Imagine a friend tells you he’s going to place a huge bet on a horse. His reasons: (1) The weather is ideal, (2) the track is well-maintained, (3) the jockey has experience, (4) the trainer is one of the best, and (5) Gut instinct—it just feels right.
Wouldn’t your natural question be, “What about the horse? Has it ever won a race before?”
Even with the best trainers, conditions, and a jockey that can get a horse to deal cards, if the horse doesn’t run very fast, you’re going to lose some money. There may be plenty of elements to consider, but you’ve got to evaluate the horse, too.
A lot of parents approach their student’s college search like this track-better. They talk about the reputation of the school, the professors, the career prospects for graduates and many other characteristics about the colleges. But they’re forgetting about the horse—their kid.
A college may have small classes, but will your student participate enough to take advantage of them?
A college may be small enough to offer personal attention, but will your student visit academic advisors and professors regularly during office hours?
A college offer majors that appear to lead to secure employment after graduation. But will your student make the effort in the classroom to outlearn the other graduates who will be going after those jobs, too?
A college may have a great reputation, but will your student take full-advantage of the opportunities presented during those four years to actually derive the post-graduate benefits?
I’m not suggesting parents should expect their kids to be perfect in order to send them to college. But your student is the most important factor in his own college education. Like the horse at the track, the right environment and factors can dramatically improve the chances of this educational bet paying off. But you’ve got to evaluate both before you bet.