GETTING READY FOR COLLEGE

KEYS TO COLLEGE CONTENTMENT: FIT AND VALUE

By Dr. Wendy B. Libby, president of Stephens College

The college selection process finds many parents and students wrangling with student-teacher ratios, diversity percentages, sticker prices and number of volumes in the campus library. What does it all mean? And does it guarantee you’ll be happy and successful there?

When it comes down to it, there are more important considerations than mere numbers to differentiate College A from College B during this process — criteria more important than even an Ivy League name.

In my experience working with students and parents, I’ve found that the most important college selection criteria have to do with fit and value.

“Fit” is not only a matter of a school offering your major, the sport you want to play or being close to (or far enough away from) home. If you expect to spend, on average, four years of time and money in an environment designed to challenge you with experiences that help you clarify your goals and values and shape your future, then you want a place that fits — one that’s characterized by good mentors, supportive peers and mind-expanding opportunities that strengthen your future aspirations.

The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) uses the following national benchmarks of effective educational practices: supportive campus environment, student and faculty interaction, level of academic challenge, enriching educational experiences and active/collaborative learning. Does the college you’re considering score high in these areas? Is it a good fit for you?

There is no better place to be than a college that just “fits.” And you don’t know it until you spend some time visiting the campus, talking to faculty, sitting in on a class and bonding with students in the residence halls over late-night pizza. An environment that fits provides you lasting rewards. You know you made the right choice when your professor sends you a personal letter after you graduate reflecting on your achievements and unlimited potential for your future — as Stephens College professor Alan Havig did for Wendy Anderson. She remembers it clearly to this day.

While fit centers itself on the here and now of the college experience, value is forward looking, concerning itself with preparation and outcomes that are not easily measured through graduation rates. Will the sum of my experiences in college get me a good job, make me a responsible citizen, prepare me for graduate school and whatever I might encounter? Will College A do this better than Ivy League College B, and give me a lower tuition rate with a good financial aid package at the same time?

If College A can demonstrate that it is just as good as the Ivies at building resumes, moving students from theory into practical and hands-on application, establishing people and career connections beyond graduation, then College A was worth the investment of time, tuition and effort. It was a good value choice.

“To assess value further,” says Dr. Rex Stevens, vice president for academic affairs at Stephens College, “parents and students should ask qualitative questions about internships, hands-on work in the major starting the freshman year, alumni involvement in their alma mater and the types of jobs held by graduates.”

Students and parents should expect a lifelong return on their investment. The fit should be right in order for the student to derive the most from her education; and the value should be strong and lasting, in the form of people networks, strong and versatile skill sets, career success, good paychecks and solid ethics.

Dr. Wendy B. Libby is president of Stephens College, a four-year women’s college in Columbia, Mo.