College Choice: Do your Homework (Part 2)
Choosing a College (Part 2)
Cost
The cost of college is a big factor today in choosing a college. According to a Forbes.com article by Zack Friedman, student loan debt has topped $1.5 trillion for 2018. He writes, “Student loan debt is now the second highest consumer debt category - behind only mortgage debt.” The average 2016 graduate carried over $37,000 in student loan debt. It is no wonder that the most common questions that I get when I talk to prospective college students or their parents have to do with financial aid. That is why I try to do all I can to help students find scholarships for college. Hence, this website and offering The Scholarship File.
So with debt uppermost on the minds of parents and prospective college students it is important to look at cost. Use the net cost calculator on each college’s website to figure “cost of attendance.” After applying to the college you will get your Student Aid Report (SAR) detailing federal aid, scholarships, institutional aid, and student loans available. Compare colleges to which you’ve applied to see which one gives the best deal. But while looking at cost you should also be looking at other things.
Value
What do I mean when I talk about the “value” of a college? In U.S. News and World Reports Best Colleges Rankings “best value” is calculated by taking into account a school’s academic quality as indicated by its 2018 U.S. News Best Colleges rankings, and the 2016-17 cost of attendance for a student who received the average level of need-based financial aid. Accrediting commissions ensure the academic quality of colleges. How quickly do the graduates from that institution get jobs upon graduation? Let’s face it, that’s why you’re going to college. It takes the average college graduate 6-9 months to find a job (depending on their major and economic conditions) according to an article in The Balance.
Student/Teacher Ratio
Another important thing to look at when choosing a college is student/teacher ratio. Many freshmen will naturally be in freshman classes like English, History, etc. that have hundreds of students in the class. However, when you attend classes in your program of study it is important to have a low student/teacher ratio. What is low? It depends a lot on the college. For a large university it might be 30:1. For a small college or a private college it might be 12:1. Whatever might be the case at the college you choose, resist the urge to be just a number. Get to know your professors regardless the student/teacher ratio.
Graduation Rate
Graduation rate and retention rate are two important statistics to consider when choosing a college. College Raptor’s website has a good article explaining graduation rate and retention rate so I won’t go in-depth here. It would be worth your while to read it.
Program of Study
This may seem like a no-brainer as far as college choice goes but some thought needs to go into this point. A college may have your program of study initially but what if you want to make a change? Does the college your thinking about attending have enough majors so that if you decide to change programs you could do so without going to another college?
Accreditation
Because of the last sentence in the point above it is important to make sure that the college you are thinking of attending is accredited…preferably regional accreditation. Regional accreditation ensures that when transferring from one regionally accredited institution to another that all (or most) of your credits will transfer.
Some other less important factors to consider when choosing a college are extra-curriculars (intramural sports, organizations, choirs, theatre, etc.), intercollegiate athletics, meal plans, and residence hall rooms.
God’s Choice
As a recruiter for a Christian college I would be remiss if I did not end on this point. If you are a Christian, this is the most important point of all. After doing your research on the college(s) of your choice, pray about it a lot. Ask God to give you wisdom as you make your choice. The choice that you make will influence your life over the next 4 or more years. Some important questions to ask are these. If I attend this college, will it strengthen my relationship with God? Are there good Christian organizations on campus in which I can get involved? Is there a good local church close to the college that I can attend and in which I can get involved? Don’t neglect your relationship with God.
The choice of which college you attend is very important because those 4+ years will mold and shape you into your adult years and beyond. And the time you spend in college will be time that you can never recover. So choose wisely.