College fairs, campus visits, applications and so many choices. From start to finish, the college search can be overwhelming and often confusing. Here's an overview of the whole process, complete with answers to the questions parents most often ask.

What are colleges looking for?

Many college-bound teens focus on their grade point average. While it's true that colleges are interested in your student's grades and their scores on the SAT and/or the ACT, these things are only part of what they want to know about your teen. Colleges want a much more complete picture.

For starters, colleges want to see that your child has taken classes that challenged them. Tougher classes not only look better on a college application—they also prepare your student for college coursework.

Colleges also are interested in school activities, community service, church in-volvement, spiritual development, work experience, even family life—anything that has shaped your student.

Leadership is very important. It's good if your student has been involved in some activities, and it's even better if they've taken a leadership role in at least one of them. A leadership role shows colleges that your student is someone who is willing to commit time and energy to something they care about.

Finally, colleges are interested in what others have to say about your child. Most colleges require two or more letters of recommendation from adults who know your student well—like a guidance counselor, a teacher or a pastor.

When should my student begin the college search process?

Many experts suggest students begin their college search during their sophomore year in high school—certainly no sooner than that—or early in their junior year at the latest. Students shouldn't wait until their senior year. While they can still get in at many colleges, they may end up rushing their decision.

The family can begin the search by praying together. Choosing a college is one of the most important decisions your student will ever make. Ask God to lead your student every step of the way.

Your student's guidance counselor is a vital part of the search process. Encourage your teen to meet with their counselor regularly throughout the process. The counselor can offer advice on which high school classes still need to be taken; whether your student should take the SAT, ACT or both; and where to look for college and scholarship information. It also is helpful for you and your teen to meet together with the counselor—if you are informed about the timeline and the process, you'll be better equipped to support your child.

Next, you'll save a lot of time if your student first narrows their search criteria. Have your child make a list of general qualities they want in their college. (Your family can use the College Choice Worksheet on page 41.)

Certain factors may be very important, while others might not matter much. For instance, you and your child might not care about the size (number of students) of the school, but finding a school close to home may be important.

What should my student consid er when looking at colleges?

Here are some factors you and your student should consider:

1. Distance. Are there concerns about your child traveling a great distance? Does your child want to stay close to home, or are they willing to go far away?
2. Location. You need to think through how you and your child feel about schools located in big cities, the suburbs, and sparsely populated rural areas. Could they deal with a drastic change in climate?
3. Size. Some Christian colleges have thousands of students. Some only have a few hundred.
4. Admissions requirements. Colleges vary greatly in their requirements for admission. If your student is not sure whether to consider a school because of its academic requirements, they should consult their high school guidance counselor.
5. Majors. If your student knows what they want to study in college, this is a key factor. If not, don't worry about it. At most colleges, it isn't necessary for students to declare a major until they've finished almost two years of college.
6. Cost. Parents are usually most concerned about this factor. As your student begins the college search, try to keep in mind that families rarely pay the full "sticker price" at a college. Financial aid from the government, private sources and the colleges themselves is available to cut the costs. After your student has applied to colleges, your family will receive a financial-aid package from each school. This will give you a better feel for what you can—and can't—afford.
7. Denominational affiliation. Many Christian colleges are officially related to a particular church. If this is important to you and your student, it may substantially narrow the list of prospective schools.
8. Spiritual climate. Schools will provide information about student fellowships, the campus chapel, nearby churches, and service and missions opportunities. Also, most Christian colleges have a "statement of faith," which tells what its faculty and administration believe about God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Bible, salvation, and other important issues of faith. Another thing to consider is the college's "code of conduct agreement," which spells out certain behavior expectations at the school. Many codes include regulations regarding sexual activity and the use of alcohol and drugs. Many codes also include regulations on social dancing; some have rules about playing cards. You and your child should read the codes carefully. If your teen reads anything in the code that they feel they can't abide by, they should cross that school off their list.

These are some of the main factors. Your student may come up with more specific things to consider, such as the presence or lack of a program, activity or resource.

How can we get information about specific colleges?

Your student's guidance counselor may have some college brochures on hand. Most colleges have information on their websites: Just do a search online for the college's name. If you're not online, your student can get contact information from their guidance counselor or out of a college directory, then call college admissions offices to request information packets.

