Where to Go To College

You’ve probably heard the answer to the question, “What are the three most important considerations when dealing with real estate?” — Location, location, location.

Sometimes the same goes for college choices In that situation, the question might be, “What is your most important criterion for picking a college in which to enroll?” Again, the answer might be, “Location, location, location.”

In dealing with many high school seniors over the years, I have always been surprised about the power of home. Maybe it’s because of Mom’s influence and her reluctance to see her bird fly from the nest. On the other hand, there are also money consideration. It’s not good form to generalize, but there seem to be two polarized mindsets when it comes to high school seniors (and sometimes their families) making their college  decisions. First, for lack of a better phrase, there is the “I can’t wait to get away from home!” crowd. These tend to be the teens who have, for whatever reason, pretty much had it with the strictures of a “disciplined” home life and the associated parental oversight. I’ve actually had high schoolers tell me that “too far” isn’t far enough away from home.

The flip side of that group is what I call the “wanna be as close to home as possible.” These are the young people who give only a nod to considering any school more than a 20-minute car ride from their home. In fact, some of these  are heavily enabled by Mom and or Dad who reinforce staying home decision with the lure of a high school graduation package that includes a car. In other words, a bribe that begs “Stay close to home!” The negative side effect of this, in my view, is missing out on the chance for developing a sense of independent living. Sooner or later, Mom and Dad won’t be around to tend certain needs, such as laundry, meals, and money. Of course, like most situations, the bulk of high schoolers considering where to go to college are somewhat open to multiple choices, depending on their ability to get into a wider variety of schools. This group comprises most college applicants.  Plus, many in out-of-the-way places go begging for enrollments.

Bottom objective to this post is to not limit yourself.  There are over 4200 college/universities to choose from.  If we get out of our comfort zone and really search....we will find the right fit at the perfect price.