<p>Is it me or is everyone crazy by mentioning," OMG, I totally belong at this/that school."</p>
<p>There are like 2000 colleges in the US. Kids pack their bags in the summer to visit.... like 6. How in the world can they claim that the school that fits them is in that 6? I think a more practicaly approach is to pick a school that offers a good education and just settle. Turning down say.... Brown because you hate how everyone looks like they are from a GQ magazine for a tier 3 schools that offers great weather and "learning atmosphere" doesnt make sense.</p>
<p>Im interested in people's thoughts on this academic fit idea.</p>
<p>Location does matter, though. 4 years of misery could ruin your grades. Of course, how they are for your major, an affordable price, and a a school with good counseling so you can find a job.</p>
<p>And besides, Providence is pretty nice. There’s nothing wrong with RI. : )</p>
<p>There are a ton of factors in picking a college you think is perfect.
I agree that it may not be the PERFECT college you pick, but it’s perfect for what you have seen or became interested in.</p>
<p>One of my factors was location. I didn’t want to go too far from Maryland so I tried to find schools in Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. And think Towson is my “best fit” school.</p>
<p>But I just never know. There could be a school in Colorado, or California, or Minnesota that is the perfect academic fit for me, but I’ll never actually now.</p>
<p>Just because magazines and newspapers say “This school is one of the best schools ever” doesn’t mean it’s the best school for EVERYONE. Everyone is different and likes different things. Which is way there is such a big selection and variety of colleges.</p>
<p>I certainly think there are elements of fit that are important to consider, but that should narrow your list of schools down to like eight, not one.</p>
<p>I certainly think there are elements of fit that are important to consider, but that should narrow your list of schools down to like eight, not one.</p>
<p>Yes, I was able to determine a list of schools that are a very good fit for me. Unfortunately, I determined this fairly small list after applying, so I applied to a lot more schools unnecessarily. Ah well. Curiously, my “list” seems to comprise schools that I either didn’t really have to worry about admission to or that were likely too difficult for me; none that were a “match” for admissions, so to speak. However, I’m content with the results.</p>
<p>So yes, you do have to determine a school that fits you; but going into admission, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be able to find multiple schools that would fit you well.</p>
<p>You’re going to be going to a school for four years, so it should be somewhere you are comfortable and somewhere you enjoy being. To live and study somewhere for four years, you should really like it. Thus, the school has to at least fit <em>well enough for you to have a good experience.</em></p>
<p>It doesn’t have to be the perfect fit. It doesn’t have to be the best fit. Nobody can really claim to have found the absolute best fit for them, because nobody visits all 3000 colleges in the US.</p>
<p>Really, all you need is a school at which you’ll be happy - a school that fits you <em>well enough.</em></p>
<p>Simply saying that there are 2,000 colleges in the US is misleading. You can narrow that down significantly by cutting away schools based on:
- location
- competitiveness (whether it is too little or too much)
- finance
- specialization
After doing that, you can probably compile a reasonably sized list, do your visits, apply, see where you get in, and pick from your even fewer remaining choices.</p>
<p>Ok i think narrowing fit to a list of schools is more rational.</p>
<p>But again, the question holds. Why then do people still feel that a single school on their list, which should all be of decent “fit” selected to criteria, is the best school for them?</p>
<p>Well, while someone may realize that there is a group of schools that fit them, they may have a favorite. Everyone has to narrow it down to that one, some just go in hoping their one will be a certain one. It could be for the best program in their field, or a great location, or a campus they like; these are things that go into the final decision anyway, assuming your hands aren’t completely tied by money.</p>