QuestBridge: Applying to College

Finding a College That Best Fits Your Goals

Not every college is the best fit for everyone. In short, even if they get in, not every student should attend schools like Harvard or Stanford. There are clearly instances where attending one of the top five colleges can actually harm future career choices like applying to medical or law school as the prerequisite classes are usually graded on a curve. This means that in each class, the large majority of students won’t get A’s. The elevated acceptance rates that some of the very top colleges post for medical school does not take into account the “pre-meds” who dropped out of the pre-med track because the curves were so difficult. This type of self analysis can be difficult, but useful. It is certainly better to get a 3.9 at an elite and nurturing small liberal arts school than a 3.1 at an elite Ivy League college for medical school applications. If your GPA is low enough, you won’t get into any medical school, much less a top-ranked one, even if you graduated from a college like Harvard, Stanford, or Yale. In applying to medical school, it can be better to be a star at a slightly less prestigious school, than an average student at a top-ranked college.

On the other hand, some professions, like various types of business, are less GPA sensitive, and the powerful alumni networks and connections at a top-ranked college, can make all the difference in landing that first job. So, even if you are a mid-ranked student in economics at Columbia, you might be more likely to land a job in Wall Street than if you had attended a less well-known college and graduated a valedictorian.

In short, depending on your professional goals, sometimes it is clearly better to be a big fish in a small pond of an elite but slightly less competitive college than an ‘average’ student at a top college like Harvard, Stanford, or Yale. With other life and professional goals, the reverse is true. And naturally, being the valedictorian at one of the Ivy League Colleges is great, but there are only eight such students in the country every year.

Naturally, at age 17 or 18, particularly if you come from a home where few people attended college, such choices can be difficult and equally uninformed. It’s helpful to have some idea what you might want to focus on in life. It’s even helpful if you can rule things out. Often, college allows this professional and life exploration which is difficult in high school. In the undecided case, it’s important to attend a college that suits your general range of potential interests, your personality, and even your relative academic strength. A college that is perpetually too difficult for your skills can lead to underperformance, both in college and as an applicant to graduate or professional school. Alternatively, attending a college which is too easy for you can prove equally frustrating and unrewarding.

As a low-income student, it’s especially important to think critically on which college will provide you with the tools to succeed in life. When you graduate, chances are you will not receive family help in getting your first job, or be able to receive financial support from your family after graduation. Or, if you are interested in graduate school, you will need to be competitive for the schools you’re interested in, as well as plan for payment of these school fees. And unlike undergraduate financial aid, there’s generally no such thing as free money from schools or government grants for you to attend medical, law, or other graduate programs. Most people pay for graduate school entirely with loans they must repay with interest after they graduate. Whether you choose to work right after college, or choose to pursue graduate studies immediately, what undergraduate school will give you the most tools to help you build your future?

Financial Aid

One of the biggest concerns for low-income students is determining the quality of financial aid over four years. It costs $160,000 to pay for each low-income student. Unfortunately, some colleges use the practice of offering a larger financial aid offer in year one than in years 2-4. This bait and switch is obviously a problem for both low-income students and middle income students. How can a low-income student determine which colleges will support them financially for four years and which ones cannot or will not?

There are two ways to look at this. One is to look at the endowment per student at the college you are interested in. The other is to look for colleges that have promised to pursue need blind admissions in a group called the 568 group.

The overlap between these two lists is particularly compelling as it represents colleges and universities with both a stated commitment to enabling low-income to attend their colleges. Particularly with small liberal arts colleges, which are expensive and may at first glance seem too small to provide strong aid, this analysis can be very useful.

List of colleges: endowment per-student in 2004

List of colleges: 568 Presidents' Group committed to "need blind" admissions

In presenting these lists, QuestBridge is not promising that any of the colleges listed above will meet all the need that you have or perceive to have in paying for college, but just that this is a very good place to start.

On the other hand, there are also many less endowed schools with strong commitments to helping low-income students who may have special programs for their most talented low-income students even if they cannot meet all unmet need for all students. There are also top colleges not in the 568 group who also focus both on need blind admissions and meeting all unmet need (Stanford and Harvard are examples).

This is meant more as a guide than a directory, but should be a good place to start. You might be surprised that many small liberal arts colleges have more money per student than even several Ivy League colleges.

Conclusion

Beyond questions of which college will provide you with the most financial aid and the biggest career boost, there are also questions of college personality. Do you prefer a single-gender or co-ed college? Do you have specific geographic preferences? For these considerations, please read our Additional Notes on Choosing a College.

The point is that low-income students, and middle income students also, must answer many more questions than students who do not have to worry about paying for college. This is all the more reason why it makes sense for low-income students to aim as ‘high’ as they can academically, as there is a great overlap between top ranked colleges and those with ample financial aid and resources. From these lists, it is clear that low-income students should look closely at less well known top small liberal arts colleges with generous financial aid, which in some cases will even exceed the resources available at selected Ivy League colleges.

College can be a vehicle for life. Do the favorite colleges on your list present the best tools that you will use to create and build the life you want? You have to do the growth yourself. What do you want to build? Which tools are best for you?

