What makes the best college?

The Education Conservancy (www.educationconservancy.org), a “watchdog” trying to calm the frenzy of college admission, states that “colleges can be assessed but not ranked.” Richard H. Hersch, Past President of Hobart & William Smith Colleges and member of the Board of the Association of American Colleges and Universities, stated, that “Higher Education is the only industry in American where we rank based on input rather than output.”

In reality, “What’s the best college?” is the wrong question. The question for the student should be, “What is best for me?” Note, it is not what “’college’ is best for me”, but what is “best for me” as an individual. This question requires that a student undergo some significant introspection.

This is not as easy as naming what one wants to be (doctor, lawyer, businessman, etc.), what size college, what location, what major, etc. The question is much more existential and requires a student to step up to a higher level of maturity. The practical questions are important, but they really cannot be answered with any true sense of validity without the personal introspection.

Those easy questions are, in many ways, a way of avoiding the “work” required to delve into the serious aspects of why one wants further education and what use one hopes to make of that additional knowledge. If one gets out of a process what one puts into it, then it is clear that using any sort of simple ranking system really will not yield much of value.

Failure to do the “up front work” can be expensive in the long run. When one considers that the average six-year graduation rate from college is 53%, there should be a red flag for every parent and student. Not only is this alarming, but it is a “six-year” graduation rate. [Four-year graduation rates are so abysmal in many instances that they are not even reported by most colleges and the U.S. government only requires the six-year rate.] That additional time in college, especially when most families budget for four years, can be an expensive proposition; and is not an unusual occurrence because students end up changing majors and then having additional courses or prerequisites.

So, what are the questions that students must ask of themselves and colleges in order get the best focus on selecting a college(s) that is “best” for them?

What motivates me?

This should be answered not only academically but also holistically (personally, extracurricularly, socially, etc.) in order to gain a vision of what characteristics of a college will be important for a student to consider. This is necessary because failure to consider what factors will help “drive” a student forward may lead to a situation where one is not motivated and therefore does not perform adequately to be successful, causing failure, frustration, more time/expense, etc.

The academic aspect of this question is generally pretty straightforward because most students can articulate which subjects interest them (and therefore most likely motivate them to do well); but another academic consideration is what subjects a student feels he or she must learn or improve in to become a better developed individual for the future. These help give focus to the academic arena in which one wants to find himself or herself.

Another component of this question is the non-academic side. What are the personal, social, and extracurricular qualities and activities that motivate a student. While academics (“learning”) is the main focus of higher education, “learning” in a broader sense can take place in a variety of venues. In addition, if one is choosing a residential college, then there need to be those other factors of one’s life that round out or supplement the academic experiences and provide the holistic environment that can enrich the college years.

Considering the “motivating” factors means that a student is much more likely to end up in a situation where he or she is eager to take advantage of available opportunities to learn and grow.

How do I like to learn?

In addition to “what” one likes to learn and do, there is the important aspect of “how” one prefers to do that. This question is important because it will help a student look at a college through the lens of the learning environment at the institution and consider what it might be like to be a student there. The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) has developed a set of questions that can help students grasp the learning atmosphere and expectations at a school (http://iub.edu/html/students_parents.cfm).

Can I afford it?

This is a universal question that even the most affluent should ask – it is practical and realistic. Just because one has all the money in the world to spend, doesn’t make the most expensive college the “best” for that student. A college education is not a luxury to be purchased. In addition, with the rising cost of colleges, both public and private, a student and his or her family must be cognizant of what one “gets for the money.”

Again, this is not a simple question, because “cost” is not always the sticker price. Financial aid and “merit” money can change that cost and can sometimes make the (much) more expensive college equal to or even less expensive than the theoretically less expensive local or state option. The term in admission circles is “tuition discounting” – the average percentage off the actual cost that students on average pay at a particular institution. There are many colleges where that figure is above 50%. There is a complex “science” of enrollment management that is in play at many schools and this aspect of which is the “best college” for a student will be impacted in part by admissibility, ability to pay, diversity, and desirability.

Am I admissible?

Many times this is the primary (sometimes sole) criteria that students and parents have for choosing a college, and that focus greatly distorts the purpose and motivation for preparing for and attending college. On the other hand, it is an important question because one must realistically be able to gain acceptance in order to be able to partake of the learning experiences at an institution.

This is a bit of a “chicken or the egg” question. Many students (and parents in particular) are focused on having good grades, test scores, and lots of activities in order to get into the “best” colleges. While it is truly important to be cognizant of admission expectations (and this can be a positive motivational aspect), obsessing about high achievement (academic, athletic, extracurricular, or other) can destroy or cloud one’s true motivation and inhibit the necessary introspection to find the best college. On the other hand, students who wait too late to think about expectations for admission run the risk of not being well-prepared for success in the process and missing out on collegiate opportunities that may have been a good “match” for them.

Other Factors

Finally, the above questions have little or nothing to do with size, geography, proximity to (or distance from) a city, sports teams, or “rank”. That is because the quality of the educational experience that one will receive is not dependent on these factors. Some of these may be “quality of life” issues surrounding the college experience, but they need to be taken in context. Selecting a college with these as the initial filter(s) greatly reduces the chances of one’s finding colleges that are the “best” (holistically speaking), and short circuits the need for serious personal reflection.

As the old oil filter ad used to proclaim in trying to get people to change their oil before major damage is done – “You can pay me now, or pay me later.” Eventually a student will have to address the personal questions and characteristics that will help define his or her life, and the period of transition from high school to college is a critical time to do that. Those who make that effort are much more likely to find their own “best college.”