Searching for the right college can be stressful for both high-schoolers and parents. There are many factors to consider while choosing the right college for education of your child – ranging from the prestige quotient of the institute to preferred fields of studies and how far away you want your child to be from home. But with a bit of help from experts on tips to choose college for children, it's not impossible!
As per higher education experts, here are the top 10 questions you should ask when trying to find the right college for your child and some tips on answering these questions.
10 questions & answers: The best way to choose college for children
You can scroll down straight for answers to the top 10 questions or take a quick look at the questions here. All these questions are equally important independent of their order in the list.
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What is your child's personality?
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What are your child's hobbies and interests?
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What are the subjects (major and minor) your child is interested in?
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What are their after-graduation goals?
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What is the brand identity of the college?
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How are you planning to finance the cost of a college education?
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Is your child planning for part-time or full-time college education?
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How far away should the college be from home?
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Do you want your child to live on-campus or off-campus?
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What are the other factors important to you?
What is your child's personality?
Is your child an introvert, extrovert, or somewhere in between? It can be an essential clue while creating your college list, so ask yourself what type of personality your child has.
If your child is introverted, they may feel comfortable in colleges with fewer students in a class and a higher teacher-student ratio as they will get more one-on-one attention than at any large college or university. If your child is extroverted, it may be better to look at large universities where they can network with other students and faculty members.
What are your child's hobbies and interests?
Pursuing higher education doesn’t mean that your child's hobbies and interests need to wane. Many colleges and universities have clubs and associations encouraging students to pursue their extracurricular inclinations. Does your child like sports? They might be interested in an institute with a large stadium, field, or sports team. For children with an inclination towards arts and aesthetics, colleges with art-appreciation courses can be a good choice. So, you should ask children about their hobbies and interests to figure out which college is best suited for them.
What are the subject preferences (major and minor) of your child?
Talk to your child about colleges and subject preferences; it is significant. Does your child have a passion for a specific field of study? If they do, then your choice of college must reflect that. Here’s an example. Say your child has an interest in public administration. But the colleges near your place might not offer the subject at an undergraduate level. Which means, your child will need to choose a college that is far from home to pursue the subject they are keen on. However, it may not always be feasible, so look out for the best possible option.
If your son or daughter is undecided about the choice of subjects, don't worry! You can always consult with a career and academic guidance counsellor or visit a college to get a feel of what programs are available. It will help children make an informed decision about what is suitable for them. The major you want for your child can affect their college experience – a mismatch might cause demotivation and a lack of genuine academic interest. So, if your child wants to study business, then it might be worth looking at colleges with the best business courses.
What are their after-graduation goals?
Every child has different career and academic aspirations after they complete their college degrees. Some prefer joining the job market, while others many intend to pursue higher education and an academic career. You can also advise your child to prepare for competitive examinations for government jobs like civil services. So, the institution you choose depends on your child’s after-graduation goals. Colleges and universities with impressive on-campus and off-course recruitment track records will be suitable for students interested in private-sector jobs.
What is the brand identity of the college?
Indeed, career success depends significantly on a student's capabilities and performance at their workplace. However, degrees from reputed universities and colleges carry good weightage in the beginning when they do not have much experience to substantiate their resume. Reputed colleges have more robust alumni groups to support students on their career building path. However, brand reputation does not indicate teaching and academic superiority. Many local, nearby universities are excellent for teaching quality, discipline and student engagement. Reputed colleges also attract more students, so your child may not get enough attention from teachers in such colleges. Basically, remember that going by just the college’s brand name is not recommended.
How are you planning to finance the cost of a college education?
College education has become expensive, and the trend is not going to reverse soon. Even studying at government-sponsored colleges involve significant expenses in terms of special tuitions, books, practical and project work. So, have you thought about how you intend to finance the costs? If an education loan is your answer, you should choose colleges that have tie-ups with banks and non-banking financial companies offering education loans. Colleges with high accreditation ratings come with more loan choices. However, it is a balancing act as studying at highly rated colleges can be expensive.
Is your child planning for part-time or full-time college education
If you have a family business, you might want your children to get involved in business activities along with their college education. It can help to prepare them for future responsibilities. Sometimes, your children might also wish to pursue parallel career options and study in colleges. For such cases, part-time college degree programs can be the best fit as full-time graduation programs are stringent about attendance requirements. So, ask yourself this question as a parent or consult with your child.
How far away should the college be from home?
You might not want your child to live far away, right after school. Or even if your child is ready to stay away, you might not be confident about their ability to live independently. Local / nearby universities can be affordable as they can stay at home without the need to spend significantly on separate accommodations and conveyance. So, keep this question in mind while trying to find the best college for children.
Do you want your child to live on-campus or off-campus?
There are advantages to both. For example, college hostels are an excellent way for your child to make friends with other students interested in similar fields of study. And living on campus might help you to know where your child is always, which can ease your mind. However, on-campus living can often be expensive.
Comparatively, close off-campus accommodations are usually affordable. But they may also mean living in a crowded atmosphere and dealing with other restrictions and regulations. Living off-campus prepares students for future life as they need to be more enterprising and flexible about choices. So, as a parent, you might want your children to have the opportunity to live off-campus and experience the independence that comes with it.
What are the other important factors?
Other crucial factors might also influence your decision to find the right college for your child, like family legacy, campus culture and politics, gender sensitivity, and so on. Talk to existing students, parents, and campus specialists to learn about similar factors.
Finally
Modern parents no longer discuss 'should my child go to college'. Everyone wants to find the best college for child as college degrees improve career options and the chance of succeeding in any profession. So, you should overcome indecisions or avoid making wrong choices.
Here’s something that can make the process of college-hunting easy for you. Check out RNB Global University’s website to know about a wide variety of academic and professional courses that your child can pursue. The campus acts as a perfect backdrop for your pursuit of quality education with all modern educational facilities. Get in touch if you wish to know more.