations, but are they hosting events regularly? How active is the office of multicultural affairs? What is the programming? WIll there be spaces where your student can connect with others who share their life experiences? What specific initiatives at the college are there to help your student succeed and how successful are they? Learning the answers to these questions will paint a clearer picture of the social atmosphere and climate of the campus.

There could be a number of factors that go into helping your child decide which college to go to, but admissions requirements, cost of attendance, academic fit, and social fit are the keys to making the best decision. If you or your child are struggling with making a decision, I’d be happy to help! You can reach me at fredjohnsoniv@fourthedu.org.