As a parent of a high school student, you have navigated many unique challenges driven by adolescence. Beyond the trials of high school, you now may face another looming concern: what will your teen do after graduating?
Chances are that you and your child have already started to explore the possibility of attending college. This is a common pathway, with a survey from YouthTruth revealing that approximately three-quarters of 2023 high school graduates intended to enroll in college. Meanwhile, most parents continue to share the hope that their teens will attend college.
The decision to pursue college is only the beginning, and finding the right school can prove extra challenging. This decision can hold huge implications for students’ futures, but some struggle to truly assess which colleges are solid fits for their goals and personalities.
Hence, the common conundrum of determining not how to know what college is right for you, the parent, but rather, what to consider when choosing a college that meets your teen’s unique needs.
This is where parents can prove instrumental. In this guide, we will explain how to prepare your child for college and especially for the admission process. Get ready for a challenging but exciting journey that includes some of life’s most important milestones.
Understanding Your Teen’s Needs and Goals: How to Choose a College Major
While the college selection process should primarily be guided by the future student who will actually attend college, you can also play a valuable role in guiding and supporting your teen. This is a difficult decision, after all, and teens may need extra insight or reassurance along the way.
While it’s best to avoid pressuring your teen, you are welcome to offer your perspective. Likely, this will weigh heavily into your teen’s final decision. As a parent, you have an in-depth understanding of what drives your teen and which settings or situations provide the best opportunities for growth.
Keep these considerations in mind as you navigate the decision-making process alongside your teen.
Assessing Interests and Passions
Many students select colleges based on specific programs or majors. However, some may feel overwhelmed by the sheer variety of options available. It may help to first identify personal interests or passions, as these can provide powerful guidance through the remainder of the college selection process.
Encourage your teen to begin by drafting a list of interests. This does not need to be strictly academic; anything that ignites your teen’s passion qualifies.
Examples might include subjects at school, part-time jobs, sports, or other extracurricular activities. Other interests may be more difficult to define. For example, some teens feel drawn to caring for others or working with children, while some are all about creative expression or feel intrigued by cutting-edge technology.
Identifying Strengths and Weaknesses
Unfortunately, interests do not always align with natural talents or existing skills. A lack of talent will not always prevent students from pursuing their passions, but it should certainly be considered, as this may need to be overcome through sheer grit and force of will.
These insights should be top of mind when determining how to help your child choose a college major, but they may also relate to the type of school. Some students need more support and structure than a larger university can provide, while others may thrive in programs that emphasize practical experience.
Setting Long-Term Goals
At this point, your teen may be prepared to establish a few long-term goals. The easiest of these involves the simple, but important intention to enroll in college and graduate. Many teens develop this goal early in life and use it as powerful motivation all through their high school journey.
Other long-term goals may relate to career aspirations or skill development. For instance, students who feel called to specific roles may set career-oriented objectives, like passing the NCLEX exam and becoming a registered nurse or mastering programming languages to prepare for a career in mobile app development.
Things to Consider When Choosing a College
Professional and academic goals (and related majors or curricula) should be top of mind when choosing a college, but there are many other concerns worth investigating. Students and parents should work together to prioritize the most crucial factors described below, but it may also be necessary to make a few compromises along the way.
Academic Programs and Majors
For some students, specific academic plans or career aspirations make college selection surprisingly straightforward. These students may be limited to schools that provide specific majors, and regardless of the school’s reputation, they will be inclined to focus on the perception of specific programs within their future field. Others need time to decide and may require diverse options or even unique opportunities such as general studies.
Campus Culture and Environment
Each brick-and-mortar college has a distinct campus culture, shaped by factors such as the geographic location, the size of the school, the demographics of the student body, and even the main types of majors or extracurricular activities available.
Some schools have a distinctly professional or formal feel, while others are more laid-back or community-oriented. Some cater largely to artistic students or technical fields, and others make a clear effort to promote campus initiatives involving diversity or sustainability.
College culture can determine whether students feel tied to the campus community or believe that they fit in. This may determine their quality of life while attending college and may influence their self-perception far into the future.
Location
For students who hope to attend classes in-person, geographic concerns will be top of mind. Some prefer to remain close to home or intend to continue residing with their parents. This approach may provide a powerful support network during the initial transition and can also be financially beneficial.
Other students may be curious about on-campus living or may desire exposure to new places and people. If so, out-of-state colleges might be preferable. When selecting schools situated further from home, parents may be comforted if these programs provide robust student support or a strong sense of structure.
