University Bound– Schools Out for Summer–Start Looking for a University or College NOW

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In the fall we are sending our oldest daughter to pursue post secondary education.  Her choice was to go to a university in Ontario with five different programs in four institutions.  Her choices were: Huron College (at Western University), Brescia College (at Western University), University of Ottawa, York University and University of Toronto – Scarborough Campus.  All schools have been carefully chosen for the programs that are being offered.  All have something that drew her attention (and ours).

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It seems to me that it has taken us a very long time to get to this point and the fact that she must make her mind up by within the week is overwhelming.  We need to make a decision as a family – yes, as a family – as to what choice is best for her.

I wanted to write this post so that parents of high schools seniors start planning for this momentous decision sooner rather then later.  This is a very big decision for a family and making sure that all the right decisions are made for all the right reasons is important.  The cost of going to post secondary is very high and adding the cost of residence (room and board), books, transportation etc. adds up.

There are many that will argue with me that the only person that should be making this decision is the student themselves.  They are the ones that have to feel comfortable with the program, the campus, the residence, the size of the first year classes, the faculty, the scholarships…the…. the…. the… So many factors. I understand all of those requirements.  However, I honestly believe that the decisions has to be made as a family. 

Why? Because whether she goes away to school or stays closer to home the expense will impact the overall family funds.  We are a pretty typical middle class family with some saving but a limited amount of funds for post secondary education.  We are hesitant to have her apply to OSAP as we both don’t want her to graduate with a sizeable debt to her name (and ours I would assume).  The thing is, she may not become indebted but that does not mean we won’t incur some.  It is a bit of a catch-22, don’t you think?

We have asked our daughter to apply for scholarships, to get a full time summer job, to save the money that she has received for birthdays, Christmas and Graduation.  She has a small part-time job and she is looking for something with a few more hours.  Once again, we want her to do well in school so we are not pushing this too hard before the end of the school year.  If her good grades become better grades, this can mean the difference between a $1,000 or a $2,000 entrance scholarship.  The fact that she has chosen a French Immersion program has also been a benefit to her with the offer of additional bursary funds from the University of Ottawa.  She is doing what she can to make her dream come true to go away to school.

She has been lucky enough to have been accepted to all of the schools that she applied to but not all options are created equal. 

If she chooses to stay in London, Brescia and Huron Colleges are within a 10 minute drive from home or a 35 – 45 minute bus ride. Both my husband and I commuted to University of British Columbia and McGill University respectively.  He had a car, I had to take the train and public transport.  We never lived in residence.  I did live off campus for two years when my parents moved from Montreal to London.  I think living away from home, once I had a couple of years under my belt, was a good idea, a rite of passage.  My hubby and I are on the same page about this, we do not feel that it is a ‘must do’ if you live within commuting distance.

  

There are a few critical steps that you should take with your high school student this summer to make the post secondary education decision-making process easier.

• Be a good student and do your homework. Have your son or daughter research the different programs.  Maybe they are more suited to something found at a local community college or they are looking for a stepping stone degree to graduate programs.  Look around and see what there is to study.  Not everyone wants to be a doctor, lawyer or engineer.  There are many different programs to choose from and those kids need to know WHAT they want to study.
• Find out what a university is know for. Sound simple but there are really good engineering schools that are not so well know for their fine arts programs. There are schools that have strong athletic programs and others that are only for women students and others that are have a very strong Christian component.  There is nothing wrong with these schools but you need to respect that is what they are about.
• Consider a road trip that will take you to numerous campuses over a few days. My daughter is seriously considering a university that is 8 hours away from home. Making such an important decision that would impact her and us for the next four years (or more) means that we  needed to invest in a trip to the university.  Walked around, looked at the residences, security, amenities and size of the campus.
• In the fall make sure and attend the Ontario University Fair.  It is in Toronto but most Ontario universities have a booth there.  They also have presentations hosted by major universities.  My daughter found this very beneficial although we think it should be held in the spring and not the fall.  Once you have narrowed it down, you’ll have the summer for the road trips to visit the campus that you are interested in.
• Make an an appointment for a campus tour.  Within that, you will get a tour or the academic buildings, the residences and the sports facilities.  You can usually customize it and ask to see the buildings your student will be in most of the time. 
• Also make an appointment with an admissions officer.  They will help you understand what the program breakdown, the financial responsibilities and the resources available for the students.  To be very honest with you, that was the deal maker (or breaker) for many.  See how accessible help is before you actually need. it.
• Meet with a faculty member for the program that you are considering.  Being able to ask those important questions: how many in a typical first year class, do you work with teaching assistants, are you accessible after class, what jobs do recent graduates get, is there an co-op option, what support system do I have if I am struggling in a course.  These are all important questions to ask. 

I will be writing a series of posts as we proceed through this journey of sending our daughter on her way to post secondary education.  It is an exciting time for her and us but there are so many questions and things that have to be organized before she goes. 

Have you started planning for your child’s post secondary education?

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