Selecting a College for Life-Long Success

Much of the recent conversation surrounding the value of a college education has revolved around the notion of Return On Investment – in fact, it’s become so common that you’ll often just see the acronym, ROI. And, you can’t visit a college campus these days without hearing conversations about internship opportunities, career building resources, and successful alumni. Colleges want you to know that their ROI is strong! While I fully recognize that having good job opportunities after college is important, my problem with discussions about ROI is that they seem too narrowly focused on that first job after college. What about the value of a college education 5 years out? Or, after 10 years? Or, after 25 years? How does a college education impact one’s lifetime career success and personal fulfillment?

So, I welcomed the letter this week from Pam Horne, Associate Vice Provost for Enrollment Management and Dean of Admissions at Purdue University, about Purdue’s research into just those questions. Rather than simply surveying their own alumni, Purdue took a lead role in partnering with Gallup Poll to conduct extensive research with over 30,000 college graduates from a wide range of institutions, asking questions to determine what it is that connects a college education with life-long success. Keys to what they refer to as "Great Jobs and Great Lives” are:

• Workplace engagement – being intellectually and emotionally connected at work, doing what one likes and is good at, and having someone who cares about one’s career development
• Well-being – how people think about and experience their lives with a focus on five elements of well-being: the physical, the social, the financial, a sense of purpose, and community
• Alumni attachment – strength of the bond to one’s alma mater

The study found that successful alumni share some key undergraduate experiences that are similar regardless of where they went to college - public or private, selective or not (notable exception: for-profit institutions).

• Support from a professor who cared
• A professor who got them excited about learning
• A mentor who encouraged their dreams
• A meaningful internship or job where they could apply classroom knowledge
• Experience on a project that took a semester or more to complete
• Active involvement in extracurricular activities

This is extremely useful information for families considering colleges. What’s most important when it comes to the value of a college education is being at a place where you will have these opportunities, be it a large university or a small college. Purdue has published two helpful guides for families.

The first is a College Planning Checklist:

http://www.admissions.purdue.edu/documents/gallup-checklist.pdf

And the second, the Student Guide to Creating a Successful College Experience:

http://www.admissions.purdue.edu/documents/gallup-student-guide.pdf

Bottom Line: Enroll at a college that supports these experiences and where you will feel comfortable and confident pursuing them - and there's your ROI for a lifetime!

If you have questions, I am happy to talk with you. Click here to schedule a free 20-minute Discovery Call to get started, https://www.creativecollegeconnections.com/preliminary-conversation.

By Hannah Serota

Hannah Serota, M.Ed, is a Certified Educational Planner and three-decade college admissions professional. She is the founder of Creative College Connections, an educational consulting practice providing teens and their families exemplary professional guidance, tools, and strategies that inspire confidence and joy on the path to acceptance at best-fit colleges.