Choosing to go to College

Students need to choose to go to college.  While the benefits of a college degree are undeniable (well over $1,000,000 more in average, lifetime income, with more autonomy, stability and fulfillment in work), dropping out with $50,000 of debt benefits no one.  Students must have ownership in the process or they won't do well.  There is nothing wrong with taking a gap year, or even taking a few years off.  A year working at Starbucks for $8 an hour will help many students focus on the advantage of a college degree, and most students do much better when they choose to be there.

If you just want a break, apply for college during your senior year, then take deferred enrollment.  Use the time well--perhaps working for most of the year to pay for a trip for a few months.

If you choose to take some time off, you need to figure this out with your parents.  Your parents don't 'owe' you room and board; you are now an adult and need to negotiate a plan that will work with your parents.  Price what a room-share costs on Craig's List in your neighborhood and offer to pay your parents a percentage of that, with the amount increasing each year (some parents are comfortable with 50% the first year, 75% the second and 100% the third, if a young adult isn't choosing to go to college).  As your parents see you taking increasing responsibility, they will be more comfortable with your choices.   

Choosing the Right College

This is the largest purchase you will make in your life (your home will probably cost more, but when you resell it, you'll get that money back).  Some people pick a college more quickly than they'd pick a car.  So, spend time to find the right school for you.  With thousands of colleges to pick from, you can't possibly visit every one.  To narrow your thinking, start thinking about what size college you would like to attend and what geographic range.  Geography is dependent of individual preferences, where your family lives and areas of interest.  If you live to ski, Florida won't have much to offer, but you already know that. Once you've identified school of interest--start visiting.  You really can't get a sense of the feel of a college from a brochure.

Big or Small?

Small schools offer more individual attention and more chance to develop your own projects from the beginning of your career there.  They generally offer more support and a smaller community.  Larger schools have more opportunities, more specialized classes and more resources.  Some students prefer to have more independence.  Think about it--will you go to class if no one takes attendance?  Will you start on a term paper when it is assigned or wait till the night before?  If you will skip many classes or procrastinate on major term papers, a small school is a better choice.  If, on the other hand, you will start on your major projects, but don't want people checking that you are writing an outline, and then a first draft, you will probably thrive in a larger school.

Transferring 

Generally, most employers and graduate schools look at the school you graduated from.  If your high school work does not adequately represent your potential, you may want to consider transferring after your sophomore year.  Also, if you want to save money, consider attending a state school for your first two years and then transferring to your ideal school for the last two years.

If you are planning on transferring, you need to talk with the school you want to graduate from before you start at the first school.  That way, you can take classes that your final college will attend.  Otherwise, some transfer students find that many classes don't transfer and they lose time and money. 

Many schools have lower standards for transfer students than for incoming first year students.  (Transfer students do not affect their US News and World Report Ratings, so colleges are more likely to overlook lower SAT scores.) 

What do the rankings mean?  Do they matter?

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