Like your favorite jeans, the right college will be a perfect fit.
NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball produces a phenomemal force — so much so that one has to really take an inventory of what type of school one wants to attend. The passion and collegial nature that spreads from having a team in the “Big Dance” is amazing. It does not matter if you attend a small liberal arts school or a large public university the NCAA Tournament becomes the topic of conversation at the table in the dinning commons on campus.
When selecting the “right fit” college or university the geographic location, size of the classes, locale- urban, residential, college town or rural environment becomes a topic that discussion at this time of year and throughout the fall than any other time of the year. With 65 teams participating in the NCAA tournament on both the Men and Women’s side of the bracket it is interesting to look at how each of the locales, size of schools and classes and geographic positioning is represented in the 130 schools playing over the next three weeks.
The University of Kansas, U Kentucky, U Connecticut, U Tennessee, U Michigan, U Texas represent the college town environment where every Saturday in the fall is a life and death game and throughout the winter basketball steps to the forefront to push the envelope of hysteria. Schools like Villanova, Butler, Xavier, U Minnesota, U Washington represent medium and large schools in or around a major city, Cornell, Baylor, East Tennessee State and U Montana are more rural campuses but have survived by having the town revel in the college as a social and sports highlight. Then there are the small urban campuses: Swarthmore, Emerson, Pace University, that thrive in a major city with all the energy and trappings that comes with living in a big city.
Based on the results of the first week of the Men’s Tournament it does not matter the size of a school or the locale but the heart and soul of the coaches, players and fans that follow the teams. Wouldn’t be awesome to be sitting or in Duke fans approach jumping up and down the whole game cheering for your team during the NCAA Tournament throughout spring break. Some students want this type of atmosphere and others want a lower key approach.
What I have found over the 25 years of coaching students and their families to find the right fit school it has become apparent that those students who want a small school setting have blossomed if their school was near or in a city. After indulging in great discussions and getting to know all the professors and students on campus these very stimulated young adults are always looking for the next opportunity to grow as people. By being near a big city the opportunities for internships or jobs during a student’s undergraduate years especially the final two years is paramount. When a student attended a small school in a rural setting they enjoyed the experience but had to go abroad to experience more than what had become the norm on campus day after day. Those that attended a large college in a college town were absorbed with the fire and flash of tradition that was embodied by those who attended before them but also felt like by junior year they needed to spread their wings. At least in that college town there were research opportunities and way still be engaged in the towns business community which helped.
No matter your choice for the right fit college or university. The approach to finding the right fit is the same. You must ask yourself a couple of questions:
1. What geographic area of the country do you want to be in?
2. What type of locale do you want to be in – Urban – USC, Temple, Boston U? Or residential near a big city – UCLA, Northwestern, Georgetown? Or a college town – Syracuse, Ohio State, U of Florida? or in a rural setting — Colgate, Wesleyan or Northern Iowa?
3. What size classes do I learn best in — small 1-20, medium 20-100, or large 101-500?
4. What majors does the school offer- is there flexibility to change majors?
5. What can we afford?
Just having the NCAA tournament flourish on both the Men’s and Women’s side opens up the door to so many schools that no one has ever heard of – There are more than 3,500 colleges and universities in the US. Spend some time taking an inventory of yourself and then search for the right fit.
Despite the enormous effort made to get into college, more than half of US students drop out in the first year. Of those that remain, half again change their major at least once with many changing two and three times before they graduate. When asked why a college admission coach is needed one only needs to look at the underlying causes that motivate these behaviors.
It is generally agreed that dropping out is the result of being ill prepared for the rigors of college studies. While a portion of those changing majors can be attributed to a lack of self-awareness, the remaining statistics point to stressed students taking less demanding courses to assure a degree.
An effective coach working with a passionate high school student can have a significant impact on their pre and post college experience preparing them for the rigors of college by creating a realistic admissions strategy based on truthful introspection, a strong personal brand, meaningful extra-curricular activities with an aggressive pursuit of test scores and grades.
The coaches of the KEY have been successfully preparing students for lives of merit by assuring them that they will be able to meet the challenges of academia and successfully leverage their passions into rewarding careers. Call us at 800.620.8085 without obligation, to find out how the KEY can make the difference of a lifetime.
Tags: Admissions, Basketball, Career, College acceptance, College Admissions Coach, Life Coach, NCAA, Rick Singer, The Key Worldwide, The Right Fit