Over 12,000 high school seniors (fall ‘21) were surveyed and asked what their biggest concern is about the college search process. Affordability was the biggest concern, while making the wrong decision was the next most concerning. Choosing the wrong college can have long-lasting social, emotional, and financial implications. Finding the right fit for a college home is the most significant factor in determining a student’s likelihood to succeed in college. By succeed we mean having a quality experience, developing authentic relationships, growing socially, emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually, graduating on time, securing a job in a chosen field, and coming out as close to debt free as possible, etc.
What is college fit?
College fit is the degree to which a college meets a student’s academic, social, financial, and other needs and interests. Fit may be based on a variety of these factors, including location, academic programs, class sizes, graduation and retention rates, employment rates, and support services. Students must ensure their college choice meets their needs and they are not asked to conform to a person they are not or partake in an experience they do not want.
How will we help you find the right college fit?
We will explore and identify who you are as a person, what motivates you, what is important to you, identify your passions, your strengths, and your life goals – then determine what you want out of the college experience and match these things with which colleges offer what you want (in terms of majors,
finances, experiences). We will give you a list of 8-10 colleges that are meet your unique needs and desires to begin exploring which college may be the right fit.
I have reviewed thousands of exit packets; data on why students leave college before graduating. This empirical evidence is grounded in exhaustive longitudinal data. This is not intuitive. Students leave college before graduating for three main reasons:
- Academic challenges – underprepared for the academic rigor
- Financial challenges – inability or unwillingness to pay
- Social and emotional challenges – mental health and personal issues
The 5 elements of FIT (Find the right college – Inspire to succeed- Transform the world)
In order to find the right FIT, a college must:
- Match academically: A college that is a right fit for you must match your academic profile and desired academic rigor.
- Align financially: A college that is a right fit for you must meet your financial capabilities.
- Propel your future: A college that is a right fit for you must help you meet your future goals and get you to where you want to be.
- Meet non-negotiables: A college that is a right fit for you will meet your chosen set of non-negotiables.
- Feel right: A college that is a right fit for you must give you a sense of belonging and comfort and the culture must fit you, you should not be transformed by the existing culture.
Our team of expert college counselors will work with each individual to ensure they are searching out colleges that are the right FIT for them.
https://www.thoughtco.com/cost-of-transferring-to-different-college-788500
