College fit has been the rage for the last 4–5 years. It’s the national antidote to the sky-high (or should I say rock-bottom?) application numbers and admission rates: can’t get into Harvard? Well, perhaps your student wouldn’t “fit” in there, anyway. So don’t worry about it. Plenty of people have written about “college fit,” as it’s the dominant paradigm for college list creation and college selection. But just what the heck is “fit” anyway? What does that mean, and how can you tell when thing’s “fit”?

Before I answer those questions, I want to address the elephant in the room: college prestige. Prestige isn’t everything, and in fact, it shouldn’t matter at all for most people. For starters, prestige is largely based on perception and college rankings, many of which are of dubious value; furthermore, it is eminently possible to matriculate from a less prestigious undergraduate program to a prestigious graduate one if you want or need the additional education and degrees. After you get a graduate degree, where you secured your BA/BS will matter not-at-all. Don’t believe me? Ask people with advanced degrees where they went to college, and most will list their graduate school rather than their undergrad. Secondly, the farther you get from college, the more your career experience matters and the less your degree does. I would not recommend a student pick a high-prestige school that they hate over a less prestigious one that actually excites them. They have to live and study there for four years; they better like being there because the scenery won’t change.

Okay, prestige soapbox put away. I think about college fit thusly: your student will feel good about being on campus at a good-fit college, and that college will satisfy your student’s needs, culturally, socially, and academically.

Note that I said needs, not wants. People tend to confuse the two. You may want your student to go to a brand-name college with a fair amount of social capital, but that school may not fulfill their social, cultural, and academic needs. Not every student will thrive at a school where students are in constant competition for the spotlight. That hypercompetitive, high-stress, high-stakes environment will, at best stress some students out, and at worst cause them to shut down.

Needs, on the other hand, will help your student achieve their goals. In that sense, many students (but not all) need to go to college in order to attain personal fulfillment and to grow. But not every student needs to go to a highly selective, brand-name school. Can they find satisfaction at a school that cares not-at-all about its athletics program, or would they get along better at a school where the students bleed their school colors? Some students are happier when they have a busy social scene both on and off campus. Others are fine with a quieter pace. Will a student thrive living among cornfields, sprawling suburbia, or skyscrapers? College is not a one-size-fits-all proposition.

It’s not about being “comfortable,” however. Often need to be uncomfortable in order to learn and grow; nobody ever grew socially, personally, or academically by sitting on their couch in a temperature-controlled living room having food DoorDashed all the time. Being challenged, by different ideas, beliefs, and people, is the best way to push the horizon of what we know or think is possible. I always say that good ideas improve when they make contact with conflicting ideas.

While your student should feel challenged intellectually, they should feel like they can be part of the school community, find their place socially and make meaningful contributions to it. If a school’s population is incredibly homogenous, a student outside the majority might find intellectual challenge, and learn from the perspectives of their peers, but they might also struggle to find their place socially. Some students will feel more at home on a large campus, like a city, where they can get lost, make many friends of varied interests, and find a panoply of activities to pursue. Others will feel like a smaller, more intimate community suits them better: some students need the anonymity to feel safe branching out, others prefer the accountability of a smaller student body where they see people they know every day to motivate them to participate.

It’s also important to note that there isn’t just one school where a student will fit. Don’t put so much pressure on the college search looking for that one magical school that “has it all.” You’re not looking for soulmates; this isn’t till-death-do-us-part. In reality, many schools might be a good fit for any given student, but it’s important to determine what their priorities are and then narrow down the choices.

Ultimately, college is far more about what you do, learn, and experience than the name on your diploma or the colors you wear. Calculus is calculus, whether it’s taught within the ivy cloisters of Harvard or the concrete and glass halls of San Diego State University. The key is to find a place (not the place) where your student can make a meaningful contribution, where they feel part of the community, and where they will be challenged intellectually. And there are far more schools that will meet those needs than can fit into the top 50 campuses on the US News & World Report.

This is where a consultant can come in handy: they spend a lot of time researching schools, visiting campuses, and talking with admissions officers and regional admissions representatives. Accredited consultants (or those seeking accreditation) often visit dozens of college campuses every year and can make recommendations for colleges based on your student’s interests and personality. They also have access to tools and databases of college information that help them research and create custom college lists to meet your student’s needs.

Overwhelmed by all the information out there about colleges? Ready to find your student’s fit? Schedule a free consultation today. We will talk to you about your and your child’s needs and tell you how we can help.