Bob's Blog

This is a short series on practical helps for students and parents who are looking at colleges. Most of these materials can be found on the web or through Christian college magazines.


Last month I had the opportunity to represent my alma mater, Grace College, at some college fairs in Southern California. I've done this for the past two years, and I enjoy helping parents and students find the right fit for their college experience.

For some parents and students, choosing a college isn't hard. The student might have had a college in mind since childhood, so for them the choice is easy. But for many other families, choosing the right school can be a very difficult task. Many families who came to our table at the fair were looking for materials that would help them make a good choice for a school. Families today are looking for help to narrow down schools or tips on picking a good school. So, what are some helpful tips on choosing that right school? Here a re a few thoughts taken from an article in Campus Life's Christian College Guide.

• Know Thyself - When I was on staff at Grace College as a Resident Director (a person who oversees dorms), I was amazed at how many students had no clue how Grace would fit into their lives. Students that transitioned well into Grace understood their needs because they understood themselves. This enabled them to ask key questions, like "Do I need to be in a small town or big city? Would I feel comfortable with a large student body? How big of a class size would I prefer?" Understanding yourself and what your needs are will help you to focus on the right institution for you.
• Research Well - I was very impressed by how many students did their homework about college. They might have not known too much about Grace but they knew what questions to ask and valued the materials that we had to offer to further their research. Check out Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (cccu.org), North American Coalition for Christian Admissions Professional (naccp.org), and Campus Life Magazine for Christian schools. For state and public universities look at College Bound (collegebound.net) for resource help.

We'll finish up this post after Thanksgiving. If you have other resources you would like to share on this topic, please feel free to write me and I'll mentioned them as well.

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 27, 2008 at 3:57 AM. You can skip to the end and leave a response.