by Joanne Apesos
3/8/2014

The University of Tampa.  This building on campus was originally the Tampa Bay Hotel buildtin 1891.  It now houses a museum and offices.

‘Tis the season for college hunting.  High school juniors and their parents are busy visiting prospective colleges and universities during winter and spring breaks.  Hint: If you haven’t started visiting, it’s time. Juniors, you and your parents may find the search overwhelming at first because there are so many different options available to you.   Here are some things to keep in mind as you and your parents trek through campuses during your search. 

1.       Look at schools that are a good fit for YOU, not your sister, cousin or parent and take what the U.S. News and World Report says with a grain of salt.  Just because a school is listed high on some ranking system doesn’t necessarily make it right for you. Lloyd Thacker, founder of the Education Conservancy and author of the book College Unranked, says that higher education is being controlled by commercial interests at the expense of students.  Just because your aunt reports that your cousin Harry thinks that college X is the best place in the world doesn’t mean it is right for you. Keep an open mind and reach your own conclusions.

Rollins College

2.       Balance your wants/needs with cost.  Major debt when you graduate is an enormous burden that must be considered.  Today, the average student carries approximately $29,400 worth of debt upon completion of their undergraduate degree. The payback on that amount would be payments of $338.00/month for 10 years.  Balance your desires with what you and your parents can realistically afford.  Colleges and universities are now required to post net price calculators on their websites.  Check them carefully to get an estimate of how much it will cost you for a year at a particular college.  (Of course you need to complete the financial aid forms in order to actually receive the aid.)

 3.       Open Your Eyes and consider schools beyond the Northeast.  I just returned from a Florida college tour where I spent time on 15 different campuses, many of them reasonably priced schools that offer a quality education.  For example, Flagler College in St. Augustine has an annual price tag of $24,000, including room and board.  Considering colleges farther away from home may require a plane ride but will open your eyes to new opportunities and help you gain a more worldly perspective.  Besides, you, as an out of state applicant, are attractive to those schools just because of where you live.

 4.       Never say never.  You may begin the college search by thinking, “I only want to attend a large university” or “There is no way I want to apply to an all-female college.”  Don’t cross off certain types of schools from your list before you have all the facts or at least set foot on campus.  What’s great about New England is that you can sample many different types of colleges within an hour’s drive from home.  In twenty minutes you can be standing at the front door of the admissions office at Wellesley College and in under an hour you can be at an urban university like Tufts enjoying a pina colada smoothie at the Hotung Café or you can drive through the student-run farm at Stonehill College.  

 5.       Be introspective. Yes, it involves some internal work.  You need to think about what is important to you as you narrow down your choices. Do you want to spend the next four years of your life in a location totally different from what you’re accustomed to? A warmer climate perhaps?  Do you want to grow in a place that emphasizes the development of moral and spiritual values?  Do you want sports to play a big part in your college life?  These may or may not be important to you but it is important to sort some of these things out along the way and prioritize them.

Rollins College

I honestly don’t believe there is just one perfect college for each student.  With some serious introspection and an open-minded attitude you, with help from your parents, can come up with a list of schools where you can envision yourself for the next four years of your life.  Now, get out your GPS and start planning those college visits.

 Eckerd College.  The school has its own beach and the "yellow bikes" are available to get around campus.

Joanne Clary Apesos is the owner of College Pursuits, a college counseling business in Holliston.  She has advised high school students and their families in planning of their college experience for many years.  Prior to assisting high school students she worked in higher education for 20+years as an admissions counselor, adjunct faculty and director of student activities at both public and private colleges and universities in the Northeast.  She holds a master’s degree in Higher Education from Columbia University and is currently enrolled in UCLA’s College Counseling Certificate Program.