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Expert advice from real admissions officers and college counselors

Issue #13

Absolute Worst Reasons to Choose (or Lose) a College

BACKGROUND

Deciding where to go to college is an enormous decision. Making a well-researched and well-matched choice is essential. Every year, however, many students choose or reject a college for reasons that seem to make sense at the time, but which don't hold up once the students land on campus. If they get lucky, "College of My Girlfriend" or "Wear Flip Flops Every Day University" turns out to be a good fit after all. But some of these students are left with a college choice they regret.

THE QUESTION

What are the worst reasons to pick or reject a college?

WORD FROM THE EXPERTS

My answer is the same for both questions! I do not recommend students either select or reject a school based on the choice of a boyfriend, girlfriend, or best friend. It is dangerous to prioritize a special someone over what is best for your future. Choose the school that is the best fit for you, based on academic programs, student community, location, and affordability. If you still end up at the same school, then it will be because it was the right fit for both of you.

Erin Hays
Associate Dean of Admission
Gonzaga University
Spokane, WA

From "I don't like the school colors" to "There's not a big mall close enough," I've heard some lame reasons for rejecting a school. One of the worst reasons for choosing a college is, "All my friends are going there." This reason could land you at a school that is perfect for your friends but has little to offer you. Students often find that friendships can change dramatically once you leave high school. You may grow apart as your new college lives unfold. If those relationships were the only reason you chose the college, you could end up dissatisfied. It's easier to make friends in college than you may think! Better to choose a college that has everything YOU are looking for and catch up with your old friends during breaks.

Julie Manhan
Educational Consultant
College Navigation
Seattle, WA

One of the worst reasons to pick a college would be because of how hot the boys (or girls) are. One of the worst reasons to reject a school is because the weather was bad on the day of your visit — or you didn't like the tour guide. Another bad reason for crossing a college off your list is because of the application. One of my students this year almost cut a potentially great-fitting college from his list just because the application required a graded paper with written teacher comments.

Cyndy McDonald
Independent College Counselor
McDonald & Associates
Visalia, CA

Students have a lot of different and sometimes seemingly random reasons for choosing a college. I have seen students choose a college sight unseen because it was on the East Coast, yet reject excellent schools simply because they were in the Midwest. Some students make decisions on the basis of rankings and reputation without considering whether or not the college is a good match. Sadly, I have had students who have said, "My parents won't let me apply to that school because it is not prestigious enough."

Lois Halls
Head Counselor
Miramonte High School
Orinda, CA

The worst reason to choose a college is because someone else is going there. If the college itself has little to offer you, this is a big mistake. Here's the true test — visit the college by yourself and see what it feels like. If it doesn't feel right, it's time for Plan B. The worst reasons to reject a college include:

	"It's in the middle of a cornfield." Look twice at rural colleges. Many do everything they can to make their campuses vibrant on nights and weekends. Some have more free fun things to do than colleges in cities where students have to go off campus and pay serious money for entertainment.
	"It's too big." Look for colleges-within-a-college, such as honors colleges, where classes are often held in your residential building. This gives you a small college atmosphere with big college resources.
	"No one I know is going there." If a school is right for you, isn't it worth looking into? Plus, there's a lot to be said for making a new place your own by making new friends.

Patrick O'Connor
Director of College Counseling
Roeper School
Birmingham, MI

I think that any of these reasons can be the worst reason to choose OR reject a college:

	The weather. You only want a school where the sun shines most of the time, or it rained the day you visited and the campus looked dreary.
	Your parents went there or it will make your parents happy if I go there. You and your parents should come to a decision that makes all of you happy. On the other hand, don't dismiss a school just because your parents like it.

Decide what really matters to you — and hopefully that is more than weather, parties, and what other people think about your choice. What matters is you and finding your best fit.

Madeleine Rhyneer
Vice President for Admission and Financial Aid
Willamette University
Salem, OR

I have worked with students who picked colleges for some crazy reasons, but the absolute worst reason is because of a boyfriend or girlfriend. Often there's a break-up by the end of the fall semester and then one (or both) don't want to be on that campus anymore. Other questionable reasons to select a school include college rankings, a popular sports program, a city you think you want to live in, or an easy admissions process.

I am also amazed at students who decline offers for equally poor reasons: I heard it grades hard, freshmen can't have cars on campus, the dorms aren't modern enough, it's on the quarter system, it doesn't have a business/law/medical school, it has no famous alumni I recognize, and the city doesn't have nonstop flights to my hometown.

Scott Daigle
Independent College Counselor
Premier College Advisors
Boca Raton, FL

There are as many reasons to NOT choose a school as there are reasons to pick one, and I think I have heard them all. When students talk about choosing a school because that's where they saw the most beautiful people of the opposite sex, I feel compelled to remind them why their parents are choosing to spend their hard-earned money on a college education. On the other hand, students who want to explore new places and experiences often suffer from what I call "the grass is always greener syndrome" and will not consider a campus in their state simply because it is "too close." By doing this they may be shutting the door on a wonderful opportunity right in their own backyard.

Henry DelAngelo
Counselor, Joel Barlow High School
Educational Consultant
Your Key to College
Redding, CT

The worst reason to pick a college? After six months of research, I've never seen "College Yes" on your list. Why did you apply? "It sent me a VIP application and I didn't have to write an essay or anything and I didn't have to pay and it only took me three minutes!"

The worst reason to reject a college? Why did you take "College No" off of your list after six months of research? "I didn't want to fill out the supplement."

Kay Rothman
Director of College Counseling
NYC Lab School
New York, NY

THE LAST WORD

There are definitely some not-so-great reasons to choose colleges or write them off. Making snap judgments may relieve some of your anxieties about the admissions process, but they can also prevent you from making solid, well-informed decisions. If you're not sure if your reasons make sense, imagine how they would affect your life in college over the long term. Let's say you are thinking about removing a college from your list because no one you know is going there. By imagining yourself as a freshman, sophomore, junior, etc., you might see that new friends will be a very important part of your life and that your concern is really just about those first few weeks of being in a new place. Taking the long view can help you understand what's truly important for your college experience overall.

MORE ADVICE

What Is Your Ideal College?

Searching for Schools with the Features You Want

Narrowing Down Your College List

Deciding Which Colleges to Apply to

See For Yourself: Visits and Interviews

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Advice provided in COLLEGEword reflects the views of the individual admissions officers and college counselors offering the advice. Information in this newsletter is of a general nature. It is provided for educational purposes only and may not apply to you or your situation.