Despite popular Hollywood depictions of quaint, fire-lit study halls and knotty-wooded private school lecture halls, the majority of American college students attend public universities. Of course, this is not to say that you have to attend a private university to enjoy traditional architecture and crackling fires in common areas (in fact, many movies and television shows that take place on fictional private campuses are actually shot at good, ol’ University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)). With that said, there is a good chance that your son or daughter will end up at a state-run institution of higher education. However, this does not mean that the choice of school should be local—or easy! Instead, choosing a public school requires as much research and thought as any other college prep work.
You should first determine if your child will be moving away to go to school or continuing to live at home and commuting to campus every day. A commute severely limits the options but does not nullify the importance of reconnaissance because studies indicate that as many as 41 percent of students do not graduate from public universities in four years. The reasons for this differ from student to student, but there are some university characteristics that can help improve your children’s chances at matriculation.
- Instructors. According to studies, freshmen are more likely to drop out after their first year if they were not taught by full-time faculty members. Part-time instructors, who are often assigned to introductory classes frequented by freshmen, are not always available for student conferences after class. In turn, students with questions may not receive the attention they require to comprehend the material.
- Campus tutoring centers. The transition from high school to college can be jolting, especially because so many freshmen have not been given the necessary academic tools to succeed. Some lack effective study skills while others don’t even know how to begin an essay or research paper! On-campus counselors provide help with everything from missing class notes to final edits of term papers.
- Learning communities. Similarly, established learning communities can help students stay on track. An increasingly popular offering of American colleges, both public and private, learning communities group students according to their interests, goals, or backgrounds. Some schools extend the community to the residential realm, housing students with the same major and classes together to give them a built-in support system. In addition, learning communities can include dedicated faculty members who attend classes with the students then help them study for tests and assignments.
- Honors programs. To lure overachievers from private colleges, many state schools offer honors programs. They differ from school to school. For example, students at UCLA can take honors classes as early as freshman year. The classes are not dependent on major—some even fall under the category of general education—and offer more challenging coursework than similarly themed non-honors classes. At University of California, San Diego (UCSD), department-based honors classes are reserved for seniors with high grade point averages in their major.
- Class sizes. Not every state school is plagued by thousand-student intro classes. Thankfully, some public institutions don’t even have the classroom spaces required for such a thing. It’s worth looking into though. Some of the most lauded public schools mandate these enormous lectures.
- Personal advisors. Choose schools with assigned counselors to avoid a common pitfall of state universities: bad advice. Seeing the same counselor each time will better allow your student to communicate their needs and goals, so the counselor may be able to steer them toward a more rewarding (or successful) academic path. This steering may help avoid adding extra semesters to your children’s schooling.
In short, don’t assume that the best state school is the one within walking distance. Especially if your student lacks motivation, finding a college with support programs may be the difference between graduation and stagnation.