Many students and parents find the process of building a college list daunting. With over 2800 four-year colleges in the US, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. We meet with students every day who are asking – how do I choose the right schools for me?
If you’re asking yourself where to begin or how to know if a college is right for you, read on for the 3 questions every student should be asking to bring clarity to the college search– 
#1 What does learning look like here? 
Believe it or not, this is not something most students and families consider automatically. Although knowing that your major is offered is a good starting point, there’s a lot more to what your academic life will look like on campus. The academic experience is not the same college to college. Taking a look at the approach to learning at a college, and developing clarity in where your preferences, strengths, and learning styles guide you can be extremely helpful to shaping your list.
Some of the things you might consider: where does the curriculum fall on the spectrum from open curriculum (most flexibility) to core curriculum (most structure)? Which is the best approach for you? Does the college prioritize experiential learning through internships, co-op, project-based learning or community engagement? Do you have to apply into a specific school within the university and declare a major, or will you have more flexibility to choose or change your major over time? How many classes does a typical student take each semester? Does the college use a semester, trimester, or alternate schedule and how does this shape life, workload, opportunities and school breaks? While a university may have wonderful facilities and conduct cutting edge research, what does access to research opportunities look like for first and second year undergraduates? Within your departments or majors of interest, take a look at how the major is set up and what opportunities are available. As you start to compare three or four schools, differences will stand out and you’ll have more clarity about what approaches get you excited.
#2 Where will I find my people on campus? 
The college experience is not just an academic one, it’s a social one too. And while academics are key, we want students and families to think carefully about finding a college campus where they can be themselves, build a community, and thrive. There is no academic program that is good enough to compensate for a student feeling isolated or disconnected in their campus community.
Because you are going to make this place your home for four years, we encourage students to look closely at the community on campus. Beyond legitimately assessing the ‘vibe’ of the campus and its alignment with your own goals, I am frequently asking students – where will you find your people on campus? This means digging into the student organizations, activities, clubs, traditions, dorm life and hang outs, and coming up with some real evidence for where people who share your interests and values gather and spend time together on campus. It’s helpful to understand what ‘most’ people enjoy doing with their free time on the campus you are considering, but it’s more important to get clear with yourself about how you like to spend your time, what you and your friends enjoy doing together, and what brings meaning, connection and joy to your life. No student should go through college without at least a handful of friends with whom to navigate the journey. We’ve seen students wind up disappointed when they fail to really examine this part of college life in building their lists. It’s worth digging into the campus offerings to confidently find a few activities and places you know you can get involved to begin building your community.  
#3 What is one thing that will define your experience? 
It’s easy to develop a long list of preferences for the colleges you’ll apply to. Sometimes it’s more effective to hone that down to the most essential element. Name the one thing that will really be crucial in ensuring your happiness, thriving, and ability to create the experience you want to have. Sometimes this has to do with academics: an internship or other applied learning opportunity or a study abroad experience is really important to a student. Sometimes it’s the ability to study more than one thing, or have flexibility in finding their best academic fit. Other times, it has to do with passions and hobbies: an ultimate frisbee team, a running club, a dance company, or a music program that is available to students who don’t play D-I sports or aren’t pursuing a BFA. Maybe it’s a dining hall that can accommodate your food allergies or amazing mental health supports on campus. Your ‘one thing’ is something that is truly personal to your own vision for your life and learning in college. Using this as a lens when you are considering colleges and comparing them to one another can be really helpful in clarifying good fit from great fit, across all the different levels of admissibility.
Ask yourself these questions: what will it look like to learn here, where will I find my people, and does this place offer the one thing that will define my experience? Taken together, these questions can transform your college research. This approach is not solely about gathering data, but about trying on a college to find your own uniquely best fit. 
When we say ‘the best college for the best you” this is exactly what we have in mind. 
TBU Advisors are experienced in supporting students to navigate their college choices and personal best fit. Our passion is helping you make a plan that takes the overwhelm out of the process, empowers you to become your own best you, and puts your best self forward in your admissions process & applications.
If you’d like to explore working with a TBU Advisor, get in touch here and we will look forward to connecting with you.
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