How To Determine Social Fit of A College? College Visits and What To Look For

Wed, May 22, 2024 11:30 AM

When researching the colleges your student is considering applying to, it is very important to consider social fit. This is a measure of how well your student will fit in with the many social opportunities offered at their future college and with the student body and professors as well. Remember, this college will be their home-away-from-home for the next 4 years and so you need to make sure it is a place where they will thrive, not just survive.

To determine if a college is a good social fit for your student, list the hobbies, sports, and extracurricular activities they already participate in around their community and at their school and the causes they care about. For example, if they have been part of a dance team in high school, but don’t want to be on their college’s dance team due to scheduling demands, then maybe joining a dance club is a better alternative. This would allow them to continue using their talent and also make some new friends. Students need to take time to do the research and determine what types of activities and organizations (ex. Greek life, community service, club sports) are offered at the colleges they are considering and then decide if each school is the right social fit for them. Another great way to help your student is to have them check out the college’s social media photos and posts to see what is going on and what is being emphasized.

One of the best ways to see what is going on around a campus is to do an official visit to your student’s short list of colleges. Ideally this visit takes place when school is in session so that students can see what happens when the bell rings and students change classes. This visit will give them the chance to check out the student body and see if they feel it will be a good fit for them. Better to have your son or daughter say no in the early stages of the college admissions process than to spend a lot of money sending them to a school that just isn’t a good fit or discovering this reality shortly after they step foot on their future campus.

With my services, your family will be able to tackle the college admissions process with ease and your student will have the best chance of getting into the school of their dreams. Schedule a FREE 15-minute Discovery Zoom Meeting with me TODAY, so I can help solve what is keeping you up at night with the college process!