After, Not Before is the Right Time

Today, we return to Barry Schwartz' article on college admissions.

4. As a student, the most accurate time to determine whether or not a college is right for you is after you are actually enrolled at a college and have spent some time there, not before.

If true, the above is a threat to the cottage industry that has arisen around finding the perfect college fit. Could it be that college tours, college guides, consultants, and college counselors are all useless? I have certainly spent some time on this blog extolling the virtues of visiting colleges before actually applying and enrolling to figure out if you would be a good fit there. Most people I know feel similarly. Visiting is key, we say, as is doing research. Schwartz argues that it may all be in vain. He may be right, to a certain extent.

Schwartz' reasoning for arguing that after you attend an institution, not before, is the best time to determine fit relates to all the unknowns of college life. Among them are such things as relationships, roommates, unexpected family situations (illnesses, deaths, layoffs), and health issues. You simply cannot account for these things in your college choice. Yet, these are some of the circumstances upon which determinations about the fit of a college to an individual can hinge.

Imagine that while in college, your mother gets extremely ill. Because you have a special relationship to your mother, you want to be physically closer to her. Unfortunately, you enrolled in a college two time zones away from home. This might cause you to transfer to a college closer to home. There are all manner of potential circumstances that could make a pefect fit college a disastrous fit. Beyond the unexpected, there is the fact that we all change. What we thought two years ago may not be the same as what we think today. While one might have been in love with the idea of a small town when they chose a rural university, they might feel claustrophobic after a couple of years and want to move to a bigger city.

Clearly, there isn't much you can do in predicting the future. Base your decision on sound research, spend time getting to know yourself, and don't worry excessively about what the future holds. When unpredictable things happen, utilize the resources at your disposal to help you get through them. College counseling centers and support from family and friends are good ones. Ultimately, we all have to foster an oppenness to the inevitability of change as well as the unpredictability of life. Isn't that easier said (or typed) than done?

Happy weekend! Next time we'll look at a radical alternative to today's applicant selection process.

Preview Days & Other Ways to Visit a College

Colleges and Universities are dying for you to visit them. I cannot tell you how many times both college administrators and students have told me about the impact visiting a college has on them. It turns all your internet research, US News Rankings, and friends' often uniformed opinions into reality. You can walk the grounds, see where students hang out, eat the food, and generally get the feel for a college. You wouldn't buy a car without test driving it, would you? Also, wouldn't you likely test drive more than one car before making your final decision? It has always perplexed me how many students do not visit the top colleges on their list.

As it turns out, colleges and universities make it as easy as possible to provide you opportunities to visit their campuses. Many colleges hold an Open House style event, sometimes called Preview Day, during the time they are initially accepting applications. These are events where you can hear some information about your major, get an introduction to the college or University, have lunch, and take a tour. These are often a bit more relaxed because you may or may not have applied to the college or university. After you have applied, and the colleges really want to make you think twice about attending their institution, they will host another, more formal day to woo you. And believe me, colleges and universities are dying to woo you. If you are admitted to a college, then they want you to attend. You are a precious commodity.

If you are unable to make one of the official college or university events, then you can always schedule a tour of the campus. If you choose to take this route, I suggest you schedule your tour at a time when there are students on campus (not Christmas break). To be safe, when you call the tour office, ask them if school will be in session (even summer school works) when you are thinking about visiting. Colleges without students are not real exciting and you won't get a true feel for the campus without other students around. To return to my car analogy, you wouldn't test drive a car that didn't have an engine, would you?