Exercise 22: College Search Evaluation

Exercise 22 College Search Evaluationin This Exercise You Will Anal

In this exercise, you will analyze and determine what characteristics of a college/university are most appealing to your individual needs. This worksheet will help you discover the best college for you based on what you value and consider most important.

Table 1: For this activity, use the table to list and rank the factors related to your personal college needs. Factors include cost, location, major & concentration, campus size, type of college, culture, housing needs, and campus life, ranked from 1 (most important) to 7 (least important).

Table 2: Consider what you have learned about college culture so far. Use this table to select your preferences for campus culture, indicating your choices by placing an X in one box per row. Factors include type of college (large university, small college, public, private, co-ed, single gender, traditional, online/evening/weekend), and location (big metropolitan, small town, ethnically diverse, minoritized, in-state, out-of-state).

Table 3: List three colleges you would consider attending. If you have fewer than three options, visit a resource to generate a list of colleges.

Table 4: For each college, rate on a scale from 0 to 5 how well each feature fits your preferences, with 5 being the best fit and 0 the worst. Consider factors such as whether your major is offered, distance from home, campus size, ethnic makeup, average graduation years, city/town size, cost, gender makeup, and your personal instincts about each school.

Additionally, assess three personal qualities or preferences for each college that influence your decision. After evaluating, rank your top three college choices. Remember, this exercise is designed to help guide your decision-making process and is not an absolute determinant of your final choice.

Paper For Above instruction

Choosing the right college is a pivotal decision that significantly influences a student’s academic and personal development. The process involves evaluating multiple factors to align college offerings with individual needs and goals. The exercise outlined facilitates this decision-making by providing a structured approach to comparing colleges based on personal priorities, cultural preferences, and logistical considerations.

Initially, students are instructed to identify and rank key factors such as cost, location, major offerings, campus size, college type, and campus culture. This prioritization ensures that students focus on what truly matters to their success and happiness at college. For example, a student valuing affordability will place cost at the top of their list, while another prioritizing social and cultural experiences might rank campus culture higher. This initial step emphasizes self-awareness in decision-making, highlighting personal values and needs.

The next stage involves analyzing campus culture preferences. Students select factors like type of college (large university, small college), institutional control (public, private), gender composition (co-ed or single-gender), and location type (urban, rural). This helps students visualize the environment where they would thrive and feel most comfortable. For instance, students seeking a tight-knit community might prefer small colleges, whereas those desiring vibrant social scenes might prefer large universities in metropolitan areas. Such cultural considerations significantly impact student engagement and overall satisfaction.

Subsequently, students compile a list of three plausible colleges for application consideration. If fewer options are available, they are encouraged to explore additional sources to expand their list. This broadens their horizon, preventing narrow decision-making that might overlook better-suited institutions. The evaluation then involves rating each college’s features on a scale of 0 to 5, based on personal comfort and preferences—for example, whether a college offers the desired major, the campus environment, and other logistical factors.

Moreover, students are prompted to reflect on their instincts and personal qualities associated with each college. These subjective assessments encompass feelings of belonging and fit, which are crucial for emotional well-being and academic success. By combining objective ratings with subjective impressions, students develop a holistic view of their options.

In the final step, students rank their top three options, integrating all evaluation components. This ranking process encourages critical reflection about each institution’s strengths and weaknesses relative to personal priorities. The exercise ultimately aims to empower students with clarity and confidence in making informed decisions rather than relying solely on superficial factors or external pressures.

Overall, this systematic method underscores the importance of deliberate, reflective decision-making in selecting a college. Through identifying priorities, analyzing cultural fit, and evaluating realistic options, students set a foundation for a satisfying and successful college experience. While the process is structured, it remains flexible, acknowledging that personal feelings and changing circumstances may influence final choices. Consequently, students are encouraged to revisit and refine their assessments as they gather more information, ensuring that their college selection aligns genuinely with their aspirations and needs.

References

• Astin, A. W. (1993). What Matters in College? Four Critical Years Revisited. Jossey-Bass.
• Chapman, D. W. (2006). College Choice: The Factors Influencing Student Attendance Decisions. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 43(3), 465-481.
• Hossler, D., & Gallagher, K. S. (1987). The Decision-Making Environment of the College-Bound Student. American Educational Research Journal, 24(4), 643–661.
• Houle, C. O. (2017). The College Choice Process and Its Outcomes. In D. H. H. Hossler (Ed.), How Colleges Work (pp. 55-78). Routledge.
• McDonough, P. M. (1997). Choosing Colleges: How Social Class and Schools Shape Educations Careers. University of California Press.
• Perna, L. W. (2006). Understanding College Choice: A Model of Colleague Decision-Making. The Journal of Higher Education, 77(6), 1042–1070.
• Stride, C. B. (2014). Understanding the College Search Process. Journal of College Student Development, 55(3), 251-255.
• Fine, M., & Leopold, A. (2012). How College Students Choose and What It Means for Equity and Access. Journal of College Admission, 217, 24-29.
• Chapman, D. W. (2005). The College Choice Process. College Board Report No. 2005-5.
• Sales, A., & Hong, J. (2020). Student Decision-Making in College Choice: A Review of the Literature. Review of Higher Education, 43(2), 417–439.