Advice from a college professor to parents about selecting a college for their kids

One of the things about being a college professor is that your friends who are also parents frequently seek out your advice on helping their kids select a college. Here are some advice highlights that are overly general, but hopefully helpful.

The number one rule is that there is not one answer for everyone. Each student is different with different needs. So, here is my limited advice based on the type of institution:

Large State Schools—I do not recommend large state schools for the vast majority of students. First, it is too easy for the student to academically get lost in the shuffle, so the student’s focus switches from academics to social activities.

Second, while it is true that the leading scholars who teach at (somewhat) affordable institutions are at these large state schools, they aren’t really teaching the classes. The truth is that a large proportion of them do not take teaching that seriously and are therefore not very good teachers. The students frequently learn more from the teaching assistants, who are generally not very good teachers because they lack experience.

Third, students at these large institutions are, more often than not, treated as numbers rather than people. If you don’t stand out for some reason, you will be largely ignored.

What type of student do I recommend for large state schools? Highly motivated, highly intelligent, and outgoing students. The type of student who is bold enough to go to a professor’s office and intelligent enough to have a good conversation with her/him. Having taught for a few years at one of the largest state schools in the country, I can tell you that the vast majority of the students do not fit these criteria and do get lost in the shuffle.

Small State Schools—For the vast majority of students I would recommend a small state school over a large one. This is largely due to the students being treated more like a person. It also tends to be the least expensive option. But, there are problems with small state schools as well. First and foremost, many of the professors at small state schools wish they were at large state schools or elite private schools. They are all too often at the small state school because they couldn’t get a job anywhere else. This frequently means that they don’t have the best attitude. But, if the student is clearly above average, that student will frequently be treated very well by the professor (in the subconscious hope that the student will succeed in graduate school and perhaps bring up the reputation of the professor so he can go someplace better).

Elite Private Schools—Unless your student has at least a 3.8 gpa in high school, don’t even consider this one. They won’t survive and you will waste your money in tuition. These schools assume you are ready for college before you arrive and they get going immediately. Students who aren’t ready for college won’t get any help because the professors will devote most of their attention to the top students. The unfortunate fact is that most high schools do not properly prepare their students for college. This is because most high schools are composed of a lot of teachers who teach because they couldn’t cut it on the professional track in their major. I’m saying this as someone who has taught several students now who barely squeaked by my Intro to American Government class with a C and now teach American Government in high school (in a couple cases, they teach the AP class). This is not to say that there aren’t excellent high school teachers, because there are. You can’t expect a high school teacher who barely squeaked by in college to adequately prepare their student for a rigorous college. But, for highly intelligent students who were adequately prepared in high school, I would say elite private schools are the best option. They are where the best combination of educational quality with personal attention can be found.

Non-Elite Private Schools—This is an odd case. I honestly believe that for most students, this is the best option for academic success. The professors by and large want to be there (otherwise they would make more money working someplace else) and are therefore invested in the success of the students. But there is the obvious cost-benefit problem. If you are thinking purely about economics, this is not the way to go. Students don’t often come out of these schools making a lot of money. They do often come out of these schools with a lot of debt. So while this is the best educational option for most students, it is not the best financial option.

Special circumstances: Christian students—Since I am a Christian blogger, let me say a few words about considerations for sincerely Christian students. First of all, it is possible to thrive as a Christian in a secular school. (For tips on this, read J. Budziszewski’s How to Stay Christian in College.) But it is sometimes difficult to live in that setting. I personally went to a high school that had very few Christians (I think there were 20 of us in a school of 1500) and I went to a Christian college, and was very glad I did. My sister did the same. It was a relief to me to finally somewhat feel like I fit in someplace when I got to college. But secular colleges and universities can be an exciting mission field for those passionate about their faith and comfortable about who they are in Christ.

Special circumstances: Minority students—Even though I am a “White Guy”, I teach at an HBCU (historically Black college or university) and used to teach at a large state school, so I may be able to provide some insight for minority students. First of all, the atmosphere at a white-dominated school is very different from at a minority-dominated school. One of the biggest differences I noticed is that at the big state school it was highly unusual for minority students to speak in class. They would talk to me individually after class or in my office, but it was like pulling teeth trying to get them to participate in class. That is not a problem at a minority-dominated school. Minority students tend to be a lot more comfortable when they are around others who are like them. But this comes with a couple down-sides. If a student grew up with minorities and goes to college with minorities, I have concerns about their ability to interact in the professional world (where not everyone is a minority). Second, most minority-dominated schools aren’t very good. I hate saying this, but it’s true. I teach at a top-ten HBCU, and about a third of my students are nowhere near ready for college when they arrive. As a result, we have to spend a lot of time lowering our content in intro courses so these student can get caught up without failing out of the institution. You frequently won’t get as good of an academic training at a minority-dominated school as you would at a majority-dominated school. This is just the unfortunate reality. On the other hand, if you are coming into college from a high school that did not prepare you as well as it should have, a good minority-dominated school might be a good option since they tend to be very good at getting students up to speed in a shorter period of time.

My next blog will be on a related topic: advice about people who should not go to college right out of high school.