CollegeConsult

If you’re a high school junior and haven’t actively started your college search by now, your time has come!

Some of you juniors probably thought you didn’t have to begin thinking about college until next fall when you need to start submitting applications.  But if you wait, you’re not doing yourself any favors, and you’ll also be missing out on one of the most fun parts of the whole process.

I’m referring to the visits you should make to numerous college campuses – and the best time to begin is over spring break.  The reason is that colleges are in session then, since they usually have their spring breaks earlier than high schools, and you can visit them leisurely without missing school.  If at all possible, you want to tour campuses when students are there, as you then get a much truer sense of the energy and character of each school, and your next opportunity to do this isn’t until late August, when most colleges are back in session but your high school year hasn’t started yet. 

I’ve had students who insist upon waiting to see where they’re accepted before taking the time to visit colleges on their list – and I always try to talk them out of this laissez-faire approach.  In the next year you’ll determine where you want to spend the following four years of your life – and that should be some place where you are comfortable and happy.  Once you find the type of college environment that you feel is “right” for you, we can then pinpoint colleges with a similar ambiance for you to explore and apply to, so the choices you end up with are more likely ones that have the characteristics you most desire.

Also, let’s say you visit a campus and fall in love with that school.  And you’re still in love with it after seeing several others.  You know that’s where you want to go.  Now you’re in a position to increase your chances of being admitted.  Even if that college doesn’t offer Early Decision, in many cases you can increase your chances of acceptance by what’s called demonstrated interest.  Letting an admissions office know how much you want to go there, that it’s your first choice, often casts your application in a positive light.  The reason for this is something called yield: the percentage of accepted students who matriculate.  Colleges want the highest yield possible; they don’t like you turning them down.

But as important as finding out what you like and want in a college environment is finding out what you don’t want.  With that knowledge, it’s easier for us to steer you toward colleges that are more likely to fit your particular taste and criteria.  Remember, the goal is for you to be happy; if you aren’t, you won’t be able to do your best work.

Finally, it’s fun to visit colleges with your parents and/or family.  It’s a vacation with a purpose, and you’ll bond in ways you never have before.  It’s also likely to produce memories that will remain with you forever, as your days of family vacations begin to come to an end.

So, start now, and keep going through the fall months.  You’ll find that your list of prospective colleges changes, and then changes again in coming months as you visit more schools.  The question to ask yourself on each campus is “Could I see myself here?”  Don’t put pressure on yourself at this point to find the one where you could most see yourself.  Stick to broad categorizations: yes, maybe, or no way (for whatever reason).  Unless love strikes and you apply somewhere ED, the time for making your final cut is a year away, after you know if you’ve made their final cut.  Keep your options open as you quite possibly might alter your top choices as your senior year progresses.

Happy travels!

Contact Stephen Wells at:
(973) 713-3819
steve@collegeconsultnj.com