Ask An Expert: Tips On Starting The College Search

Beginning your quest to figure out where you want to go to college can be a daunting task. Should you go away to school or stay near home? What type of roomate will you have? Do you want to go to a liberal arts school or other? All of these questions can create a lot of stress. Doug Erickson, a seasoned school counselor at Orange Lutheran High School, a co-educational high school where students build a sound future with Christ as their leader, shares his tips below.

Doug Erickson served as a school counselor for nine years at Orange Lutheran High School and has advised over 1,000 students through the college admissions process. He has been an admissions reader (freshmen and transfers) at University of California, Irvine for five years. His team atOrange Lutheran High School (OLH)focuses on academic, college and personal/social counseling and has over 70 years of combined experience in the school counseling profession. The OLH team meets with each of the students and families throughout the application process.

Start The Process Early

"The college admissions process can be stressful and can elicit anxiety in students and parents. This feeling is compounded when students make a choice to wait late into the fall of their senior year to start their research and applications. Start the process as early as you can and do not procrastinate. I encourage my students to take a look at the overall picture and make a calendar that includes your final due date and work backwards. Give yourself mini goals that can be accomplished in small intervals. This will help prevent the fatigue that comes with the college admissions process."

Get To Know Your Guidance And/Or College Counselor

"Your biggest advocate in the college admissions process is going to be your school counselor. If you are not familiar with your counselor, make time to get to know them. More importantly, make sure they know you. In addition to providing a letter of recommendation, your counselor can help you devise an admissions calendar and help keep you accountable as you work through the process."

"In my 10 years of experience meeting with students and parents, there is a very interesting barrier that can stand in the way of real progress. I call it 'the cousin' impact. Without fail, every student has a cousin that has attended an Ivy League school, scored 2400 on their SATs, has received a full ride fencing scholarship, has been published in a peer reviewed journal, etc. In addition, this cousin's mom, your aunt, is an expert in college planning and pretty much has your future planned. She knows the best major and and career for you and has created a spreadsheet to make sure each Ivy League school application is submitted in a timely matter. You are not your cousin. You are not your friend or peer. You areyou. What is good for someone else may not be good for you. Keep this in mind as you work through the college admissions process. Your aunt will eventually forgive you."

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Focus On Relationships, Not Rankings

"Students should focus on colleges in which they can create solid and lasting relationships. Rankings can help consumers find colleges that have strong quantitative qualities (number of academic programs, faculty/student ratio, number of teaching faculty, etc.), but what these rankings don't take into account is the institution's ability to assist students in creating relationships and contacts that will benefit them in their future careers. It is imperative that students take responsibility for this aspect of their college life, but certain colleges do a better job making this a priority. In my experience, alumni are more likely to attribute success to the quality and quantity of relationships formed during their undergraduate years. Students with poor 'relational capital' can certainly find success, but it is unlikely that they will have the same experience as a student who focuses on, and knows the value of, developing relationships."

Treat Your College List Like A Financial Portfolio

"Unfortunately, college admissions standards have become more competitive than any time in our nation's history. For this reason, it is more important than ever to be smart when devising your final list. Think like a smart investor. Treat your list like a financial portfolio. It would be unwise to put all of your money into high-risk stocks, but also too conservative to put all of your money into low-yield mutual funds. Your college list should include low-risk, medium-risk and high-risk colleges. Your school counselor or college advisor can use their experience to help you determine which colleges fit into the appropriate category, taking into consideration your academic profile. Keep in mind that the goal of the admissions process is to eventually have options. If you keep this perspective in mind, you will be just fine."

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