Did it seem like just yesterday you swaddled and rocked your baby to sleep? Now you are looking at your adult-sized child, realizing that soon he or she will finish high school. One of the biggest decisions you can help your high school child make is choosing the right college. At Mathnasium of Parker, we understand the enormity of the search and want to help you get started. Your child’s path in high school math will affect many of their college decisions.
Types of Colleges and Schools Available for High School Graduates
Colleges typically fall into the category of liberal arts, technical, or vocational. Some colleges are part of a university that also offer graduate programs. Those institutions may have “University” in their name, but your child would still go to a college or school within the University, such as the “College of Arts.”
Junior Colleges, Community Colleges, and Two-Year Colleges
Many communities offer a two-year college program, called “community college.” After completing the two-year program, the student can usually transfer the credits to a four-year college. They typically accept all applicants with a diploma or GED. Entering students typically take a placement test for math. Students who do not meet that minimal proficiency in math usually end up in a costly remedial math class. If your child struggled to pass high school Algebra, please consider getting them help before they go to college.
Community colleges are an inexpensive way to take a wide variety of courses so students can explore their interests. They are great option for many students.
Vocational or Trade Colleges
Vocational schools offer training for a specific career path, such as an x-ray technician or in plumbing. Admission typically requires a high school diploma or a GED. They usually take two years to complete and offer a certificate upon graduation. Some require some math and others do not. Trade colleges work well for students who don’t like school and/or want to earn a decent living with a trade.
Four Year Liberal Arts Colleges
Liberal arts colleges focus on providing education in the sciences and arts. Students graduate with either a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science (BA or BS).
Not every liberal arts college can offer every major. If your child has their heart set on a particular major, only look at colleges that offer it. For example, one college may offer a BS in biochemistry, while another offers a BS in marine biology. Be wary of colleges that only offer a handful of majors. About a third of college students change their major and about fifty percent of math majors change their major.
Liberal arts colleges vary dramatically in their admissions process. A few accept all applicants who submit a complete application. Others, like Stanford, accept only five percent of applicants. The colleges with low acceptance rates are typically more prestigious. If your child wishes to go to one of these schools with low acceptance rates, they should take the highest level of math possible all four years of high school and aim for a high math score on the SAT or ACT.
Most liberal arts colleges require students to take math as part of their general education coursework. Some colleges will allow a student who showed proficiency in high school math to test out of it.
Technical Colleges
A technical college focuses on majors like engineering, computer science, and math. California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Colorado School of Mines are well-known technical colleges. They typically require that students come in with advanced math skills and continue in math during their college years. Most graduates from a technical college receive a Bachelor of Science. If your son or daughter definitely wants a career in a high-tech field or in engineering, a technical college may be a good fit.
Financial Considerations
Two-year colleges or community colleges cost about $3,500 per year for students living in the district.
Going to a public four-year college in Colorado will cost more than a community college, but much less than going out of state or to most private schools. In-state tuition typically costs about $10,000 - $15,000 per year with room and board, fees, supplies and other costs additional.
Private colleges and universities vary widely in what they cost. Typically, private universities are the most expensive, but not always. Columbia University charges approximately $57,000 per year in tuition and fees, whereas Brigham Young University charges about $5,500 per year. Harvard is certainly one of the more expensive and prestigious colleges, but they offer such great financial packages, that most students do not end up paying more than they would at a state school. Harvard is not the only private school with great scholarship and financial aid packages. Before applying to, or ruling out any private school, look at what it would cost your family to attend.
Out of state tuition at a public university often costs equal to, or more than, a private college. It varies widely by state. An out of state student at a public college will pay about $39,000 in tuition in Vermont, but only $13,000 in South Dakota. Public universities do not typically give as many need based scholarships as private colleges.
In addition to scholarships available based on financial needs, students can get scholarships for merit. This includes scholarships for grades, athletics, and talents. There are merit based scholarships available for a wide variety of reasons. Many companies and the governments are trying to recruit more students into technical and math related fields and offer scholarships for students, some especially for women and minorities who major in those fields. Every student, no matter what their background or interests should investigate scholarships available. Cappex.com can help you with your scholarship search.
Size Considerations
Does your child thrive in large groups? If not, a small college is probably a better fit. Even large campuses usually offer plenty of opportunities to get involved in small groups and will usually have a more diverse selection of clubs and activities. Your child should visit schools of different sizes to see what appeals to them most. If a small liberal arts college education appeals to your child read, Colleges that Change Lives: 40 That Will Change the Way you Think about Colleges.
This is an exciting time for both you and your child. We love seeing our students move on to these exciting opportunities. We do not want math to hold anyone back from loving his or her college years. If math feels like a big hurdle to getting admitted to or succeeding in college, we can help. Call us 303-840-1184!
You may also want to read these articles.
You may also want to look at these resources.
· https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/paying-for-college/articles/2017-09-21/colleges-that-claim-to-meet-full-financial-need
· https://www.consumerreports.org/paying-for-college/borrowing-for-college-just-got-more-expensive/
· https://www.collegedata.com/cs/content/content_payarticle_tmpl.jhtml?articleId=10064
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