Preparing for College: Keeping an Open Mind
Love Island (of both the UK and USA variety) is my Roman Empire. I think about it constantly. So much so, that I have come to believe it’s an apt metaphor for the college search process. Hear me out. When a contestant (sometimes called a “bombshell”) arrives in the villa, they’re immediately asked their type. Some common responses: “Someone like X is my type on paper” or “they tick a lot of my boxes”. But, inevitably, the guy who said his type was blondes falls for a brunette. A girl who thinks she’s found someone who meets her checklist prerequisites realizes that something’s missing. And this, my friend, is the reason why it’s important to keep an open mind—when it comes to a lot of things in life, including what colleges to consider.
Just as new contestants on Love Island sometimes come in focused on a particular person, it’s easy to have tunnel vision for one school in the college search process. Okay, I’m done with the Love Island comparisons. In all seriousness… There may be pressure to love a particular school because of its reputation as a “top tier institution”. It’s funny how the more selective a school, the more students want to go there. The data actually supports this fact. Or maybe you badly want to go someplace because family members went there and you’ve been wearing that school’s swag since you were a baby. (Maybe you’re wearing that school’s sweatshirt now.)
So how do you keep an open mind? Here are a few thoughts to consider:
Figure out your non-negotiables—while keeping in mind that some of them may change. It might be a particular major you know you want to pursue or an activity (say, mock trial) that you know you want to consider. But, because you’re going to evolve over the course of your college career, make sure you also look into how easy it is to change majors or what other opportunities a school might have.
Search broadly. Take advantage of online resources like the Plan for College section of Collegeboard’s Big Future website. You’ll find a nifty Explore Colleges page here. There may be schools that fit what you’re looking for but that you never considered.
Take advantage of the knowledge and wisdom of your college or high school counselor. I know that I have my high school counselor to thank for helping me get to USC. She had a caseload of over 550 students and still managed to point me in the right direction. I was pretty set on attending a liberal arts college. I absolutely didn’t want to apply to USC; everyone from my school applied there and I thought it was too big. But she recommended it because she thought I would be competitive for merit scholarships. I am so thankful that I was deferred in the Early Decision process for that school. I know now that I would have been miserable on a small college campus.
Visit as many schools as possible. In person is ideal, if you can swing it. It actually wasn’t until I visited USC that I knew it was someplace I was serious about. And I had no intention of liking it. I was that anti-USC at the time.
Don’t rule out a school because of its “advertised sticker price”. Have the conversation about paying for college with your family early, of course. However, you don’t know how expensive attending a certain school will actually be until you receive your financial aid package and scholarship information.
Finally, know that you’ll have more time to research after you apply and before you make your decision. You’ll have more time to visit, do online research, talk to students, etc. So your decision doesn’t have to be made up when you apply (unless you’re applying Early Decision, of course).
Ultimately, and even if you have your heart set on one particular place right now, know that there are many fantastic colleges and universities that will be a fit for you. So, go into the college search process with an open mind. You may find yourself somewhere completely unexpected—but absolutely perfect for you.
Written by: Anne Aubert-Santelli, Associate Director, USC Office of Admission