Picking a College isn't Tinder, it's Marriage

For most young people, applying to college is like trying to get as many first dates as possible. “Looks good… is popular with my friends… has some parts I like. Let me slide into their DM’s by throwing them an application”. 

Applying to college has become dating on Tinder.

The proliferation of the Common App, now accepted by 1,033 schools, coupled with over 80% of schools now being test optional, has led to an explosion of applications at many popular schools. While it brings more work and a deluge of rejections, schools are happy to see their “selectivity” go up and students seem OK with playing the odds, as long as they get a few yes’s.

The real problem is what happens next. Because the application submission criteria for so many students is too superficial, it leads them to enroll in schools without really thinking through the long-term implications of their choice. They’re still in “first date” mode while the school is proposing marriage. 

This is a significant contributing factor to why most students might as well just flip a coin when choosing where to enroll. According to the latest data from the National Student Clearinghouse, only 51% of students end up graduating from their first enrolled school within 6 years. The other half drop out or transfer. If students and their families take a longer-term view of their decision by focusing more on getting out than getting in, their odds of achieving both improve significantly.   

Done right, your undergraduate school is part of your life for the rest of your life. Four(ish) years on campus and then 60+ years as part of a tight knit community. Your deepest friendships, your best stories, most of your sweatshirts… undergrad can be the cornerstone of a life well lived — as long as you choose the one that really fits you in and out of the classroom.

The best way to do that is to ask better questions now, before enrolling. Look beyond acceptance rates and focus instead on graduation and alumni engagement rates, graduate employment rates, ROI by major, faculty engagement rates, and other measures of connection and completion. Ultimately, these reveal far more about ongoing community appreciation for a school and its bond with its members than do nice dorm rooms, good food, and sleek new gyms.

The other new long-term fit tool available to students and their families today is Troove. Just as Netflix asks if you liked a movie and then recommends your next one based on the viewing experience of others with your same preferences, Troove matches you with the schools where recent graduates and current students have already found the kind of academic and social cultures you prefer. 

And because they’ve already found the long-term success you’re looking for, you’re much more likely to also achieve your real goal -- a diploma and a lifelong community. By finding your people, you find your place, and be more likely to hang in there when inevitable challenges arise during college. 

Being in an academic and social culture that truly resonates with you gives you your very best chance to turn your first date into a lifelong relationship… and a closet full of great sweatshirts.