Are You Applying to the Right Colleges?

Today I’m featuring an episode of The College Prep Podcast from May. I thought it was timely for all seniors applying to college—check your list to make sure you have the right schools. It is also timely for the 9^th through 11^th graders and their families as you discuss colleges and start visiting campuses. The main point I make in the podcast is that fit isn’t everything. (I know this goes against what everyone hears about finding colleges that are a good fit.) Although fit is an important criteria in choosing a college, there are additional factors that are more important: Funding — Whether the colleges you are applying to are financially viable for your family, and Recruitment Feasibility — Whether the schools you are applying to actually need and want students with your specific talent. Listen to hear how to use these factors to guide your college search, so that you don’t make the mistakes that many families do — applying to colleges that are a good fit for your student, but which don’t give you enough financial aid to actually attend. I know paying for college is a realistic factor in selecting a school. A lot of families are overlooking schools where they could earn enough scholarship money to make the cost of attending a private school equal to or less than the cost of an in-state university. You will hear me discuss a special scholarship program at Houston Baptist University, which is just one local example of the types of scholarships that might make certain schools more affordable. (There are hundreds of similar opportunities throughout the nation.) You can listen to the full episode on iTunes (episode #54) or directly from your device here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/collegepreppodcast/54_Driving_Factors_in_Choosing_the_Right_Colleges.mp3]]>