How closely do students and parents look at academic details when choosing colleges...

We didn’t worry about any of that much. We took a different approach. We checked with folks doing the jobs my kids thought they wanted and asked for recommendations. When a school was mentioned more than once we looked at it for other fit reasons - things like finances, location, and vibe.

Oldest went to a school where the folks who wrote a book about his job were professors. He later changed his major to something he liked better and is now employed in a field he is really good at.

Middle wanted med school, so was just able to pick a major and school that he simply enjoyed. He looked deeper at the research being done and other aspects of fit. He’s in med school now, so no problem. He’d have been fine if he had needed a Plan B too.

Youngest wanted a major that can be difficult to find a job in, so getting advice of those literally there and doing it was crucial. He then changed his major… so much for the in depth investigation! He’s since graduated and doing fine too.

I still recommend our method of locating good schools to students, especially since most don’t really know how to understand specifics of courses, etc. It works well. If those doing the hiring or admitting like X school, it’s worth looking at for fit.