Five Questions to Save You From an Awful College Choice
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Believe it or not, surveys confirm that some students and their families give less thought to choosing a college than buying the family cars.
Of course, everyone knows what questions they want answered when they’re at a car dealership. They may be far less certain what to ask a college admissions counselor.
Unfortunately, families are frequently intimidated by the prospect of interacting with college personnel, and are therefore afraid to ask questions even if they have them. For the most part, these people have an unfounded fear of asking “stupid questions” because they have not been through the college selection process before.
Don’t be afraid of asking inappropriate questions. College admissions counselors expect them. Do be afraid of choosing the wrong college because you were afraid to ask a few questions. So, try these questions. And add to them.
1. What are the characteristics of the students for whom your college is a good choice?
2. Would you please describe the relationships between students and faculty? Between students?
3. How important is academic success to your students? In what campus activities and events are students most interested?
4. Other than traditional on-campus classroom study, what kinds of learning opportunities (internships, study-travel, research) are available to students?
5. What percentage of your students leave campus on an average weekend?
My guess is that you have already thought of at least three more questions, some far better than mine. Write them down, and add others as they pop up in your mind (they will, I promise). Remember that having a good list of questions is one of the best insurance policies you can have against making a bad (or even awful) college choice.
If you come up with the right questions and are not afraid to ask them, making a good college choice is a breeze.
