Sydney Scott is a second year undergraduate at Southeastern Louisiana University. She shares practical advice, inspiration, and tips for high school and college students using her unique brand of candor and humor. This is the first in our fall series of college myth-busting posts.
There are a lot of perks when you’re an intern at a college access nonprofit. For one, I know a lot of behind-the-scenes info about college and post-secondary education. This makes me the resident know-it-all in my friend group, which means I get a lot of panicked 2 a.m. texts asking things like “WHEN IS FAFSA DUE????” and “Can you help me calculate my GPA and tell me if I’m gonna lose TOPS??!?!?”
And those are the milder ones.
I understand where these questions are coming from. There’s a lot of confusion when it comes to the process of planning for your future. There are so many variables, and figuring it all out can be really difficult and discouraging, especially when there’s so much information out there but none of it seems to be exactly what you need.
Since this month is College & Career Coach spotlight month here at Career Compass, I sat down with --you guessed it!-- real, live College & Career Coaches to ask about some common questions and myths that center around how to choose the right program, school, and type of school to apply to.
Ms. Darelle and Ms. Jeri are veteran College & Career Coaches, and they have heard all of the questions under the sun and moon. Now it’s time for them to help me in my quest to finally put some popular Q’s to rest!
While I think the stigma is breaking, I think there are some negative perceptions around attending a technical or community college, or other one or two-year programs. In the words of one of my friends, “Is it okay to go to community college? Why would I do that?”
Coach Darelle: I have been a college & career coach with Career Compass for over ten years now, and I am happy to say that the general attitude towards community colleges has really progressed. There used to be a negative aura surrounding community colleges, i.e., that they weren’t as good as four-year universities when it came to education, or that they didn’t have as much to offer. Now, community colleges, especially those in Louisiana, are working hard to meet the needs of their students -- and it shows. Smaller class sizes, more affordable tuition, programs with larger universities that make transitioning easier… these are all benefits that community college presents as opposed to going straight to a large, four-year university. Community colleges in Louisiana are also putting themselves on the map by being great about helping graduates with job placement after they finish school; many are partnering with companies that offer jobs to graduating students, and ensure relevant, hands-on training for years to come. Community colleges are constantly adding new programs and additional training options for existing programs. If you haven’t looked at the community colleges near you as an option, you should!
Sydney: I’m a huge proponent of community colleges being treated as a viable option for post-secondary education, too. Community colleges have so much to offer, and it’s a travesty that those benefits would be overlooked because of lingering stigma. I attend a four-year university, but I have reaped the benefits of attending a community college. Last summer, I attended Bossier Parish Community College over the summer to get ahead on my Economics and Business Law classes. I had such a great experience. So many students don’t realize that smaller colleges often mean a more personalized experience. BPCC offered so many programs, my instructors were great, and they made transferring my credits such an easy process. Best of all, the tuition bill was much more reasonable than it would have been at my university. That experience just proved to me how beneficial community colleges can be to students wanting more options.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay.
I see a lot of students who take into account some really weird things when choosing the schools they want to apply to. Someone I know chose to go to one university over another because of the school’s colors! How crazy is that?! So —“What factors should I take into consideration when choosing the school I apply to? And are college tours worth it?”
Coach Jeri: There are so many factors to consider when choosing a school: first and foremost, do you qualify for the school? How much does it cost? Will you have enough scholarship money to cover tuition and housing/meal plans? How much money in loans will you have to take out? Does the school have the program that you want to major in, or something similar?
Aside from these factors, when you take a tour of the school, you may be able to further gauge your interest. Does the campus seem too big and overwhelming? Does it feel like a natural fit - like a home away from home? You’ll be there for a few years, so you want to make sure you feel comfortable at the school you choose. Are there activities for college students to do in the town? Does the campus feel exciting; do you feel safe? If you know what you are wanting to major in, you can visit that department and get an in-depth view of where you will be spending most of your time. Many times, you will get that “gut” feeling of whether the school is a fit for you just by walking around the campus.
Is taking a tour of the school a necessity? Absolutely not. Some students don’t have the time or money to visit school after school - especially if they are out-of-state. Just do as much research as you can on the schools you are interested in so that you can make the most informed decision possible.
Sydney: Such a great point about walking around campus and getting a gut feeling. As a commuter, the feel of my campus doesn’t matter much to me, so I forget that it plays a major role in the decision-making process for students who plan to live on-campus. The size of the school being an important factor is a great point as well! I have friends who probably would have fared better at smaller universities with smaller class sizes, but only toured one big school. They never got a chance to see how much class size can vary, and why it may matter. It’s also super helpful, like you said, if you can visit the department of the major you are interested in. I had a friend who wanted to go to LSU and major in agriculture. She took a tour and realized the program was not at all what she thought it was. That early realization ended up saving a lot of time in a major she probably would not have been happy in.
One last question: A lot of students in high school feel the pressure to apply to a bunch of different schools. Is that really necessary? How many schools should seniors in high school realistically be applying to? Why?
Coach Darelle: It’s important to remember that applications take time and cost money. I always prefer to help students narrow down their options. You can only attend one school, anyway! I think it’s optimal for students to whittle their list down to 2-3 schools that are matches for them. For most schools, you can look at their application requirements and pretty much know whether or not you’ll be accepted. Who wants to pay for a sheet of paper that tells you that you’ve been accepted when you already know that you do or don’t meet the requirements? Apply to schools that are realistic options for you, and that will help you best in achieving your goals. And -- make sure to save money and utilize any application fee waivers that you may qualify for!
Sydney: I totally agree. Come spring, I always see tons of news articles about students who have been accepted into a significant number of colleges. While being accepted to such an astounding number of schools is, of course, a remarkable achievement, all I can think about is how much money those people must have spent on all those applications! As you said, you can only attend one school anyway. I think the most efficient option for most high school students is to narrow their list down to realistic options of schools they really want to attend.
To wrap up: The transition out of high school can be difficult and overwhelming, which is why it’s important to stay on top of things. Hopefully, our expert College & Career Coaches’ answers helped put some of your college worries to rest. I still remember being a senior in high school and feeling so overwhelmed by the thought of planning for college. The best advice I can give you is: breathe. You have all of the tools you need to succeed, and you are capable of making the right decisions! It will all turn out fine.
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