10 Ways to Help If Your Student Can't Make a College Decision

Choosing a college is one of the first big decisions a child makes, and with so many incredible options, it can be hard for some students to narrow it down to just one. If your student is struggling to make their final college choice, sit down with them and go over the objectives below. It could help to steer them in the right direction.

Is Your Student Having Trouble Deciding What College They Should Go To?

Though your child’s college decision is ultimately theirs to make, you can play a key role in helping them navigate their choices. Using your family’s values and their future academic and career intentions as foundational points, your sound advice and judgment can help to solidify their leanings.

Finding the Right College

Helping your child find the right college is walking a line between what they want and need and what each school has to offer. Ultimately, it’s about finding their perfect match. As you compare the options, look at what they like and dislike about each school, which institution has plenty of options for them to choose from in and outside of the classroom, and how much their choice may affect their financial future.

How to Choose a College

Before your child makes their final college choice, or if they’re struggling to narrow it down to just one school, go over these categories to ensure their decision is well-thought-out and right for them.

Be Sure They Don’t Procrastinate

People tend to procrastinate when they are indecisive, but the choice on where to attend needs to be met head on, especially before National College Decision Day. For some schools, there is a real risk that the incoming class spots will fill up, leaving no place for your child. Delaying the decision could also impact housing choices. There is a lot of pressure to pick the right school for your child, so have this conversation sooner rather than later.

Help Them Create a Short List of Schools

Most students apply to 8 – 12 schools, but from there, your child needs to create a short list of up to four. Use the categories below to compare institutions side-by-side. The hope is that one or two schools fall by the wayside while the top picks stick out. Keep in mind this decision shouldn’t be made in a day; find “the one” and then think on it for a few days.

Figure Out Your Student’s Priorities

You and your student have been bombarded with brochures, emails, and student-led tours for the past few years. It can be overwhelming to have to consider every detail that you’ve learned. Instead, go back to the basics: academics, the social scene, and post-graduate opportunities. Which school has the majors you’re interested in, extracurriculars you love, and enticing job outcomes?

Revisit Schools of Interest

Make sure the colleges on the list are those your child is interested in. It can be easy for students to include schools that are being attended by their friends or significant other. There may also be schools that fell off the list a few months ago, but in the new light of making the final college decision, they’re considerably more appealing. Go with your gut on these choices.

Look Past the Price Tag

If you look at colleges by their full cost of attendance, it can eliminate a potentially perfect match. Very rarely do students pay the full cost for a school. Many schools offer generous merit and financial aid packages, making even the most expensive schools as affordable as a public, in-state institution. When considering college costs in the final decision, make sure you’re doing so with the scholarships and financial aid figured in to the total that you would pay.

Compare Financial Aid Awards

Once you have received your merit aid and financial aid awards, you can determine the true cost of attending a particular college(s). It’s inadvisable to make a decision before you have his information. Don’t just use financial aid packages to compare costs; use them to negotiate offers as well. If you have a more attractive offer from one school, but you would prefer another, call the financial aid office at your top choice and ask if they can do anything to match the price. NOTE: Students should expect financial aid award letters and packages later this year, due to the new FAFSA rollout and delays in processing. Many schools are extending their Decision Deadline or offering personal extensions to students who have been impacted. Do not make a college decision before you have a financial aid offer(s) from your colleges.

Help Them Decide on a Major

BestColleges.com states that an estimated 20 – 50% of students enter college undecided, while 75% change their major at some point in college. While some students should choose a college based on major offerings, not all should. Instead, look for several options that interest your child. That way, if their initial major doesn’t work out, there are plenty of options to fall back on.

Research the Schools Departments

If your child is heading off to college undecided, or a little unsure of the major the think they wish to pursue, it may be worthwhile to check out the other academic departments. This is a simple process that you can do from home. Look through the different academic departments listed on each school’s website. You and your student can peruse majors and minors, course descriptions, and even job outcomes. Write down which fields of interest sound like those worth pursuing to your student.

Investigate the School’s Job Connections

Job and graduate school options after graduation are just as important as the academics at an institution. Fortunately, college websites go into great detail on graduation outcomes. Most colleges also provide students with college career centers. Check to see if the college(s) you’re interested offer this type of student service. Not only will you see employment status for graduates, but you may also find top employers for graduates, or companies that take interns from the school each semester. If you’re finding there isn’t enough information about post-graduation outcomes, call an admissions officer directly.

Challenge Your Student’s Assumptions About What Will Work for Them

Finally, you know your child pretty well at this point – are they making choices that align with who you think they are? Or the environment that you think they would thrive in? Don’t be afraid to push back a little or play devil’s advocate. Your child needs to think very critically about this decision and to see their choice from all sides will be helpful.

Things to Consider When Choosing a College

Whether you and your child are just beginning to look at colleges or are facing the final moments before National College Decision Day, these are things to consider when choosing a college: • Accreditation – Always make sure your college choices are accredited. This ensures that you’ll receive a quality education that is respected by other colleges and prospective employers. • Budget – A college education is not worth going into the kind of debt that will take a lifetime to repay. Choose a school that offers a great merit and financial aid package and limit student borrowing to the amount of the annual salary you expect to make after graduation. • Campus Culture – It’s important to make sure the campus culture aligns with your personal values. It will feel easier to belong when you start off with commonalities. • Degree Level – Checking the degree timeline for each area of interest is key. You don’t want to commit to a program, and then find that it’s an associate degree when you were expecting a bachelor’s. • Faculty – Rate My Professors is a great way to gather intel on professors in different departments at colleges. While everyone may have a positive or negative thing to say about a particular professor, you can still get a general opinion about faculty members from the ratings and comments. • Graduation Rates – College graduation may seem a long way off, but the rate at which students graduate is extremely important to look at before committing. It’s not uncommon for some schools to have students that take five or six years to finish a degree, which means spending more money on an education than your family allotted. • Housing – It’s hard to get an accurate look at campus housing unless you can manage an in-person tour. However, social media and YouTube may offer you more realistic footage of housing conditions on a college campus. Perform your own investigation through a quick video search. • Location – Location can have a big impact on your education. Your student may need to live in a bubble, i.e. a rural setting with not much outside of the campus, to thrive. At the same time, your student could benefit from the amenities that a large, urban campus can offer. • Major Offerings – It cannot be stressed enough that your child should choose a college that has multiple fields of interest that are attractive to them. While extracurricular activities, the social scene, and campus amenities are all enticing, the academics and future job opportunities are the reason they’re attending in the first place. • Prestige – Attending a prestigious school is a matter of preference, not a requirement. You’ll be able to find job opportunities regardless of where you go to school. Don’t let prestige make you blind to what you really need, but don’t let it turn you off either if you think you’re not good enough or rich enough to attend a top school. You may be surprised. • School Size – Just like an urban versus rural campus, there are pros and cons of going to a large, mid-size, and smaller school. A small school means small class sizes and professors know you personally. A larger campus might mean an amazing sports program to cheer for on the weekends and large lectures where they can just absorb information. • Student Resources – Finally, every college campus offers student resources but not all your student’s needs may be met with the resources of one college over another. Explore what each campus has to offer, like career, mental health, and disability services, and ensure your student has all they need to succeed.