While National Decision Day, which is May 1, may have unclear origins, it has definitely become hyped as the time to make a decision for what to do after high school graduation. And for good reason: Many colleges and universities are finalizing their financial aid packages, setting up space for summer orientation and registration, and deciding where to house all the incoming first-year students.
Nonetheless, there are some things you may want to know about making that decision–whether you do it by May 1 or sometime after–that could make the process easier.
- Check your financial aid offers. Perhaps the most important thing for many families is to check how much the net cost of attendance will be. Net cost is the total cost of tuition, fees, room, board, etc. (expenses such as books and transportation are estimates and may not be as high as you will need) minus the amount of financial aid your student receives. The remaining amount is what you will need to pay, usually by the first week of classes if not before.
- Review the academic options. Does the institution have a program or even more than one that your student is interested in? It will help to have options especially because a majority of students change their majors at least once (and likely more than once) over their college career.
- Consider the “extras.” By this, I mean the location, the opportunities for co-curricular experiences such as internships, the alumni networks, and the like. Many schools tout themselves as providing interesting and unique opportunities that your student cannot find elsewhere. This may be extremely attractive to your student, especially if there is a career pathway that can be created from the extras.
- Talk through family issues. Don’t wait until your student is moved in and having a great (or not) time to discuss the effect that this decision will have on the family. If a school is out of reach and will be an extreme burden on the family, don’t wait to have that conversation! Talk through what the issues are and make a plan to help your student make the best decision not only for themselves, but also others in the family.
- Reach out to the institution. If your student is having any doubts, consider reaching out to the institution (and visit again if it is feasible). Talk to a financial aid counselor, an admissions reprepresentative, a department chair or faculty member, a current or former student. All of these people can give you different perspectives about the experience.
Making the decision where to go (and how far, and for how much!) is an exciting time in your student’s life. It can also be extremely stressful. In some cases, the decision is truly a family affair in that the decision may have an effect on parents and siblings. If you talk through the options, review the information, and then make the decision knowing that it is not permanent, you may find that the process is not so daunting.
