Probably, every parent has that puzzled look on their faces whenever it is time for them to choose the best college for their children. After months of anticipation, the hardest part for parents in choosing the right college for their kids finally arrives. A few weeks from now, a lot of families would know whether they have done their jobs right or have chosen the wrong colleges wherein their kids could not fit in.
For one thing, high school graduates are currently like toddlers in a candy store. While a lot of good choices are present, they need to pick one and commit to that decision for four years. In the process, they have to drop good points of the others for better counterparts.
According to Time, collegiate choices are very crucial because of two simple reasons. One is time pressure and the other is money. Foremost, three of five students are said to screw up their first choices of school. Now, the average time for a student to earn a diploma is five and a half years.
Sadly, only two out of five will achieve this goal within six years. Per the same source, in community college setups, only one in five students can reach the same goal at the same time frame. Now, those who failed at their first college choices would eventually transfer to another school. The problem is that switching is costly.
Additionally, more than half of transfer students will lose some, if not all, of their previous credits. Even worse is when students refuse to transfer and opt to just drop out. For the 31 million who stopped attending school over the past 20 years, the costs are obviously even greater.
Considering all of the negative effects mentioned earlier, parents need to keep in mind that college is simply about a "meaningful engagement with other people." Per Concord Monitor, the students themselves must understand that it is better to pick a college that would stretch their abilities (without breaking them) rather than a comfortable school. On the other hand, parents have to pay attention to the tone of college websites. They must not let misleading information lure their sons and daughters into a trap.
Lastly, family members should always visit a school personally before enrolling. Moreover, they should stay in a busy spot on campus and observe the people in that place. While talking to tour guides may give them a lot of information, it would be better if they start a conversation with the "locals". In this case, the locals are the current students and school personnel.
