On giving advice about picking a college.
I am often asked by non-academic friends where I would send my Teen to college.
I reply by asking where I would send her? Or what would I look for?
Usually, they ask about what I would look for.
It’s a tricky question bc I don’t want to derogate any university - but I do have clear ideas about what I want for my kid.
So what do I share? And what should you think about sharing?
First, I tell them that it’s a good idea to go to a place you can afford.
Send your kid to a place that pays them to attend or won’t saddle them with debt.
Don’t encourage your kid to take out a loan against their future.
Second, I encourage them to meet the faculty & look them up on social media.
You don’t need faculty with high flying degrees - you do need faculty who care about and like the students they teach.
If they find the faculty send mean tweets about the kids, in public threads - run far far away.
Third, I encourage them to think about the range of degrees offered.
Your kid will probably change degrees. Make sure they have options.
Fourth, I suggest they look at off-campus experiences supported by the school.
Look at where students spend their summers.
You want study abroad that is actually run by the university & access to high quality PAID intern experiences.
Fifth, look at name recognition.
My academic friends may not like it - but most big publics have a broader footprint & just as loyal an alumni base as a minor Ivy League school.
You want people to recognize where your kid went to school - there is a halo effect over time.
Sixth, consider safety.
I work at an urban school.
I have worked at rural schools.
I feel safer sending my kid to the urban school.
Don’t look at local crime reports - look at the reports of hazing, drinking related incidents, and student deaths - it’ll tell you if the university has a stupid student culture.
Seventh, look at placements.
Look at where graduates get jobs (company and location) or place in graduate school.
Some small schools are killing it at placing their students.
Finally, I suggest they listen to their kid.
We as professors and parents don’t actually attend the school. The kids do.
We can nudge and shape our children - but we need to let them lead their own lives.
As a post-script, two things I take care not to do.
I don’t talk about faculty research - unless asked - universities are large and there is too much variance within them.
I don’t derogate schools - even if they are a rival school - every parent should feel ok about where there kid goes to school - you never know where their kid wants to go.
For early-career academics, you will find you get a lot of questions about uni’s over time.
So, it’s better to be prepared, offer heuristics that shape thinking, then let the students (with a little parent support) drive the process.
You won’t regret it!
Best of luck!
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