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Home › Articles › College Information › How Much Is Enough?

How Much Is Enough?

Two-year vs. Four-year College

By Pamela White

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Choosing a college means venturing into a new, unfamiliar world of immense possibilities. An exciting experience stretches before parents and teens or is it a world of unnerving unknowns? A parent's best gift to her high school student may be to provide gentle guidance and support during the search for a college match, especially when deciding between a two-year college and a four-year university.

 

Some Things to Think About
Your baby is nearly an adult now there's no denying it. That's why an ongoing discussion between you and your child is the most comfortable way to approach a college search. Thought-provoking questions about options big city or rural, close to home or far away, small class or large lecture halls, field hockey or band are good places to start. Is diversity of student population important? Are challenging classes a draw? Which school provides a particular program or major?

 

Don't underestimate the importance of standardized tests. "Scores rule," says Dr. Lisa Duke, professor at University of Florida Gainesville. "Taking a specialized class on how to ace the SAT may be a good idea." Additionally, parents and students will want to take advantage of their high school's college information and financial aid nights.

"We choked at the costs," says Peggy, mother of a college junior and a high school senior. But "tuition was not the major factor in our college search. We looked at academic reputation. Did the college have the major that the kids desired?" Her oldest son, Travis, was awarded similar scholarships at his top choices. "So he went with his gut and where he though he would be happiest."

Part of the narrowing of this family's college search included the need that the college be a within a few hours away to save on transportation costs for holidays and long weekends. Craig, currently awaiting financial and scholarship information in order to choose, narrowed his search to schools that had a strong program in his desired major and baseball. "Both kids only considered four-year schools," says Peggy."We could not say to our kids that you can't go to the school you really want to because of cost. Somehow we would find a way and the kids would take out loans."

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