<<-- Part I: The Importance of Making the Right Decision


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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 2 of 2) Finding a College That Best Fits Your Goals Not every college is the best fit for everyone. In short, even if they get in, not every student should attend schools like Harvard or Stanford. There are clearly instances where attending one of the top five colleges can actually harm future career choices like applying to medical or law school as the prerequisite classes are usually graded on a curve. This means that in each class, the large majority of students won’t get A’s. The elevated acceptance rates that some of the very top colleges post for medical school does not take into account the “pre-meds” who dropped out of the pre-med track because the curves were so difficult. This type of self analysis can be difficult, but useful. It is certainly better to get a 3.9 at an elite and nurturing small liberal arts school than a 3.1 at an elite Ivy League college for medical school applications. If your GPA is low enough, you won’t get into any medical school, much less a top-ranked one, even if you graduated from a college like Harvard, Stanford, or Yale. In applying to medical school, it can be better to be a star at a slightly less prestigious school, than an average student at a top-ranked college. On the other hand, some professions, like various types of business, are less GPA sensitive, and the powerful alumni networks and connections at a top-ranked college, can make all the difference in landing that first job. So, even if you are a mid-ranked student in economics at Columbia, you might be more likely to land a job in Wall Street than if you had attended a less well-known college and graduated a valedictorian. In short, depending on your professional goals, sometimes it is clearly better to be a big fish in a small pond of an elite but slightly less competitive college than an ‘average’ student at a top college like Harvard, Stanford, or Yale. With other life and professional goals, the reverse is true. And naturally, being the valedictorian at one of the Ivy League Colleges is great, but there are only eight such students in the country every year. Naturally, at age 17 or 18, particularly if you come from a home where few people attended college, such choices can be difficult and equally uninformed. It’s helpful to have some idea what you might want to focus on in life. It’s even helpful if you can rule things out. Often, college allows this professional and life exploration which is difficult in high school. In the undecided case, it’s important to attend a college that suits your general range of potential interests, your personality, and even your relative academic strength. A college that is perpetually too difficult for your skills can lead to underperformance, both in college and as an applicant to graduate or professional school. Alternatively, attending a college which is too easy for you can prove equally frustrating and unrewarding. As a low-income student, it’s especially important to think critically on which college will provide you with the tools to succeed in life. When you graduate, chances are you will not receive family help in getting your first job, or be able to receive financial support from your family after graduation. Or, if you are interested in graduate school, you will need to be competitive for the schools you’re interested in, as well as plan for payment of these school fees. And unlike undergraduate financial aid, there’s generally no such thing as free money from schools or government grants for you to attend medical, law, or other graduate programs. Most people pay for graduate school entirely with loans they must repay with interest after they graduate. Whether you choose to work right after college, or choose to pursue graduate studies immediately, what undergraduate school will give you the most tools to help you build your future? Financial Aid One of the biggest concerns for low-income students is determining the quality of financial aid over four years. It costs $160,000 to pay for each low-income student. Unfortunately, some colleges use the practice of offering a larger financial aid offer in year one than in years 2-4. This bait and switch is obviously a problem for both low-income students and middle income students. How can a low-income student determine which colleges will support them financially for four years and which ones cannot or will not? There are two ways to look at this. One is to look at the endowment per student at the college you are interested in. The other is to look for colleges that have promised to pursue need blind admissions in a group called the 568 group. The overlap between these two lists is particularly compelling as it represents colleges and universities with both a stated commitment to enabling low-income to attend their colleges. Particularly with small liberal arts colleges, which are expensive and may at first glance seem too small to provide strong aid, this analysis can be very useful. List of colleges: endowment per-student in 2004 List of colleges: 568 Presidents' Group committed to "need blind" admissions In presenting these lists, QuestBridge is not promising that any of the colleges listed above will meet all the need that you have or perceive to have in paying for college, but just that this is a very good place to start. On the other hand, there are also many less endowed schools with strong commitments to helping low-income students who may have special programs for their most talented low-income students even if they cannot meet all unmet need for all students. There are also top colleges not in the 568 group who also focus both on need blind admissions and meeting all unmet need (Stanford and Harvard are examples). This is meant more as a guide than a directory, but should be a good place to start. You might be surprised that many small liberal arts colleges have more money per student than even several Ivy League colleges. Conclusion Beyond questions of which college will provide you with the most financial aid and the biggest career boost, there are also questions of college personality. Do you prefer a single-gender or co-ed college? Do you have specific geographic preferences? For these considerations, please read our Additional Notes on Choosing a College. The point is that low-income students, and middle income students also, must answer many more questions than students who do not have to worry about paying for college. This is all the more reason why it makes sense for low-income students to aim as ‘high’ as they can academically, as there is a great overlap between top ranked colleges and those with ample financial aid and resources. From these lists, it is clear that low-income students should look closely at less well known top small liberal arts colleges with generous financial aid, which in some cases will even exceed the resources available at selected Ivy League colleges. College can be a vehicle for life. Do the favorite colleges on your list present the best tools that you will use to create and build the life you want? You have to do the growth yourself. What do you want to build? Which tools are best for you? <<-- Part I: The Importance of Making the Right Decision
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