Cost and Financial Aid
Many college decisions are driven by financial concerns. These may relate to the cost of tuition or the ability to save money on housing by living at home. Other students may find it easier to score scholarships for certain colleges or programs.
Every student should be prepared to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), but a thorough overview of campus-specific financial aid may also help.
Student Support Services
The transition to college can be difficult. When new students inevitably face personal or academic challenges, support services can make a world of difference. These offerings differ dramatically from one college to the next.
It is common practice for colleges to academic advising, but parents often hope that their teens will also have access to resources such as counseling services, career guidance, learning support, and disability services.
Applying to Colleges
During senior year of high school or even earlier, college-bound students can expect to embark on the time-consuming, but important process of applying for colleges. Previous efforts to research programs and visit campuses could make this easier, but there are still numerous tasks to tackle:
Creating a College List
No student should rely on a single application. Instead, a blend of colleges can improve prospects for getting admitted and actually feeling happy about those acceptance letters.
- Reach. Some schools have stringent application standards and may only accept a few select students. These should not be ruled out, but teens will definitely want to have backup plans in place. Even with a stellar grade point average, the chances of getting admitted may be small.
- Match. With a number of prospective colleges, students’ GPAs or test scores will be closely aligned with the grades and credentials of the average admitted applicant. There are no guarantees, but typically, students can feel reasonably confident that they will be admitted to match schools.
- Safety. At first glance, applicants may appear overqualified for certain colleges. These are known as safety schools, and they ensure that in the worst-case scenario, students can still attend in the fall. The safety school has been unfairly maligned in the past, but remember, selectivity is not always a sign of superiority. Many institutions initially regarded as safety schools actually provide significant perks.
Understanding the Application Process
Once equipped with a strategic list of potential colleges, students should move forward with the application process. This may look slightly different from one school to the next. Typically, applications involve high school transcripts, lists of extracurricular activities, and short essays or statements of purpose. Others may call for letters of recommendation or application fees.
In addition to gathering essential materials, students should be familiar with key deadlines. Generally, the earlier the better, although some colleges offer rolling admissions and will continually admit students until all spots are filled. Otherwise, deadlines may arrive as early as the winter before freshman year, with priority or early admission potentially calling for fall submissions.
Visiting Colleges
No research can quite match the impact of a campus visit. This provides a powerful glimpse into the life of a ‘typical’ student and can help future students mentally picture themselves into various college environments.
Campus visits often include tours or other dedicated events, led by student guides or helpful individuals happy to answer questions that may be difficult to research online. Virtual events may be available for those unable to visit in person. If possible, plan to visit prior to applying and again before making a final decision.
Making the Final Decision
Following extensive research, applications, and acceptance letters, teens should be ready to weigh their options and make their final decision. Sometimes, this will consist of a quick and easy say, but many teens will agonize over this decision for months. Parents can provide emotional support during this process but should defer to teens to direct their own academic journeys.
Comparing Offers and Financial Aid Packages
College acceptances may be accompanied by scholarship offers or financial aid information. This is when the actual cost of attending may be more obvious. If financial concerns dominate this decision, it is essential to compare colleges based on both tuition rates and financial aid.
Weighing Pros and Cons
There is no perfect decision. Every college selection will come with at least one or two trade-offs. At this point, it is the future student’s job to determine which compromises are acceptable.
A classic list of pros and cons can help. This should reference key criteria such as academic programs, campus culture, and, of course, finances. Help teens develop a list for each potential college and compare them to reveal key differences.
Trusting Your Instincts
Students often describe a gut feeling about colleges, intuition that is difficult to convey. While pros and cons lists can reveal a lot about the decision-making process, instincts can be valuable. If a college doesn’t feel right, even if it looks good on paper, don’t ignore that feeling.
Have Questions? Baker Admissions Experts Are Here to Help
As you help prepare your teen for an exciting academic journey, look to the team at Baker College for support. We are happy to provide extra insight regarding what to consider when choosing a college and when choosing a college major. Our diverse programs appeal to many types of students and our robust resources offer peace of mind for parents as well. Reach out to learn more.
For a deeper look at the progress and momentum behind those resources, explore our annual President’s Report. It showcases Baker’s latest achievements and strategic initiatives—proof of the supportive, forward-thinking environment your student can expect at Baker College.