There are nearly 4,000 accredited universities in the United States alone. Of that 4,000, Texas has 254. In other words, there truly is a higher education institution for anything and everything in the U.S. On one hand, that’s tremendously exciting—heartening even—because you know that your student can have the exact post-secondary education they’ve been dreaming about since they started high school. However, there’s no way around it. 4,000 is a daunting number.
Thankfully, the vast majority of these schools are not real contenders for your student. That might be because their academic standards are too low or too high. It could be that their tuition is cost-prohibitive for your student and your family. It could even be something as simple as your student never wanting to stay nearby to help out with their older sibling’s new baby. Ultimately though, the real question isn’t what colleges and universities won’t be a good fit for your student. When creating a college list, there’s one question that’s more important than any other to ask your student: What do you want from your college experience?
That is, however, often an anxiety-inducing open-ended question, and it might be one that your student can’t even begin to imagine how they might answer. To help your student and you, we’ve compiled 7 creative questions that can help guide this conversation and help your student compile a list of universities that they would be truly excited to attend.
1. If you could take a class on any topic, what would it be?
One of the most exciting parts of going to a university is that, to a greater extent than ever before, your student can take classes that align directly with their personal interests. Life in the Universe at The University of Texas considers the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Your student could take a class over the History of Rock at Texas A&M. The first year of college courses is often made up of prerequisite and elective courses like these, but they serve an important function—especially if your student is undecided on their major. These classes can help students find a major, a minor, or the topic for their honors thesis, and it also helps them develop into the well-rounded critical thinkers that employers want to give internships to or hire.
2. Who do you want teaching your classes?
On some level, most students would like to take a class with the leading figure in that field. However, that Nobel laureate likely won’t be the one teaching their course—a TA will be handling the day-to-day instruction. At the heart of this question is a crucial concern when picking a university (and a major). Large universities will have massive lectures where your student likely won’t interact with that professor much if at all. Courses at smaller universities, however, are often taught by professors. The issues with large university courses might not be a concern for your student, however. They might appreciate the chance to form study groups and lean on their classmates to develop an expertise on a subject. And, some of the most dedicated teachers at a university are instructors.
3. How do you feel about sharing a bathroom with a floor full of people?
Unless your student attends a college or university in their hometown, they will likely be living on campus their first year—in fact, many institutions require it. While your student shouldn’t be making their college decision based solely on the housing and dining options they see online (especially because most universities will spotlight the nicest dorm on campus), the fact is that they will be spending the bulk of their time outside of classes around campus and in the dorm—so it’s important that they are living somewhere they feel settled, safe, and comfortable.
4. What would you like to do on your weekend?
This is a cautionary tale from my own life. I attended a rural state school for my undergrad. If you weren’t affiliated with Greek life, in a religious group, or there wasn’t a football game, you typically didn’t have anything to do on the weekend other than binge drink. As a result, I was miserable there for my first two years. If your student is outdoorsy, being near places to camp and hike is important. If going to museums is how they’d like to spend a Saturday, they should attend a school with multiple options in their city or nearby. Do they want to cheer on a team that is perennially in the running to win a national championship? While these may seem like nice-to-haves, they are actually essential because it’s much easier to get the most out of a college experience when you feel mentally and emotionally fulfilled.
5. How would you like to get to class?
Would you like to get to class by walking? Are you okay with driving your car and navigating parking? Would you like to take public transportation? These aren’t just questions about the type of infrastructure at a school. They’re questions about what kind of campus and city your student is looking for. If they never want to step foot on a train, a spread-out city school like NYU likely wouldn’t be a good fit for them—but a school with a clear central campus like Indiana University—Bloomington might be.
6. Are you okay with taking a job based on the salary alone?
It’s no secret that higher education is expensive (and will likely continue to get more expensive). As such, your student might want to prioritize attending a school where they can get a large scholarship to free them up to pursue a major and career that might not be as lucrative but could be more fulfilling. Conversely, some students see debt as a motivating factor that pushes them to be a strong candidate for competitive career fields or graduate programs.
7. Which of these answers is the most important to you?
Once your student has answered all of these questions, it’s a good idea to end on this question because it can help them prioritize and narrow their college list. If they want to be by the ocean but don’t feel comfortable taking on the debt of a California school, there are still plenty of coastal schools that are more affordable options.
One last question: Are you and your student ready for college admissions? Having your student’s answers to these questions is a helpful start to the college admissions process, but it is just a start. Your student will still need to review the admissions requirements and find out what they can do to be a competitive candidate. And, even with answers about the kind of college your student would like to attend, it can still be overwhelming to finalize a college list. If you or your student would like help with either, all of The Enrichery’s college admissions packages include consultations on solidifying a school list along with helping your student prep all of their college admissions materials. Contact us today to schedule a consultation!
