What does college “fit” mean to you?
In other words, do you mean inclusive of basic important aspects like affordability and academic offerings, or do you mean mainly in terms of social aspects, campus environment, etc.?
College is a means to an end. Too often College is treated as a destination. I think that students make better choices when they become clearer about why they’re going and what they want to get out of it. Many would be better off taking a gap year after high school to get closer to clarity and a sense of direction.
To me, “fit” means the program that offers the best path forward for a student to achieve his/her goals. Affordability is certainly part of that although there are times when debt is worth it if the cheaper option doesn’t advance a student toward his/her goal.
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Fit for my D was a combination of things -
Strong academics in her major
Collaborative environment
Career readiness focus - coop optional, abundant internships, strong career center
State of the art engineering facilities
Secondarily she wanted rural over urban, large over small, and midwest location but she was more flexible about those if the school met the primary fit criteria.
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I think college fit is much like “fit” in any other aspect of life, be it a career or friends or apartment or city to live in.
For my dd22 we are looking for some place new and different, but not high stress, some place where she can be her own creative self and meet new people and have interesting new experiences and learn about who she is and what she wants to pursue.
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For DD2, it was a three legged stool with the legs being academics, sports, and finances. All were important to her.
Other things like weather, size, social life were nice to consider but the three were the most important. It didn’t do any good to find a school where she really loved the weather or the sororities or the food if we couldn’t afford it.
Fit for our son meant tanks. The school had to have tanks. 
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For anyone resembling a traditional college student, this is a massively incorrect statement.
I think my definition of “fit” has changed between the year of looking, year of application cycle, and first year of attendance. It started out as a “vibe” where D20 thought she could find her tribe but we didn’t know enough to really pay attention to the “structure” of open house-type events. It progressed to things like finances, academics, and the alumni network. After a year that was less than satisfying both socially and academically, it has become pass the classes and get out with no student loans. What looked good on paper, sounded good at panel discussions, and felt good walking around bears little resemblance to the boots on the ground experience of the daily existence. It is so depressing to see this in writing but it has been our family’s experience.
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For my kids it was strong academics especially in their prospective majors. Nerdy vibe, especially others who read sci fi and fantasy and played complicated board games. Not too much partying and a low-key if any Greek presence.
It’s actually the only statement of fact on this thread. Unfortunately College is too often treated as though it’s a destination.
Unfortunately these are Covid times. You’re not alone in your feelings and your daughter’’s experience. Things will get better.
I really feel sorry for anyone in their late teens/early 20’s that treats 4 years of a fully immersive experience as a “means to an end”…
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For many college students, college is not a fully immersive experience, but something that they juggle between work and family responsibilities. For most college students, college is a “means to an end” (earning a degree which is necessary or desired for future career goals), even though it may also be an desired “destination” or “experience”.
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It’s obviously more than that, but stripped down to its bare essentials, that’s what it is. When s/he doesn’t recognize that it’s not the destination in and of itself, that’s when s/he gets in trouble.
There’re many components of college “fit”. IMO, here’re the three most important compoents:
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Financial fit – If you can’t afford it, nothing else matters
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Academic fit – This is what you go to college for, right?
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Social fit – College is a great place to make lifelong friends
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This statement is partially true, but for many students, college can be much more than a practical necessity to get a desirable job (assuming that’s the ‘end’ you are referencing). It’s sort of like a house. It’s a practical necessity, in that it has to have a place to sleep, running water, the ability to store food, etc. But, for many a house is a home that has meaning and purpose beyond the practical. It’s a place of refuge, to gather with family, to recharge, to surround ourselves with objects of beauty and comfort.
Many of us look back on our time in college as not just a place we parked for four years so we could later get a job, but a time when we developed our own identities, formed lasting relationships, engaged in personal growth, challenged ourselves with new experiences, enjoyed nature, explored new parts of the country and broadened our perspectives. I do get that many students don’t have the luxury to go away to college and have that type of experience, but many of the kids on this board are looking for something beyond a means to an end. The experience itself can have its own meaning and importance well-beyond what career prospects it may bring later.
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You’re absolutely right. And you said it far better than I could.
A desirable job is actually not what I’m referring to. The destination I’m referring to is a happy life, which includes life partner, family, meaningful work, personal interests, etc. Living one’s life on your own in this crazy world is the ultimate goal.
What I’m getting at is that college is just boot camp, preparing a young person for the rest of her/his life. As attractive and interesting as it can be, by its very nature, it’s designed to be some place a student moves on from. If it’s romanticized too much and the long term goal receives little consideration, then problems occur.
This applies as much to the single minded careerist who goes through college only to find his/her life falling apart because s/he ignored other parts of his/her development as it does to the student who spends all of his/her interests without ever developing a clear set of career goals.
I reacted to this question of fit the way I did because I’ve seen posters here who, as an example, picked a school based on “fit” and “vibe” or because they met students on the tour who were warm and friendly. Such a poster might love the beautiful campus, the location, and the school’s reputation, but when you check, you find that the school doesn’t really have a good department(s) for her/his interests or one that’s inferior to another choice that didn’t “pop” in the same way on the tour.
Better IMHO have an identified goal and a plan, and to then find the school that’s a match than to look for a more amorphous sense of “fit”.
Just my 2 cents
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In thinking about this I realized our definition changed with college selectivity. Early on we focused on safeties. Here, finances and environment were top priorities. We’re in California and focused on less-selective CSUs that were NOT commuter campuses. That was hard to find. She was primarily looking at political science and the construct of that major is very similar in most schools. The real academic question was if the school offered honors to provide a more rigorous environment. When she progressed to more selective schools the academic options expanded to also include public policy and she was in much pickier about classes/internship opportunities/research, etc. She is now focusing on reach/high reach and really trying to dig into not only if the college fits her, but if she fits the college. When selectivity is so tough she needs to make a great case for what she will bring to the school.
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Yep, I agree. There are practical considerations that should be considered first. At minimum, the school should be affordable and offer majors/departments/classes that meet the student’s interests. And, next tier down, it should hopefully offer the majority of “experiences” the student is seeking - Division I sports, Greek life, a great musical theater program, pet-friendly dorms, an equestrian team, a robust internship program, a study abroad program in Chile, etc.
After that, though, I submit that “fit” can come into play. If there are multiple schools where financials and academics work, that also offer the “next tier” stuff the student is seeking, then why not have the pretty campus or the friendliness of the tour guide be the tie breaker!
The problem that you correctly identify, is that some students (and parents!) skip the first two steps and only look at the tie breaker stuff.
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The interesting thing is that some of those privates can be cheaper than State U depending on the financial aid package. And you don’t have to be destitute to qualify for financial aid. Rice is probably the best example of this. If you’re admitted to Rice, you automatically pay half tuition if the family income is less than $200,000. Bigger discounts come with lower income levels. BTW, the James Baker Institute at Rice is a great resource for the study of public policy there.
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