Teen View - The College Question

Overwhelming. And scary. As decision time loomed nearer, I decided to break down the process into steps to make my task more manageable.

Step One: Narrow Down the Choices.

There are thousands of colleges out there, and for a kid to go crazy applying to all of them isn’t such a hot idea. Aside from being a big, fat waste of money, it’s also a big, fat waste of time. No kid, no matter how talented or smart, wants to go to the number one school just because they can. They want to find a place where they think they’ll belong.

My problem, much to my parent’s dismay, was that I was hyper-focused on attending a specific college for certain reasons. This college, not a mainstream one, was centered in performance and music, things that I greatly enjoy and have experience in. I knew I could get accepted into this college, as opposed to other colleges, where things were not so clear-cut. Additionally, I was listening to other people, and essentially letting them make the choice for me. With focusing on this place so intensely, I was ignoring other interests that I might want to pursue in my college life. And so, with that in mind, my parents sat me down to set me straight.

“Dalia, we think you need to think things through more carefully. You don’t want to do a rush job with this and then regret it for the next four years. Why don’t you look into your other options, so you fully know what you’re dealing with?”

My parents usually give reasonably good advice. And so, of course I answered, “Nope, I’m sure, thanks.”

After subtle suggestions, gritted teeth, and outright discussions on my future, I finally answered my parents with, “All right, I’ll take a look.”

So began the long, arduous process of choosing where to send my applications. My mother and father pointed out how important it was to look at more than one component when looking at colleges. Sure, it might be co-ed, but does it have a favorable boy-to-girl ratio? Focusing even closer, are the pictures of the guys cute? Maybe my parents didn’t specify these things as important, but I knew they were included just the same.

Step Two: Research Colleges That Fit Your Interests.

No matter how much my parents want me to love the math and sciences (sorry, guys) there is no way that I would consider applying to anything but a liberal arts college, English-loving freak that I am. And, being the wonderful parents that they are, they understand that. They encouraged me to look into places with strong writing and performance programs. Ruling out colleges that would obviously not fit my academic or personal interests was a big factor in narrowing down college choices.

Step Three: Consider the Environment Variable.

Having been in small schools all my life, for college, I wanted to go big. Not super-size double cheeseburger big, but bigger than the not quite 100-girl high school I attend. Like an upgrade from one lone patty to a burger with condiments and veggies. It was important that my parents didn’t push me one way or the other, towards a big college or small college, letting me make the choice on my own. This way, if the screaming hordes of college freshmen terrified the wits out of me the first year, being so much more than I was used to, I couldn’t blame Mom and Dad. Smart move.

Another very important environment factor is geography. When it comes to weather, I’m spoiled. I admit it. I’ve grown up in sunny California, the past seven years right outside of L.A. While I don’t much enjoy the scorching heat, I’ve never been in the debilitating cold or drowning humidity of the east coast. But I want to give it a shot. College is all about new experiences, right? Besides, if I hated it, it would just make me appreciate California weather more. My parents were not so optimistic. “Dalia, the weather is miserable there!” my mother emphasized. “It’s horrible. You really don’t know what it’s like.”

I realize that part of their reluctance for me to go to the east is the fear that I’ll be unhappy. For parents of someone who’s never even gone to sleep-away camp, let alone away to school for four years, they’re going to worry about my well being. They don’t want me so far away from home. As the middle child and only daughter, I’m the one they naturally worry about most. It’s probably as overwhelming for them as it is for me. And you know what? I’m scared too. But despite their skeptical faces and my doubts, three of the colleges on my list are located in the east, two in Boston and one in Pennsylvania. Instead of going overboard with the overprotective parent shtick that everyone hates, once I made up my mind, they dropped it: “If that’s what you’re sure you want, go for it.”

While I’m far from sure, filled with the same nagging doubts and lurking fears any teen going through this process is, their reassurances helped me solidify my college choices. With their help, I have my list narrowed down to six not-too-big-not-too-small liberal arts colleges. Don’t get me wrong, you’ve just seen about four months of research and worry packed into one column. But it’s a process that eventually comes to an end, especially with supportive parents who listen to what their kid wants, not what they want for their kid. Next step: applications and financial aid. I wonder if my parents are ready.

The List

Here is a list of resources I found helpful in my college hunt:

1. www.collegeboard.com -Register here and it makes registration for SAT I and SAT II easy. As much as I’m not an advocate for standardized testing for college admission, if you have to do it, this site makes the process a lot simpler.

2. www.princetonreview.com - Offers books, college info (their 351 Top Colleges List is a favorite when I’m bored), and prep classes for any standardized test you might ever need to get into college.

3. www.colleges.com - Anything from admissions information to Christmas ornaments and sweatshirts from your alma mater. If it has to do with colleges, it’ll be at this site.

Dalia Caplan is a high school senior in Southern California who loves to read, write, and sing. She continues to search for the perfect college and we hope to publish her success story in 2005.