Types of College Fit
When looking through your college choices, it doesn’t just come down to acceptances; you’ll also want to consider overall fit to the college or university. You may consider academic, social and financial fit, but you also want to consider personal, career and geographic fit, as well! You'll hear the term "fit" often, so here, we’ll go into detail on each of the types of fit you may consider.
Academic Fit
When determining if a college is a good academic fit for you, you may consider the types of academic programs and majors that a school offers and how they align with your interests and career goals. Also think about class size, the rigor of coursework, and how the school’s teaching style aligns with your learning style.
Ask yourself:
Does the college offer academic programs and majors that align with your interests and career goals?
Are the class sizes, teaching styles, and academic rigor a good match for your learning style and preferences?
Social Fit
While college is a place for you to further your education, it is also a place to discover and learn more about yourself, your interests, and those within your college community. You want to consider the campus culture, clubs, and extracurricular activities that are offered at all of your college options in order to determine fit.
If you’re wondering where you can find more about the social atmosphere, get in touch with students that may go to that college. You can do this by connecting with alumni from your high school, or with student ambassadors at those colleges and universities on your list. When scheduling a visit, determine if tours are tailored to your interest in academic program and activities and if tours are done by a student.
Ask yourself:
Does the campus culture and atmosphere match the student's personality and social preferences?
Are there clubs, organizations, and extracurricular activities that align with your interests and passions?
Financial Fit
This is often the most important piece of college fit and is often misunderstood. Financial fit is not determined from the cost of tuition alone. It will also include financial aid and scholarships. Sometimes the most expensive colleges offer the most aid. Therefore, don’t necessarily let these numbers deter you from applying; wait and see what financial assistance is available before determining financial fit.
Return on investment (ROI) is something to also consider: your potential salary earnings compared to what you've invested in your cost of college. Think about all four years of cost, what that means for you, and your supporters. Make sure you look beyond just the first year costs.
Once you’ve received more information about financial aid offerings for the colleges on your list consider chatting with your supporters to determine financial fit.
Ask yourself:
Is the cost of attendance, including tuition, fees, and living expenses manageable for me and my family?
Does the college offer sufficient financial aid or scholarships to make attendance affordable?
Do you or your supporters have any college savings set aside for you?
Personal Fit
Each student is different, and because of that, you may be looking for some personal support services at the college of your choice. This may relate to mental health, academic support, religious affiliations, and more.
Ask yourself:
Are there academic support services, counseling, health services, or other support resources that meet your needs on campus?
Is the college affiliated with a particular religion or belief system, and does this align with your own beliefs or preferences?
Ultimately, does the college feel like the right place on a personal level? Do you feel comfortable and welcome on campus?
Career Fit
When going to college, the goal is not only to get a college degree, but to be prepared for a career post-graduation. Checking out a school’s career services, internship opportunities, alumni relations resources and more can help you make a choice for the right fit for you in terms of career readiness.
Ask yourself:
Does the college have strong connections to industries or organizations that align with your career aspirations?
Does it offer career services and internships relevant to your goals?
Geographic Fit
Going to college is likely the first time you will be away from home for extended periods of time. This may be exciting, or scary to you. So, it is important that alongside all of the other types of college fit that you consider if being close to your family is important to you. Beyond that, what types of college environment are you looking for: city, rural, suburban, closed or open campuses?
Ask yourself:
Is the location of the college a good fit for you? Do you prefer an urban, suburban, or rural setting?
Is it close to home or far away? Consider proximity to family and the environment. If far away from home, consider transportation back home and what that would look like.
Is the location of the school conducive to the career that you are exploring? (You don’t want to study marine biology at a school that doesn’t have access to marine life.) Are there companies in the area that you would be interested in interning for?
Each and every student will weigh each type of college fit differently, and that’s okay. But, be sure to look into each and every one to make sure you are selecting the right college choice for you.
