How important is “fit”?

I’m really just confused about the idea of fit when looking for colleges. Some of the things that I have read here basically make it seem like you can’t succeed in college unless you’ve visited a lot of different schools and you are confident that the college you’re going to is a good “fit,” academically, socially, etc. and it doesn’t really make that much sense to me.
I guess get it, but my parents won’t take me on a college visit and don’t want me to apply to more than maybe 5 or 6 schools, so I can’t guarantee that I’ll go to a perfect “fit.” And since it seems like most students just go to local colleges anyways, it seems like fit isn’t that important.
Can someone please explain the idea of “fit” in further detail to me, because I’m not sure if I get it. I want to go to a good school and have a good college experience, but so far searching for colleges has been pretty difficult and stressful and it seems like I’m searching for some “fit” when I don’t necessarily have to.

Here’s what “fit” meant to my daughter:

She wanted a big school in a rural setting.

A STEM focused, hands on approach to engineering
Big focus on career readiness
Engineering courses starting first semester
Guaranteed undergraduate research opportunities
As few liberal arts requirements as possible
A school that would transfer in her APs and Dual Credit courses
Strong study abroad options for engineers (that one was more common than we expected)
Easy accessibility to pianos in the dorms and music classes (which meant accepting the APs/Dual credits so there were little to no general ed requirements and room to use her elective spots as she saw fit).
A down to earth vibe.

This totally tied in to her application in terms of her high school coursework, ECs, awards, and letters of recommendations.

All that said, she developed this list by visiting schools that were well regarded for her major, and figuring out what she liked and didn’t like. Before she started college visits, she was thinking Notre Dame would be her first choice which fits almost none of her final criteria other than location and size (depending on the definition of big).

You don’t have to go far to do your college visits. If you have some day trip/instate options, go look at a variety of different campus - big, small, public, private, STEM, LAC to get a feel of what you like. Go to college fairs, local college presentations and expose yourself to what you can.

She’s starting in Purdue’s Honors College in a few weeks. The school that checked off all of her boxes.

Much of this depends on your personality and your financial situation. People with limited options and people who are bloom-where-you-are-planted types have to and do make things work without much fanfare.

Even if you don’t go on visits, there are still a few things you might be able to assume if you think about your personality and preferences. For example, you probably have an idea if you love cold weather or find it miserable and depressing, which can help guide what areas of the country you’d seek.

Do your best to understand as much as you can about the colleges you’re interested in and then trust that it will be OK, because for most people it is. Read the subboards for the various colleges here, check a Fiske Guide out from your library and gather as much info as you can about the vibe of the schools. That’s a great start and will get you good insight even though you can’t physically visit. Good luck.

Lots of students go to and graduate from colleges that are only acceptable, rather than optimal, fits. Lots of students are not that picky beyond being able to find the desired academic offerings and majors at an affordable price (the only real “hard” fit factors).

If you are not that picky, then you may have a much larger range of acceptable fit colleges than someone who is more picky.

I am not big of a believer in fit. You go to a college to get a good education, everything else is nice to have. As long as it has majors (courses) you are interested in then it is serving its purpose. Sure, if you do not have financial constraints and have good stats for most schools then you could pick and choose a school based on fit (urban vs rural, large vs small, weather, beach side, vibe…) Most students do not get to pick their high school and most of them still thrived and managed to get a high school diploma.

I am more of a believer in going to a college that has similar caliber of students as you (similar to be in APs and honors while in high school) so you wouldn’t be bored. Most colleges have 2K-15K students, hard for me to believe you couldn’t find people with similar interests as you.

Also, visits may be overrated. If you go on a visit without knowing what to look for from pre-visit research of the college, you may get an inaccurate impression based on superficial appearances, or good/bad sales/marketing by the college.

There is no perfect fit. You simply want to select a set of schools to apply to that meet your definition of what you think you’d enjoy.

For my son that meant some of the following:

East Coast
Strong Business School
Strong overall education
Defined classic suburban campus (not in a big city, not in the sticks)
Smaller to midsize (5-15k students)
Small classes
Campus community focused - most kids living on and being active on campus
Big school spirit
Exciting sports teams
Kids from all over the world
Outside of FL

As an example, here’s how that factored in his application (and selection list). He didn’t want to be in a big city, so he didn’t apply to UPENN (which has a great UG business school). He just wouldn’t have been happy there. He was more interested in a school like BC than BU because of location. He thought Bentley didn’t offer enough “college experience” outside of classes (really small sports program - felt it was more like a big high school).

Found several that checked most boxes. Most were peer schools (highly selective) and was accepted to about half so he had great options.

