It is that time of year! Graduations! High school graduations. College graduations. Some of the precious moms in my study group asked me a question last month about how to select the best college for their high school children. I promised I would prayerfully get back to them with an answer. Today’s post is my response to their question. Since this is graduation season and a topic most parents are tackling, I wanted to share the answer with hopes it will be helpful to other parents. Through the grace of God, my husband and I have been privileged to see three daughters through college successfully. Selecting a college should be a joint family decision. However, the ultimate choice should be the child’s. A college choice made by the child with the support of family will ensure total commitment and success from the child. A college choice made by parents with the support of the child will open the door to confusion. In this case, the child might tend to think he or she is going to college for the parents.
How do you arrive at this place of joint decision? Begin your college talks very early (elementary school). Find out what your child/ren like to do and what aspirations they have. For our family, prayer was a huge part of our joint decision. We prayed together on the aspirations of each child, asking God for guidance and wisdom. Based on the child’s aspirations; find out what colleges will best benefit the child in achieving those aspirations. In our case we added a basic guiding principle that helped focus our college search. We established that undergraduate colleges have to be in Texas and graduate pursuit may be done anywhere in the world.
Many parents often ask if they should search for Christian/private colleges or public colleges. Search for colleges that will enable your daughter or son to grow into all he/she was created to be. This growth can happen at a Christian/private college or a public college. One of the reasons this question is dear to parents is the concern of spiritual health and growth. Just as parental involvement is important during K-12 education, so it is for college but with a difference. The difference is that parental involvement during college years is meant for mentoring and friendship rather than for parenting. Furthermore, the spiritual foundation that a child brings to either a private or public college determines growth into a thriving adult.
Here are some helpful tools to begin the search for that “best fit” college. The Christian College guide has a college search tool that begins with a question- Do you know where you are going? Christian College Guide.The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has put together a college navigator tool for private or public college search NCES College Navigator. Happy College Search! Love and Blessings to All!
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you shall go. I will counsel you with my eye
on you.” – Psalm 32: 8
How do you arrive at this place of joint decision? Begin your college talks very early (elementary school). Find out what your child/ren like to do and what aspirations they have. For our family, prayer was a huge part of our joint decision. We prayed together on the aspirations of each child, asking God for guidance and wisdom. Based on the child’s aspirations; find out what colleges will best benefit the child in achieving those aspirations. In our case we added a basic guiding principle that helped focus our college search. We established that undergraduate colleges have to be in Texas and graduate pursuit may be done anywhere in the world.
Many parents often ask if they should search for Christian/private colleges or public colleges. Search for colleges that will enable your daughter or son to grow into all he/she was created to be. This growth can happen at a Christian/private college or a public college. One of the reasons this question is dear to parents is the concern of spiritual health and growth. Just as parental involvement is important during K-12 education, so it is for college but with a difference. The difference is that parental involvement during college years is meant for mentoring and friendship rather than for parenting. Furthermore, the spiritual foundation that a child brings to either a private or public college determines growth into a thriving adult.
Here are some helpful tools to begin the search for that “best fit” college. The Christian College guide has a college search tool that begins with a question- Do you know where you are going? Christian College Guide.The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has put together a college navigator tool for private or public college search NCES College Navigator. Happy College Search! Love and Blessings to All!
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you shall go. I will counsel you with my eye
on you.” – Psalm 32: 8
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