Making College Decisions

While high school juniors are thinking about colleges they want to apply to, many seniors need to decide which college they want to attend.

This time of year, as acceptance letters arrive, getting a phone call from an excited, joyful and relieved student is my favorite part of this work.

One of those calls came last week from a student who has been accepted at more than 10 schools, including Cornell, Wellesley, UCLA, UCSD, Georgetown, UNC Chapel Hill, and Lehigh.

So how does she decide?

One way is to choose the most prestigious or highly ranked, which would probably be Wellesley—if she’s willing to go to a women’s college—or Cornell, if she wants to attend an Ivy League school.

But all those institutions mentioned are ranked in the top 50, according to U.S. News & World Report.

And if you’re a regular reader of this column, you know that I would never encourage a student to choose a college only because of its prestige.

The truth is that all those schools can provide an excellent education. But two of them are offering something more.

Lehigh University, a nice-sized (about 5,000 undergraduates) school with a wide variety of programs including liberal arts, engineering and business, is offering my student a full scholarship.

In these days of expensive tuition, a four-year free ride at a respected university is tough to turn down.

But students shouldn’t always choose a school that offers them a "free ride."

For my student, who is passionate about politics and wants a career in government, attending Georgetown University and having access to internships at hundreds of federal agencies is also something she should consider.

Georgetown is also a great match for this student in personality, cultural and political preferences. While this might not be motivate her and her family to take on the entire burden of four years of college costs, the fact that Georgetown is offering a $22,000 scholarship makes the decision much easier.

It is well worth some financial sacrifice for this student to have the opportunity to attend a school that offers academic excellence and perfectly meshes with her interests.

For students who are more indecisive, many schools have special programs in April for admitted students.

In a satisfying reversal of roles, some admissions officers are trying to win over students, who now get to do the choosing.

Remember that these programs will paint the school in the best light, and since you want to learn everything you can before making a final decision, spend some time in the student union or library talking with students about the college.

Better to find out now how hard it is to get into popular classes, or if everyone goes home on weekends.

If you’re considering a college in Minnesota, have the admissions office arrange for you to meet a student from California, and find out what it’s like to adjust to long, cold winters.

Talk to friends who have gone to college on the East Coast and ask them how they manage being far from home. Getting as much information as possible will help you make an informed decision.

In the next week, there are two great opportunities for families at every stage of the college planning process to get information.

On Sat. and Sun., April 9 and 10, "Experience College," a conference and college fair at the Los Angeles Convention center, offers more than 40 sessions.

I’ll be on two of the Sunday panels, discussing what college admission officers look for and how to make final decisions.

For more information about the event, go to: www.experience-college.com.

Also, next Tues., April 12, at the Ventura National College Fair, I will offer college tips for students with special needs.

Information is available at http://www.nacac.com/exhibit/exhibit.cfm?code=05SVEN.

Audrey Kahane, MS is an independent college admissions counselor in West Hills. She can be reached at (818) 704-7545 or via the Internet at audreykahane@ earthlink.net.