I agree with most of what posters said above.

Many people could thrive at almost any type of college. A big part of the experience is you- your drive, your personality, how you make efforts to connect with other students, what you make of the available opportunities.

That said, if there are certain aspects of the college experience that especially attract you, look for colleges that have more of those. If there are aspects you don’t like, look for ones with fewer of those. That is what is meant by “fit.”

I do not believe in the “one perfect college” concept. Even if you apply to a college early decision, you should be thinking to yourself that you could be just as happy at your matches and safeties.

Some colleges might be a terrible fit for some people- e.g., some people would suffer at a military academy. But it is easy to avoid obviously poor matches.

Some kids can prosper just about anywhere… or at least be ok, and have a decent experience.

But with the great variety of schools we have in the US – a variety of locations, settings, climates, campus sizes and appearances, curricular styles, calendars, majors and courses, class sizes, populations, social vibes, sports vibes, housing setups, etc. – if you can identify your preferences, you can apply to schools that provide the most of what you want.

Why wouldn’t you choose the buffet with more of the dishes you like over the one with fewer?

IMO a college having one’s major, if one knows what major is desired, IS part of “fit”.

What would I have done at Olin? Would have been a terrible fit for me.

A future engineer isn’t going to be a good fit at Sarah Lawrence.

A gay atheist at Liberty or Brigham Young? Not likely to be a good fit.

But lots of kids can probably “fit” at Ohio State, even if they’d have preferred small classes and lots of professor attention. They’ll make do and get that stuff in the last year or two. A kid wishing for rah rah sports and a huge campus can probably make it work at Earlham too, it’s just more challenging.

For one child fit means –

  • consortium school -- meaning it's possible to take classes freely at several other schools and there's transportation to those schools.
  • a school that values learning over grades
  • homey, non-competitive atmosphere
  • health as a general major (not premed)

The top contenders were Mt. Holyoke, then Bryn Mawr, then Simmons, and, though not a consortium school, Earlham.

@Dustyfeathers you nailed the mt Holyoke vibe based on my time nearby in the consortium and friends that went there. And yes these were girls that were friends, not girlfriends. We met randomly through classes etc. though all women environment it didn’t seem at all unfriendly to visiting men. Very cool school and really pretty campus. Though I do recall them being very serious students as well. I’m a big fan

For my daughter, the major was the first thing she considered, as she wanted to major in dance and wanted a program that focused on ballet. So that’s how she first narrowed down her list. Once she had her acceptances she was able to further refine her list and try to narrow it down to the one that seemed most likely to help her with her goals. Had she been undecided on her major, or had a major in mind that was far more common, she would have been a little more picky about location and size of school.

So @elsaanna what are you looking for in the colleges you want to attend? This criteria will be your “fit”.

Will your parents take you on school visits after you apply and are accepted?

Because many of the buffets are too expensive even after applying all dscount coupons, and some others are in exclusive clubs that one cannot get into? Also, a buffet with many choices, but not your favorite ones, may not be as desirable.

@Gumbymom I’m really not sure what I’m looking for in a school. I’m not completely decided on my major yet, I don’t really have any size or location preferences, and I feel like I could be happy at any school. My parents will take me on visits after I apply and am accepted.

First, you need to find out how much your parents can pay for college and if you are eligible for federal aid and/or merit aid.

If you are Undecided about major, you probably want a larger unviersity with a variety of majors. Location may be dependent upon affordability but I would start with your in-state options first.

The Fiske Guide To Colleges is worth looking at to help narrow your choices.

“Fit” is a complete luxury for those who can afford it. If the family has the means to pay full or near full price at a private school and student has excellent stats, she can have the luxury of looking around to find the school that just “feels” right.

For one student, that might mean lots of sports and fraternities. For another it might mean a small, intellectual liberal arts college.

Most of the students in this country have no ability to be so picky. They go to the school they can afford and focus on getting the degree they need to make the life they want. That might mean the only choice is two years at community college and then transfer to the closest state college. For others, it might mean the state flagship.

The more funds you have and the higher your stats, the more choices you have. But if you have few choices, thats fine too. In the end, its what you do with your time in college, not what college you go to.

But also where changing major after enrolling is not difficult or competitive, for the possible majors of interest.

wrote @gallentjill.

Except that there can be “fit” at less expensive public colleges, too. For example, in the SUNY system, SUNY Geneseo and SUNY Binghamton both attract some of the state’s top students who are looking for a public in-state option… but they are very different options that attract different students based on “fit.” And a student who wants an ultra-urban experience might attend CUNY Hunter. So, no, fit is not just a luxury for the well-heeled.

But I do agree with gallentjill that