HOW TO CHOOSE A COLLEGE
A Mother’s Perspective on Supporting the College Process BY L EI A FIS H ( B L AC K FEE T )
Photo by Amanda Cheromiah
As a parent, we encounter many milestones with our children: their first smile, their first step, their first day of kindergarten, and the first day of college. My daughter, Jayda, is entering college this fall as a freshman. As we navigate the college admissions process together, it has proven to be yet another rewarding first experience for not only Jayda, but also for me.
It is okay to be persistent, because you are learning how to assert and advocate for yourself.
I went to college, but nothing prepared me for the college admissions process we had to go through for Jayda.
Every student’s journey is not the same. I would like to share our story and hope it helps ease some of the challenges your family may encounter. Together make a list of the top five colleges your student is interested in attending. Research the degrees they offer and the costs. You can compare the costs by visiting the college/university’s website and entering your information into the “Net Price Calculator” page. Jayda listed three schools she wanted to attend; school one was a private college; school two was a state college; and school three was a tribal college. Jayda originally wanted to attend the state college because they offered an American Indian tuition waiver; which was an important factor for us in our decision-making process. We discussed the pros and cons of attending each college; and in the end the tribal college won because of its cost and the support she would receive from the community.
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