Are you a good fit for the college of your choice?

Have you been following our College search 101 series? So far we’ve looked at what you want to do with the rest of your life, how education affects earnings, the best types of programs, different types of colleges, and resources to help you find the right college.

Now that you’ve found a college you’d like to attend, we’ll explore whether or not you’re a good fit for it.

Why wouldn’t they want me?

Let’s see, how can I put this delicately . . .?

Certain colleges would only accept someone like you me if a $1-million donation was sent along with your my application.

Seriously. Not every school is for every student.

I, for example, graduated from high school in the top 2% of my class, had great test scores, and could write a mean essay.

All of those things, however, didn’t mean that my first-choice college should have been Harvard (with Princeton and Yale as fallbacks).

Instead, I applied to three non-profit schools, was accepted to all of them, and ultimately chose the one that was furthest away from my parents.

If you’re going to go to the effort of finding a school you think is perfect for you, you ought to take a minute to consider whether you’re right for it.

What do colleges care about?

Some colleges only care about whether or not you’ll be able to pay your tuition. Others look at things like test scores, previous grades, class rank, or work experience.

According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling’s State of College Admission Report 2006, grades and test scores are the top factor considered by colleges during the admissions decision making process.

The report breaks everything down into the following order of importance:

Factors in the Admission Decision:

• Grades
• Standard admission test scores
• High school class rank
• Application essay or writing sample
• Teacher or counselor recommendations
• A students “demonstrated interest” in attending the school

Public schools are five times more likely to use class rank than private schools.

While there are some similarities in what colleges want, each one places varying importance on the items above.

You need to understand what the college of your choice is looking for.

How can I find out what a college wants?

Look in the admissions section of the college’s Web site for any posted guidelines. Often, the site will detail the admissions office’s idea of an ideal student.

If you match up with their description of the ideal student, you can apply with confidence that you have a high probability of acceptance.

If you are sub-standard, it wouldn’t hurt to call or write to the admissions team. Introduce yourself and let them know that you’re interested in attending the college but that you’re concerned about an item or two.

Mention your concerns and ask for their recommendation about whether you should apply or not.

Most admissions officers are interested in finding a win-win situation where the student and the college are happy to be together. Talk to them – they’re around to help.

If you’re not a good match for the college, move on to your next choice. With a little work, you’ll be able to find a good fit.

The next post in this series will help you evaluate whether or not you’ll be able to afford this new relationship with the college of your dreams.

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