Choosing a college
A college education is not the answer for everyone; God’s direction
is. It is important for students to have a good idea of what they want to
do with their lives or what interests them. Finding God’s direction for
their lives first is much more sensible than obtaining the training and
then trying to find a place to use their education and abilities. Many
students do not consider this when making decisions concerning secondary
education.
For some students, college is the next step in obtaining the training they
need to fulfill God’s purpose for their lives. For others,
vocational/technical institutions are the answer. Whatever the choice,
students need to avoid going into debt through student loans in order to
attend school. If it is truly God’s will for them to attend school, He
will supply the funds through grants, scholarships, or from any number of
other sources. It was Charles Finney, the 19th century American
revivalist who said, "God supplies where He guides. Where He does not
supply, He does not guide." This truth still holds true for students
today.
Types of schools
Choosing a school is as important as choosing the right major to
pursue. Because available programs of study vary from school to school,
deciding which program to choose depends mainly on the individual. Factors
to take into consideration are career direction, financial restraints,
educational goals and interests, curriculum-related work, and physical or
mental limitations. Although there are numerous educational institution
options that can be considered, the most common choices are the following.
- Christian colleges and universities. There are numerous
two- and four-year Christian colleges and universities available
throughout America. A genuinely Christ-centered Christian school will
not only help prepare students academically, but it will help instill
God’s spiritual truths without the wall of separation between
church and state.
- Four-year colleges and universities. Four-year colleges and
universities (both state and private) typically offer students a broad
range of courses and majors from which to choose. They also usually
have greater amounts of funds to spend on equipment, staff, and other
resources.
- Military academies. The U.S. military academies offer an
exceptionally high quality of education to qualified students in
exchange for a post-graduation military commitment.
- Two-year colleges. Usually two-year colleges are community
colleges. Many are strictly commuter colleges with no on-campus
housing. These colleges generally offer classes at lower costs and
tend to have a lower student-to-teacher ratio than larger four-year
schools.
- Vocational and technical schools. These schools usually
have diploma programs that offer students technical education and the
skills needed to perform a wide range of jobs in industry, health
care, or business.
- Postal correspondence, off-campus, and/or Internet courses. These courses are generally offered by accredited institutions as an alternative to attending classes on-campus. When students use one of these choices, they may or may not be able to take all the courses necessary to fulfill the institution’s academic requirements in a specific field of study, so they should consult with the institution that offers the courses for information regarding their requirements.
Parental support
The pressures and anxieties of finding the right school and then
filling out all the paperwork needed for acceptance can be extremely
stressful for students. Parents can help relieve the stress by adding
support and assistance in the following ways.
- Learn from friends. Students who have been through the
application process recently or parents who have children who have
been through it should be able to give practical first-hand advice.
- Encourage an early deadline for finishing applications.
First-term high school senior-year grades are generally the most
important grades to college admissions offices. Encourage students to
complete applications within the first quarter of their senior year,
no later than Thanksgiving.
- Make copies of all finished applications and correspondence to
all schools to which the student applies.
- Apply to schools where the student has a better than average
chance of being accepted.
- Budget for campus visits to potential schools.
- Don’t be domineering. Let your student know that he or she can transfer if necessary without disappointing you or "losing face."
Promote correctly
Perfect grades and board scores are no guarantee of admission.
Much depends on how a student promotes, or sells, himself or herself. The
following are specific things a student can do to increase his or her
chances of acceptance.
 | Give the admissions office a reason to accept you.
Emphasize not only grades but also experience, abilities, talents,
community involvement, humanitarian efforts, and leadership qualities.| Go prepared for an interview. | If you have to write an essay, make it good. Essays that
are dull and filled with mistakes and misspellings will not be
impressive. | Ask only teachers and employers for recommendations. | Take the right courses in high school. Grades are more
important than college board scores, but the quality and level of
courses count more than grades to most schools. It is better to get an
average grade in a college prep course than a high grade in a regular
or non-college prep course. | Don’t take the college boards more than twice. More than
two times gives an impression of being erratic or intemperate. | Apply to unlikely schools. Examples: a Protestant student
applying to a Catholic school, a male student applying to a
predominately female attended school, or applying to an international
school. | Don’t dismiss a school. Don’t disregard a school
because your parents attended the same school, because you feel it is
too "classy" for you (such as Yale or Harvard) or
because the school is perhaps little known outside of its local area
or state.
| Conclusion |