Helping your child to pick the right college is not always easy and in truth it can be something of a stressful time. I have 2 children and it was my youngest son who I was helping last year to pick the college for him. My eldest son was very easy to help because he wanted to study performing arts since he was little, he alway wanted to go to AMDA and so I checked out the AMDA reviews and some data on the college, I was happy, he was happy and so off he went. My youngest however has no clue what he really wants to do, making the choice a bit tricky. If you want to help your child pick a college, here are some tips which I learned last year.
Distance
Distance plays a key role in this section and whilst some kids want to get as far away from home as possible to enjoy their independence, others prefer to stay within an earshot of their hometown. Ask you child what kind of distance they had in mind and you can use this as a good starting point.
Student Life
It is important to remember that your child’s time at college is not just about them studying and getting a good qualification with which to launch their career. These years are some of the most special which your child will have and they will be learning about a lot more than just the syllabus. These are the years when your child will learn how to be independent and you want them to be in a good space to learn and grow. This is why I always think that it is worth checking out the student life of some of the colleges which your child has in mind, to ensure that there is an active student body for socializing and for organizing groups and teams.
Specialism
If your child already knows what they want to do then this does make your choice far easier as you can simply take a look at the colleges which specialize in that subject, which fall into the distance parameters which your child has decided upon.
Career Choices
If you are split between a couple of colleges then a great metric to look at is how many of the students go on to get a career that they want after finishing college. This is after all the best case scenario for your child, especially given the level of debt which they are likely to be in. Many colleges have partnerships with companies and good students often find their way to these companies upon finishing their education. Again if your child already has an understanding of what they would like to do after college, this is a metric which can really help you to make the right choice.
Remember that you are there as a guide for your child, and this is their decision, not yours.
