College Choices: Finding the Right School for Youv

From The Griffon, Vol. 29.1, Winter 2005

Choosing a college is a big decision. Higher education is an investment of time and money. And, like all investments, it comes with risks. A wise investment yields dividends; a poor investment yields headaches.

You probably have some experience making similar decisions. Joining the military is also an investment. You probably considered what you wanted to get out of your experience, and you used those considerations to decide which branch of the military to enter. If you wanted to work in the medical field, you decided not to join the Marine Corps. If you had a strong aversion to open water, you may have avoided the Navy. If you planned to attend Airborne School, you probably chose the Army.

Just like the branches of the Armed Services, colleges are not one-size-fits-all. The college you choose should help you to reach your goals efficiently.

The world of higher education is full of terms that many people confuse or misunderstand. For instance, many people do not understand the difference between a college and a university. Better stated, many people think that there is a quality difference between a college and a university. In fact, a university is generally composed of multiple colleges and schools. For example, Harvard University contains Harvard College, Harvard Business School, the Kennedy School of Government, and several other educational institutions. Williams College, on the other hand, is a stand-alone institution. The difference between a college and a university has nothing to do with the quality of undergraduate education.

Similarly, the difference between a private school and a public school is often misunderstood. A public school receives governmental support, and it is subject to state regulation, whereas a private school is independent. How does that affect students? In most cases, it does not.

Some distinctions, however, are informative. The difference between a two-year and a four-year school is important for students. A two-year school only offers associate's degrees, not bachelor's degrees. If you want a bachelor's degree—the minimum degree required to earn a commission in the military—you will need to attend a four-year school at some point. If you begin in a two-year school, you will need to eventually transfer. It is not uncommon or especially difficult, but it is an extra step in your educational path, and it is one for which you will need to prepare.

One of the most important terms in higher education is accreditation, but it is only important because it is so often tossed around and so rarely understood. Accreditation is the process wherein a body of examiners verifies the quality of a school. It is a system intended to protect students from disreputable institutions.

The problem is that people do not understand the organizations that are doing the accrediting or what their standards are. There are many accrediting bodies in the world, and they have varying standards and missions. It is hard to judge the value of accreditation—especially when choosing between several accredited schools.

A savvy shopper will first ensure that a school is accredited. Many financial aid programs—including military-specific benefits—require that the beneficiary college be accredited. Once you are satisfied that the school is legitimately accredited, you should explore other aspects of the school. If the best thing that an admissions officer can say about their college is that it is accredited, the school may not have much else to offer.

Distance Learning (DL) is a popular method of attending college for military personnel. A DL course both teaches and examines students outside of a traditional classroom. Courses are taught online or through videotapes, students speak with professors and classmates via the telephone or cyber chats, and exams are mailed or emailed to professors. For the right student, DL is a great experience. If your goal is to earn a degree at your own pace and in the privacy of your own home, DL may be for you.

On the other hand, DL comes with risks. Some people have a hard time thriving with so little structure. Class selections are often limited, and some subjects—such as chemistry or biology—are poorly suited to a DL environment. In a traditional college setting, networking and socializing with fellow students are important experiences, and DL minimizes or eliminates these aspects of college life. The experience of earning a degree through DL may be valuable, but it is completely different from attending a traditional college.

If your goal is to earn a good civilian job, you need to approach colleges with that in mind. Most colleges have career centers that help students find jobs. Talk to alumni of the school who work in your intended field. The school should be willing if not eager to put you in touch with their former students. Try to ascertain how much the school will help you to get the career you want.

You should also consider the reputation of the school in the geographical area in which you want to work immediately after earning your degree. Some schools enjoy a powerful local reputation but relatively weak reputation nationally. For example, in western Pennsylvania, Duquesne University is a school with a solid reputation and a wide alumni base; but in Nebraska, people are more likely to mispronounce the name of the school than to recognize its reputation. Generally, a degree is most valuable in the place where it is earned, but some colleges defy this rule. A degree from a school with a recognizable name or super reputation, such as the University of North Carolina or Vassar College, travels well around the country. Work experience often outweighs academic coursework, however, and a corporate superstar from a relatively unknown college can earn positions in many markets. Therefore, you may not be eternally bound to one location based on the school you choose.

It is also important to consider your academic goals when you pick a college. If your goal is to transfer to a different school, you should find out if your credits will transfer, and you want to ask the school to which you will transfer. In other words, if you want to attend a community college in Georgia before transferring to Northwestern University, you should contact a transfer counselor at Northwestern before you start at the community college. Some colleges will not accept transfer credits from any institutions; others will accept credits from a select group of schools; and most schools pick and choose which credits they accept from where and how much credit they award for that prior work. It is best to discover this information early in the process.

If you intend to pursue higher degrees you should consider this goal in choosing your undergraduate institution. Medical schools, for example, accept graduates of schools with especially strong science programs. If you want to earn a master's degree or a doctorate eventually, you should ensure that your school is both strong in the subject in which you are interested and respectable overall. Although the world is full of graduate programs of varying quality, many top programs are extremely selective in the admissions process. Few people may want to say it or hear it, but a wrong college choice can actually turn off admissions officers at graduate programs, despite a strong grade point average in college.

Finally, here is the most important part about choosing a school: You must find a school where you will be happy. If lifting weights is important to you, find a school with a good gym. If social life is important, check out the fraternities and sororities on campus. If you know you want to attend a small school, visit small schools. College is about earning a degree and about learning, but it is also a significant part of your life—and it should be a happy and memorable part of your life.

Sean-Michael Green is a consultant, speaker, and author on the topic of higher education and the military. He is a former enlisted Marine; a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Pennsylvania, and Cornell University; and the author of Marching to College: Turning Military Experience into College Admissions (Random House).