How to Choose a College

September 2007

Step One: College Fairs

"C'mon kids! We're going to the fair!!" I let them pile in the minivan with images of scones, roller coasters and disturbingly large cows dancing through their heads. I didn't tell them it was the College Fair. Thank goodness we homeschool! They'd had so many experiences going to homeschool conventions, that their first College Fair seemed very comfortable. That's because college fairs are just like homeschool conventions, but instead of trying to sell curriculum, it's trying to sell a college. A college fair can be a good starting point in choosing a college, and right now is college fair season.

Arranged like a homeschool convention, each booth at the college fair hosts a particular college. And like a homeschool convention, most of the booths will have giveaways of magnets, pens, and pencils. They will try to get you to take their college "view book", and other literature about them. Non-college vendors are represented as well. You may see The Princeton Review, or The College Board or other organizations talking about college admission testing. Stop by those booths, if you see them, because they will often give you a free sample test to take home and try. Those vendors are trying to sell you on their review classes, as well as talk you into taking their tests (The SAT, PSAT, or ACT, etc.)

 

Find a College Fair

The first step, of course, is to actually FIND a college fair. There are a large number of college fairs each year; some huge, and some small and specific. There are some major national organizations like National Association of College Admission Counselors (NACAC) that have college fairs. NACAC National College Fair events are free, open to the public, and jam-full of college representatives eager to talk to college-aspiring students. You can find a fair near you from their website: www.nacacnet.org The North American Coalition for Christian Admissions Professionals (NACCAP) has a college fair of Christian universities. Call 888.4C-FAIRS or check their website www.naccap.org to find a Christian college fair near you.

There are also smaller organizations that have college fairs. In Washington State, for example, we have the Pacific Northwest Homeschool College Fair. Imagine having a college fair specifically for colleges to recruit homeschool students! How times have changed!! Some small college fairs are national, not regional. There are college fairs that are specific to certain majors, like the Performing & Visual Arts College Fairs.There are groups of colleges that gather together to have college fairs, like The Exploring College Options Consortium, which represents Duke, Georgetown, Harvard, Penn, and Stanford in all fifty states and most major United States territories each year.

 

What do you do at a college fair? Bring your kids!

This isn't a time primarily for parents! Much of it is centered on the students. Make sure they dress clean and neat, but not necessarily dressy. You do see some teenagers that look bored or frustrated, but in general the colleges are there to meet the students. It can have a "job interview" feel to it. Have your kids ask questions of the colleges. They need to know if the college has the classes or major that they are interested in. Not all college have a degree in engineering or French, for example. Beyond academics, the student will want to know if their favorite activities are on campus. It may be important to your student to find out if they have a pool, a sorority, or a piano in the dorm. They want to find out about academics AND the social life. Have them speak directly to the college representative. Some kids are ready for this experience in middle school, but others wait until their junior year (11th grade.) to search for a college. Fill out the information cards that all the colleges have - unless you have decided that you are really NOT interested. As with a homeschool convention, bringing address labels from home can really speed this process up.

It's not all about the kids, though. Parents should ask questions too! After all, we might be financing this endeavor, and the colleges know that. Parents might want to ask questions about homeschooling. "What records do you like to see from homeschoolers?" "Do you have any special requirements from homeschoolers?" You can gauge their reaction to homeschoolers, and decide if you are willing to jump through their hoops - or not. You may want to ask what kind of financial aid is available. If you know your child's SAT or ACT scores, you can find out if they have financial aid related to their SAT score. If the student has a weakness, you might want to ask about their area of weakness. You can download a list of questions to ask when you are there, in case you get stuck.

 

Take a Class!

And just like a homeschool convention, there are classes you can take at the college fair. You can take classes about SAT preparation, financial aid, admission requirements, college life, and other topics. For example, at the Pacific Northwest College Fair I will be speaking on "How to find a college" and "How to get big scholarships." Some of the information may be helpful to you - and you can just leave the rest behind. There are counselors available to speak to your unique situation. Keep in mind that counselors have a bias (as we all do) and they don't know your child. If they recommend a particular college, check it out for yourself. The counselor that we spoke to recommended an obscure college on the other side of the country, even though our sons wanted to stay closer to home.

When you leave the fair, bring home the bag. Sometimes you will find some great information about colleges and financing college in those bags, so it's worth looking through it. I found some great information about scholarships. My son found some concise articles about college life that he found helpful. You can read the brochures from colleges that didn't attend the fair. The purpose of a college fair is to determine which college you want to visit. Whether you add colleges to your list, or eliminate colleges, you are still working toward your goal of finding the right college for your student.

 

No College Fair?

If you can't get to a college fair, there are other "first steps" you can take. The College Board has an online search engine that will help students find a college to visit. It's like a college match-making service, available online. You can search for colleges on FastWeb.com, which focuses on financial aid. You can search with Peterson's, the SAT review company, or through US News & World Report. There are lots of online search engines! You can also find colleges by taking the PSAT. When your student takes the PSAT, they are asked some survey questions about their interests and grades. The results of the survey are given to colleges, and they may contact your student.

As homeschoolers, we have the advantage! You will be a great high school counselor for your child! Who else will know your child so well, and care so much about the college they go to? You are perfect for this role! You can do it!