I’ve always thought that it’s not entirely fair to ask most students what they’re looking for in a college. It’s not that they don’t have some opinions,
but asking a teenager who’s never been to college to present an itemized list
of collegiate needs and wants isn’t often realistic. So if you’re struggling to find colleges that
fit you, or if you’re a parent (or counselor) who’s looking for more college
feedback from your student, start by making a “Not looking for” list.
What specifically are you not looking for in a college? To put it better, what are you flat out not
interested in, or even actively looking to avoid?
Maybe you don’t want your college to feel like high
school. Maybe you don’t want to be forced
to take math. Maybe you’d prefer not to
be too close to home, not to be surrounded by people who are similar to you, or
not to be someplace where you’ll be called on regularly in class.
And just as you should do with the qualities you’re looking
for, you should also consider why you’re not looking for those things. The why question is an important one to
consider because it will either help you identify what you really want, or it
will expose a flaw in your thinking.
I don’t want college to feel like high school.
Why?
Because I feel like people are looking at me strangely just
because I don’t dress or look like everybody else.
Maybe you’re looking for a college with a student body that
celebrates individuality, a place where everyone doesn’t look and act the same? Now you know what to look for when you take a
college tour.
But…
I don't want to go to a college that isn't prestigious.
Why?
Because I want to be a lawyer, and a prestigious college will get me into a better law school.
Better check your facts.
I think the “Not looking for” list serves two important
college search objectives.
1. It’s a starting
point. Sometimes it’s easier to rule
out things we don’t want than it is to identify what we do want. There are over 2,500 four-year colleges in
this country—finding the right ones means eliminating a lot of wrong ones. If you can’t decide what you want, eliminate
what you don’t want.
2. It will remind you how much control you have in this
process. When you use the collegiate process
of elimination and get rid of your “not looking for” schools, you’ll see just
how many are left over, and how accessible most of them are.
There may never be a time in your life when you’re presented
with as many viable choices as you are during the college search process. Enjoy the fact that with so many colleges, and
the average college admitting 2/3 of their applicants, you earn the right to be
picky.