<p>"Teenagers are certainly capable of making rash decisions which they think are justified, but can't the same be said for adults?"</p>
<p>Anyone is capable of making rash decisions at any age. I'm not saying teenagers are stupid but sometimes when they choose a college it can be a rash decision like you said. For example, I know a lot people apply to schools far from home and never visit the school. Maybe due to financial restraints but it's kind of a rash decision if you ask me. You can't get the feel of a school from looking at brochures or their website.</p>
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To compare the critical thinking skills of a high schooler to that of a college student is no match.
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Just because your high school was like this does not mean that mine (or others here) are.<br>
To make a wide generalization like you did is rather naive considering many seniors do, in fact, end up picking the right school for themselves.</p>
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Also, a lot of people are late bloomers as far as developing these skills.
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But not everyone. There are several of us who are quite capable at 17/18 years of age.
Rash? Yeah- I made several rash decisions in 10th grade during Katrina that resulted in my sophomore year of high school being complete hell. But I've learned from this, and I know I am fully qualified to make a decision on a college at this point in my life - and 'fit' is certainly a big aspect of that decision.</p>
<p>"To make a wide generalization like you did is rather naive considering many seniors do, in fact, end up picking the right school for themselves."</p>
<p>Aren't we discussing the students who DON'T pick the right school?</p>
<p>I hate to say it,but it isn't just students who make stupid decisions. I see PLENTY of parents making poor financial and other errors in judgment. In addition, the article that this is based on also seems to indicate that admission's offices aren't always making wise decisions and some criteria for admission should be changed.</p>
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I hate to say it,but it isn't just students who make stupid decisions. I see PLENTY of parents making poor financial and other errors in judgment.
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<p>Thank you, that was the point I was trying to make. Students can make bad decisions, but parents do with the same frequency, just based on different factors.</p>
<p>So answer this random: if students aren't capable of making the best decision regarding where they should go to college, who is?</p>
<p>Steelerfan513 notes,"if students aren't capable of making the best decision regarding where they should go to college, who is?"</p>
<p>Response: The answer is that the family has to make good decisions that will benefit everyone overall looking at it from a macro perspective and not be blinded by stupid considerations. For example, if a family can't really afford the private schools that the kid wants to attend, the kid shouldn't get enamored with it because they think it is an ideal fit. The in-state university will probably serve just as well for one-third the price. Moreover, parents and kids have to make more objective decisions beyond cursory, superficial appearances. Thus, they should ignore how nicely looking the campus is, how personable the tour guide was or even the slick marketing brochures unless these brochures detail some important information about the major. Emotion has to be put aside in place of making a logical decision. Yes, I know that this is hard to do.</p>
<p>Frankly, I think most kids would be happy just about anywhere as long as the school has the choices of majors and courses that they might want. I would just shoot for the one that gives among the lower economic costs,net of scholarships. It doesn't have to be the lowest cost alternative. It should just be one of the lower cost alternatives.</p>
<p>I totally agree, taxguy. The financial fit for the parents sometimes gets left out of the equation. Not such a good idea. The idea of parents taking on debt for dream school, unless they really want to and have a plan to handle it, bothers me as much as debt for dream weddings or other luxuries.</p>
<p>taxguy: love your posts. A voice of reason among many on this board who put too much emphasis on "fit" and prestige - at the expense of their financial future. Kids taking on too much debt. Parents shelling out money reserved for retirement. It IS a family decision, unless of course the kid is footing the bill. In addition to the "fit" factor, I see the "exclusivity" factor coming into play. A kid gets into a selective school and puts pressure on the parents. "This is such a tough school to get into, I made it and you're not going to pay??" And if the parents don't pay, they go into debt. Doesn't make sense to me.</p>
<p>taxguy, that is a really good point. I know this thread is about "fit" and whatnot, but there are so many factors that should be accounted for when a FAMILY makes the decision. A lot of people on this thread, me included, have been saying that it is possible for a student to make a choice about where they will fit best, but it is also imperative for the entire family to sit down and discuss the options. I know that money is an issue for my family, and so I have considered the impact it will have on my parents lifestyle and on my younger brother's future. For families with more than one child, sending the oldest kid to his or her dream school may not be the best idea, especially if it may inhibit the younger siblings' choices. I have been accepted to many prestigious schools, but have crossed them off my list if I did not recieve enough merit aid (my family does not qualify for financial aid, but also cannot possibly pay 50,000+ a year for school). I will attend whichever school offers me the most merit aid, which thankfully is a full tuition scholarship. Your point about students being happy "just about anywhere as long as the school has the choices of majors and courses that they might want" is absolutely correct. Every school on my list had a specific reason for being there--mostly because I had plenty of choices at that school. But there are still schools that have those necessary choices, but may not be the right school for a student. There were some schools that I thought I would love--both academically and socially--but when I visited, they didn't jibe well with me. So I have to bring in the dreaded "fit" again. "Fit" does matter, but so do a lot of other factors, and they all need to be considered. Going to college, in most cases, is a family decision, and everyone in the family needs to have an equal say in the decision.</p>
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Frankly, I think most kids would be happy just about anywhere as long as the school has the choices of majors and courses that they might want.
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To be honest, I think I would be very miserable at several schools (such as LSU) regardless of these choices. I know I'm not 'most kids' but for many in my situation this is definitely true. For one, I would be incredibly bored academically. Second, I would absolutely despise the social scene/aspects of the campus (never in my life will I shout 'geaux tigers'). Then again, finances don't really matter in my situation so I really can shoot for 'fit.'</p>
<p>"Fit" seems to be used a lot of different ways. I always thought of it as the intangible that makes someone like one school better than another that is its objective equal. How does one choose which Ivy to attend, or which of the 13 four-year University of Wisconsin campuses? </p>
<p>Too much is made of fit. It starts to sound almost like destiny, which is ridiculous and can make the search more frustrating than it needs to be. </p>
<p>Too much is made of fit, but it is worth something. How much it is appropriate to spend on fit depends to some extent on its importance to the individual and more on the resources available. It is not unreasonable for me to buy butter instead of margarine because I like it better and I have the money. </p>
<p>Parents are usually the ones with the money, so the kids have to convince them on the value of fit or cast their arguments in terms of what the parents value. (Butter doesn't have trans fat will work with my husband.)</p>
<p>It would be interesting to see a study on impact of who makes college choices on satisfaction in the short term and success in the long term. I'd be willing to bet that the difference in the long term is nothing, whether it is made by the kid, by a parent pushing economy, or by a parent pushing alma mater or prestige. I would expect the short-term satisfaction to be highest when the decision is collaborative-- kids consider what parents have to say (take advantage of our wisdom).</p>
<p>"if students aren't capable of making the best decision regarding where they should go to college, who is?"</p>
<p>As I stated before, we are discussing students who don't end up making the right decision. Obviously it's a small percentage since most schools have a high freshmen retention rate. I also stated earlier students who are drawn in by flashy marketing schemes probably aren't the ones capable of making a good decision.</p>
<p>Fit, foreseability and financial aid were the leading issues regarding our admissions process. </p>
<p>Being objective and understanding, from a comparative standpoint, the student profile and the academic institution is crucial in arriving at proper prospective list. </p>
<p>The emotional stability, motivation, drive, character and personality of the student is integral to success. The personal needs of the individual need to counterbalanced to the qualitative measurements of the institution.</p>
<p>Fit is very important it is just that the manner in which fit is measured has not been properly factored into the admissions equation.</p>