By Kathy Laberge, College Admissions Coach

Think about how you feel when your pants are a bit too tight. You can’t get comfortable; you keep squirming and fidgeting. Can you really concentrate? Or is there a constant irritation, perhaps undefined, but consistently annoying you and preventing you from giving your full focus to the task at hand? If it just doesn’t feel right that perpetual agitation will negatively influence your entire day.

The same holds true when a college is not the right fit for the student. Sure, students at a college that doesn’t serve them best will still earn an education. But is it the best education for them? Is it delivered in the most appropriate fashion for them to learn? Are they among fellow students with whom they are comfortable? Perhaps the campus culture is a bit too aggressively competitive for some. Conversely, the student who is driven to always win may be undermotivated at a school that focuses more on cooperative learning.

There are nearly six thousand colleges and universities in the United States. That translates into nearly six thousand different BAs in English or Psychology or Chemistry. Yet the degree requirements and focus of departmental faculty varies widely from institution to institution. These degrees are not equal. Perhaps the degree awarded from a wildly competitive school will be slightly more challenging than one from a more accessible college. Higher education’s deep dark secret though, is the quality of the education is fairly consistent. The people who earn faculty positions anywhere are each masters in their own fields. The experts are available at most any college. The job of the applicant is to determine which type of instruction suits them best. Materials taught will be fairly consistent across the board. The degrees are not equal in their methodology of pedagogy.

Knowing how you like to learn and knowing how you will enjoy your classroom and social interactions are critical to achieving the optimal campus experience. For juniors, April is the time to start evaluating your preferences. It is essential applicants visit campuses in person; it is the only way to learn the campus culture. Virtual tours can be informative and can even be used to rule out individual schools. But when it comes to selecting your home for the next four years, we really want you to make an informed decision.

This research and self awareness pay off when making a final college selection. The juniors who put in the work (junior year seems to be ALL ABOUT work!) to know what they need in a college will never regret that time and effort. It nearly eradicates the stresses involved in a final decision; the biggest problem is a wealth of terrific options. And if that’s your problem, then it’s one that many will covet.

April is an exciting month for students getting ready to finish high school and enroll in college. It’s actually the reward at the end of all the arduous work put into applications and coursework over the past year. Decisions from schools have been made, scholarship money has been distributed, all that’s left is to make a final selection. And how much fun is that?! The very same schools that made students hold their breaths while awaiting admission decesions are now enduring the same experience. They have a first-year class to fill and they need the numbers they anticipated.

Enter the Admitted Student Days. Colleges put on events in an effort to entice students to enroll. These programs are far more detailed, and far more enjoyable, than the presentation and campus tours already presented in large group demonstrations. Often accepted applicants are paired with a student to shadow for the day. The prospective first year student can attend classes, eat in the dining hall, and relax with current students during down time between classes. Often these days are arranged to coincide with big sporting events or other major celebrations on campus. There may be music on the quad with a picnic and prizes. It’s a party! The idea is to give the considering student a true taste of campus life.

At the College Advisor of New York our focus is fit. We take the time to learn about our students and guide them to schools that will meet all their needs, not only those of an academic nature. We factor in interests, skill strengths, and personality. This often means investigating colleges that do not flaunt fancy name brands but let’s be honest, no student has the time to research nearly six thousand schools!

The groundwork laid in the initial self reflection and campus touring all coalesces in April. April is fantastic, but a successful April hinges on a successful search process. And a successful search process begins with expert guidance toward the best colleges to fit any individual student.  Once again, we’re here to help.