College Application Overload
Monday, November 10th, 2008It seems as though my son wants to apply to every single school that he’s ever heard of. Not only is this time consuming but it costs a lot of money too - not only to apply but to visit the schools as well. How can we determine which schools are worth looking at and applying to? Do you have to visit every campus that you apply to? Should I put a cap on the number of colleges he can send applications to? I obviously want him to succeed and enjoy his college experience, but how much is too much?
It’s not uncommon for students today to apply to more than a dozen colleges, but I think it’s crazy. One can always argue that it is truly money well spent, but what really needs to be spent is time-that is, time spent on conducting a thorough college search.
If your son is mesmerized by every glossy college brochure bombarding your mailbox at this time of year, then it’s time to have a heart-to-heart talk with him. There are hundreds of schools that will be a good match for him, but that does not mean that he should apply to every one. Instead, your son should figure out what he’s really looking to get out of the next four years.
Even if your son doesn’t know what subject area he wants to major in, there are still a lot of other questions he can answer when it comes to choosing a school. Does he want a big school or a small one? Does he want to live in a bustling city or a quiet suburb? Does he want to continue with sports and activities that he enjoyed in high school? Once he’s figured out the answers to some of these questions, he can use an online search engine for college selection (I like the “Match Me Meter” at CampusCompare.com) to get a shortlist of schools that match his needs.
Once your son has compiled a list of schools that might be a good fit for him, it might be a good idea to take an objective look at his chances of getting in. Make sure most of the schools where he’s applying have similar admissions standards to his own academic profile. Compare his academic record with his dream schools’ by looking up their average High School GPA, SAT, and class rank. Most of this information can be found on the school’s website, or to save time, try a “What Are My Chances?” online tool. Your son can fill out his academic info (confidentially) and get the probability of admission for the schools on his list. By narrowing his selection down to those schools he has a good chance of getting in, you’re saving loads of money on wasted application fees.
You shouldn’t have to break the bank just to apply to college (save that for tuition fees!).
By doing some careful research during the college search, you and your son will have a greater payoff come April when those acceptance letters start rolling in.
Good luck!
Babs
