QUESTIONS TO ASK THE COLLEGES YOU ARE CONSIDERING

When creating a college list and planning college visits, consider a strategy to learn the critical information about each college that will impact your decision to apply.  Students should work to not only have a balanced college list, but they should also ensure that all of the colleges on the list will be a good fit.  Determining what makes a college a good fit for a student takes time, as factors such as location, areas of study, academic fit, support services, etc. all need to be taken into account.  I have found that creating a mindset of knowing the right questions to ask about a college is important to determine if a student should apply.  What might be a good fit for one student, may be a poor fit for another.    

This blog from Georgia Tech admissions does a great job in delineating how to ask questions in a way that will prove most helpful to a student.  I particularly like this blog as it reinforces for the student that it is their responsibility to dig deeper into each school to better understand how a particular college will serve a student. Similarly, this article talks about important questions students should keep in mind when visiting the disability office at a college being considered.  The questions you ask may not only generate new questions for you in determining if a college is the right fit, but these questions may also allow the student to better understand their unique needs and the importance of ensuring their academic needs can be met at the college they choose.