QuestBridge: Applying to College

The Importance of Making the Right Choice

Young people make many important decisions at an age which can, and likely will, impact their lives many years later. In the 20 years I've helped talented low-income students into the nation’s best colleges, I have noticed that many students make more informed decisions on buying their first car than they do about choosing a college or career.

Most people don’t pick a car because it was ranked first in Consumer Digest., but tens of thousands of students pick a college on simple rankings in journals like US News & World Report. Like a car, college presents a vehicle for life.

The good thing about picking the wrong car is that you can eventually get another one. Changing colleges is difficult, and once you graduate, what’s done is done. In choosing a college, you ought to make the best personalized decisions that you can to create a meaningful and efficacious life for yourself. College success is just one part of life success, but it can certainly be life-altering when approached with wisdom and vigor.

There is no one size fits all, or one ranking that can account for all preferences. No college can fit every one perfectly. Even if they get in, not every student should attend a school like Harvard or Stanford. And among the 3890 colleges and universities in America, there are roughly only 50 robust enough to offer need-blind admission as well as four years of full financial aid (including room and board) to every talented low-income student admitted.

But among these elite 50 or so colleges, with the dual blessing of strong academics and strong financial aid, the ‘right’ choice isn’t always so clear. If you want to be an architect, you’d better go to one of the handful of schools with an architecture program and strong financial aid. On the other hand, you’d better be sure you want to be an architect before attending a college which only has a strong architecture program compared to other departments. If you decide to change majors, you might not get the education you want.

There are other examples of this. Harvard, a perennial favorite among students, has an engineering program that is clearly not as strong as Stanford’s or MIT’s, though it also ranks first in many areas and has the world’s largest endowment. Some colleges have music programs, some do not. No college is one size fits all. Some have special strengths others do not.

We suggest that talented low-income students look very closely at these top 50 or so top-ranked colleges with good financial aid when making their college choices. This is for two reasons: one, top ranked colleges are more likely to be able to support you through college; two, while we suggest it is a smart decision to attend a top-ranked college with strong financial aid, we strongly suggest that you do not simply pick the college with the highest ranking in US News & World Report that accepts you. Clearly, within this pool of exceptional colleges, your own ‘top ten’ list might be quite different from the national rankings. In sum, aim high, but in this lofty group of elite schools, pick the one that will best allow you to build the life you dream for yourself.

First, talented low income students face the same questions other students face. Questions such as:

What majors and programs do they offer?
How will these majors and programs benefit my career goals?
How strong are my fellow students?
There are also other questions of each college’s personality, mood, geographic location, and otherwise – questions which can also be important.

Secondly, talented low-income students face questions specific to being low-income:

How good is the financial aid?
Will the financial aid drop from year to year, and if so why?
Can I transfer in credits from other colleges to save money?
How expensive is it to live in the area?
Is the college interested in supporting economic diversity?
Will I be able to afford to go home and see my family on my financial aid package?

Questions that pertain directly to low-income students are sometimes much harder to answer than general ones and require special investigation.

Part II: Finding the Right Fit -->>


Home National College Match College Prep Scholarship Resource Center Refer a Student About Us
Home National College Match College Prep Scholarship Student Resource Center Preparing for College Applying to College Strategies ►Choosing a College Early Action/Decision List of Guides Writing Essays Frequently Asked Questions Paying for College A Letter to Applicants Refer A Student About Us	Choosing a College (part 1 of 2) The Importance of Making the Right Choice Young people make many important decisions at an age which can, and likely will, impact their lives many years later. In the 20 years I've helped talented low-income students into the nation’s best colleges, I have noticed that many students make more informed decisions on buying their first car than they do about choosing a college or career. Most people don’t pick a car because it was ranked first in Consumer Digest., but tens of thousands of students pick a college on simple rankings in journals like US News & World Report. Like a car, college presents a vehicle for life. The good thing about picking the wrong car is that you can eventually get another one. Changing colleges is difficult, and once you graduate, what’s done is done. In choosing a college, you ought to make the best personalized decisions that you can to create a meaningful and efficacious life for yourself. College success is just one part of life success, but it can certainly be life-altering when approached with wisdom and vigor. There is no one size fits all, or one ranking that can account for all preferences. No college can fit every one perfectly. Even if they get in, not every student should attend a school like Harvard or Stanford. And among the 3890 colleges and universities in America, there are roughly only 50 robust enough to offer need-blind admission as well as four years of full financial aid (including room and board) to every talented low-income student admitted. But among these elite 50 or so colleges, with the dual blessing of strong academics and strong financial aid, the ‘right’ choice isn’t always so clear. If you want to be an architect, you’d better go to one of the handful of schools with an architecture program and strong financial aid. On the other hand, you’d better be sure you want to be an architect before attending a college which only has a strong architecture program compared to other departments. If you decide to change majors, you might not get the education you want. There are other examples of this. Harvard, a perennial favorite among students, has an engineering program that is clearly not as strong as Stanford’s or MIT’s, though it also ranks first in many areas and has the world’s largest endowment. Some colleges have music programs, some do not. No college is one size fits all. Some have special strengths others do not. We suggest that talented low-income students look very closely at these top 50 or so top-ranked colleges with good financial aid when making their college choices. This is for two reasons: one, top ranked colleges are more likely to be able to support you through college; two, while we suggest it is a smart decision to attend a top-ranked college with strong financial aid, we strongly suggest that you do not simply pick the college with the highest ranking in US News & World Report that accepts you. Clearly, within this pool of exceptional colleges, your own ‘top ten’ list might be quite different from the national rankings. In sum, aim high, but in this lofty group of elite schools, pick the one that will best allow you to build the life you dream for yourself. First, talented low income students face the same questions other students face. Questions such as: What majors and programs do they offer? How will these majors and programs benefit my career goals? How strong are my fellow students? There are also other questions of each college’s personality, mood, geographic location, and otherwise – questions which can also be important. Secondly, talented low-income students face questions specific to being low-income: How good is the financial aid? Will the financial aid drop from year to year, and if so why? Can I transfer in credits from other colleges to save money? How expensive is it to live in the area? Is the college interested in supporting economic diversity? Will I be able to afford to go home and see my family on my financial aid package? Questions that pertain directly to low-income students are sometimes much harder to answer than general ones and require special investigation. Part II: Finding the Right Fit -->>
2006 Quest Scholars Program Help Privacy Policy Terms of Use