How to Choose the Right University

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How does one choose the right university for a son or daughter? Or more accurately, how do you help your son or daughter pick a good school?


For some of you, this question is passe. Perhaps your kids are long beyond college years. Other kids have no interest in pursuing a college degree. Or still others may be years away from sending their children to a university.


Allow me to share two success stories.


My wife Julie grew up in Austin, Texas. Her parents had both gone to Abilene Christian College (University). When she and her brother approached the end of high school, their father gave them an opportunity. He promised to pay for their undergraduate degrees, but there was a catch. They had to go to Abilene Christian University. For both Julie and her brother, this proved to work out well. Their family had provided a strong and stable Christian home, and the choice of university built on this foundation.


My path was a bit different. During my junior year of high school, I decided that I would study engineering. This necessitated an exploration of state universities. My initial choice was Georgia Tech. It has a great reputation for engineering and was only four hours from home. As I began to apply and investigate more, people from church began to steer me toward Tennessee Tech. It was a smaller school with about 7500 students, was closer to home, and more importantly – as folks tried to tell me – they had a very strong campus ministry with 100 or more students. At the time, there weren't many vibrant campus ministries at Georgia Tech. Though I was slow to understand the importance of this, I am now eternally grateful for those who steered me toward Tennessee Tech. I finished my degree in mechanical engineering, but my involvement in the campus ministry had such an impact on my life that I went straight to graduate school in biblical studies at Abilene. There I met Julie, and the rest is history.


Choosing a university is not just about an education. You have to consider more than prestige. Here are several things you ought to bear in mind. I speak these as a person who worked in campus ministry for 8 years. I've seen some wonderful stories along with far too many sad stories to repeat.


1. You have to consider the formation of your child. Spiritual formation is something most people take for granted, yet the college years can snuff out a faith that is underdeveloped. As shown in my two examples, excellent spiritual formation can take place on both a Christian or secular campus, but there must be (a) the expectation for growth in your children; and (b) the infrastructure in place to provide spiritual nurture.


2. You have to consider your child's future family. Many young people meet their future mate at college. While some Christians meet and marry non-Christians who convert to Christianity, most Christians who marry non-Christians end up married to a lifelong non-Christian. Will your child be in a place where he/she can meet a soul mate who shares the same faith?


3. You have to consider the needs of the world. Some strong young Christians need to go out as "missionaries" on secular college campuses. They can't go solo of course. They need a support network to provide nurture. But what would this world look like if people of devout faith completely abandoned "liberal" schools?


4. You also ought to consider finances. Too many people go too far into debt for a degree they could have gotten from a much cheaper institution. I think it is valuable to live away from home, but it's not for everyone. And if you really must have a degree from Stanford or UC-Berkley but can't afford it, wait till graduate school. That is when it most often makes sense to find a prestigious school.

What are your thoughts?

Comments

Matt said…
I am a big advocate of of Christian schools for a number of reasons. But I agree with Jason they are not for everyone. They often do come with a price tag that is not for everyone.

There are, however, many aspects of Christian Colleges which secular collages cannot offer. First and foremost are classes in bible. I believe it is a great benefit to be able to pursue your passion in an academic field of your choosing but have the option (or the requirement) to take electives in bible or ministry. Christian Colleges are often home or get exposed to some of the greatest Christian intellectuals, scholars, authors, preachers, servants, politicians, businessmen, and otherwise people.

So if you are choosing a place to send you kid so that they can grow, why not send them to a place that will nurture their spiritual growth as well. I respect and understand the Christian teen that wants to go be an evangelist on a secular campus. My only concern is that every incoming first year college student is probably going to be 18 or 19 years old. I love and respect the passion, but I have yet to see an 18 or 19 year old that has their spiritual life completely together, myself included.

College is often the places that prepares a person for adulthood, especially at an out of town school. Being able to question and explore your faith is huge during this time. That is why I believe it is so important to have great Christian examples whether in the form of teachers, other students, administrators or school guests.

The one hang up I see is the cost. Although I would tell anyone looking at a Church of Christ school not to pay attention to the sticker tag because of the various scholarships. In fact, in my experience I believe most people have found Pepperdine to be the cheapest of the main Church of Christ schools to attend even though it has has the highest initial price tag.

My belief is that you should look at your kid. If you have a kid who is focused on their grades and has a certain level of maturity I think a Christian school can be a great place despite the cost. If you feel your kid is looking for a place to hang out for a couple years, then keeping them at cheaper school might be better . No sense in spending all that money on someone who is not going to take advantage of it.

The other category of students who may want to forgo the cost of a Christian education are those who want to devote themselves a non-proft or humanitarian profession. It is much harder to pursue those passions if you are strapped with a student loan payment.

Whatever the case, college is possible for everyone regardless of income. I am a big believer in education. I hate those movies or shows where someone is complaining about going to school because they can't afford it. Those days are over. I went to school with plenty of kids who received no help from their parents and did not have to work five jobs to pay for it. Student loans are an investment for you future.

Alright. I am off my soap box.
August 5, 2009 at 2:16 PM
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