College fairs are a great resource for your family. At these events, college representatives are available to speak with you and your student. It's best to get a list of the colleges that will be represented beforehand. There are even fairs that include just Christian colleges: The National Association of Christian College Admissions Personnel (NACCAP) sponsors about 65 fairs nationwide. More information about NACCAP fairs is available online at gospelcom.net/naccap/student/fair/, or call 1-888-4CFAIRS.

My student has received a ton of mail from colleges. What should we do with it?

At first, be slow about throwing anything away—at least until you and your child have narrowed the choice a bit. To keep all this material from getting out of hand (and lost), do what you can to help your teen get organized. Purchase a cardboard storage box with some file folders. If your student has filled out the College Choice Worksheet (on page 41), this might provide some ways to organize the file, such as filing colleges by size, location, those that offer a specific major or program, or whatever factors are most important to your student. Or, your student might simply put their top five choices in the first folder, the second five in the second folder, and so on, and then reprioritize them as needed.

How can my student narrow down their choices?

Your student should begin narrowing down their choices during their junior year. At this point, you and your child should consider the factors (above and on the College Choice Worksheet) that are most important. Rate each of the factors on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being "not very important" and 5 being "non-negotiable." Also, your child might think about why they want to go to college—if they can put the why into words, it will help them choose the type of school they're looking for.

During the first semester of your student's junior year, it is good to keep the list of possibilities to 10-12 colleges, 20 at most. Get as much information about these schools as possible. Then during the second semester of your teen's junior year, this list should be narrowed down to five or six schools. The process then becomes much more subjective. Opinions, advice and even intuition matter at that point; maybe your child has a "certain feeling" about a particular school or schools. That's good; sometimes that's just how God speaks to us.

Is it important for my student to visit campuses?

One college admissions officer said that if a visit is at all possible, families should always try to visit the student's top choices. Colleges, like people, have personalities, and a visit is the best way for your student to see if a college feels right.

To get the most out of a campus visit, your student should call the admissions office at least two weeks in advance. This will give the college time to make a schedule of classes and events your teen might be interested in attending. Your child also might ask about meeting with a professor, especially if they're interested in a specific major.

During the visit, it will be helpful for your teen to attend a class, go to chapel, eat in the dining hall, walk around campus and spend a night in a dorm. Your student should try to talk to as many students, faculty and staff as possible—especially current students. This is the best time for your child to think about whether they can picture themselves on this campus.

How many schools should my student apply to, and how much will this cost?

Most experts recommend applying to five or six schools. Applying to more than six can get expensive, and applying to less can be risky. Even if your student is at the top of their class, they shouldn't assume they'll be accepted at their top choice, or even their second or third choice. Different schools look for different qualities in students, and some schools simply have a lot more applicants than space to accommodate everyone. If your student is applying to some highly competitive schools, it's a good idea to balance these with a couple of schools that tend to admit more of their applicants.

Some colleges don't have an application fee, but most charge around $25. If it will be difficult for you to pay the application fee, you or your student should contact the school—sometimes, they reduce or even waive the fee.

What kind of timeline should my student follow in the application process?

By the fall of your child's senior year, you should know which schools your student will actually apply to. If your student hasn't received applications from those schools at that time, they'll need to contact the schools and request applications.

Your child will need to know the deadlines for each application, as these vary from school to school. Along with basic information, like your child's high school transcripts and a list of activities they've been involved in, most applications require an essay or two and a couple letters of recommendation. There may be a few different items that will take time to gather, so it's a good idea for your student to read through each application right away, even if none are due for six months.

If you previously purchased a storage box and filing folders, these can now be used to keep track of application materials. For example, one folder could contain applications that have been filled out, another might be for applications that need essays written or recommendation letters attached. Be sure to make copies of everything your student sends to colleges, and note when each application was mailed.

At the same time, your student should be applying for financial aid.

When will colleges let my student know whether they've been accepted?

Your student should check each college they're considering to see when applicants are notified of the college's decision.

In the meantime, pray with your student. The process of choosing a college is a great chance for your child to see God at work in their life. Ask God to guide your student, to give them discernment and wisdom—and to give you wisdom when your child seeks your advice. Read Proverbs 2:1-11 together, which promises that "if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, God will enable you to make a wise decision."

This article was adapted from The Campus Life Guide to Christian Colleges and Universities (Broadman and Holman Publishers).

Copyright © 2003 by the author or Christianity Today International/Campus Life magazine.
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