This article is adapted from Davidson Institute’s student version of “Early College – Considering the Options: A Guidebook for Investigating Early College Entrance”, part of our collection of free guidebooks for gifted and 2e families. For a deeper dive into supporting your gifted or twice-exceptional child, we encourage you to explore the full guide.
A very young student is often more limited in their choices of a college than an older student who is prepared to live away from home and, therefore, has more flexibility in choosing from a wide variety of schools.
Don’t rush into full-time college. Keep in mind that enrolling in a college class won’t necessarily guarantee that you won’t be bored. You may have more appropriate opportunities in secondary school, such as independent study and teacher support. Often, an AP class in high school is more challenging than the same course taught at a community college. Furthermore, most exceptionally bright students plan to eventually attend a first-rate graduate or professional school. A first-rate college experience is often the best preparation for post-college education. Waiting a year or so to enroll full-time may also give you a chance to develop your experience, skills, and social and emotional maturity.
Remember that a college education involves not only classroom instruction and homework, but also a rich array of opportunities to learn outside of class. Make these as much a part of your investigation as the “purely” academic aspects. It might be helpful to look up course information to find out what learning opportunities are offered outside of the classroom; for example, does one of your required classes offer chances to view campus theater productions for credit or are there assignments that require you visit an art museum?
Considerations to keep in mind:
Environment
It is important to look at colleges in the areas where you and your family are most comfortable. Choosing particular geographic areas can depend on numerous factors, such as:
- Proximity to home
- Size of town or city
- Safety, crime statistics
- Climate
It is also important to consider the environment on campus as well. Looking at the size of the college may give you an idea of how many students might enroll in each of your courses. For example, smaller colleges in rural areas are more likely to have smaller classes, whereas larger urban colleges will most likely have more students and large class sizes. Larger schools may provide more opportunities for cultural activities.
You may want to take diversity into account when considering a college. Does the college embrace diversity in its students and faculty, as well in the surrounding community? If you can, avoid a college situation where everyone seems to have come from the same background and is the same age. The more diversity there is on campus, the less likely you are to stick out as “different” and the more likely it is that the other students will be genuinely friendly to you.
It is important to explore living situations if the college is far from home. You may opt for a college in a safer neighborhood if you will be living on campus or away from parents.
Campus Life
Several aspects of campus life need to be scrutinized in order to find a college that best fits your needs. What type of environment would best support your situation? An appropriate social environment is essential in determining the best fit for a college. It is especially important to look at how seriously students are committed to academic excellence and how well the environment supports not just solitary study but formal and informal study groups, non-academic activities (including service opportunities), and diversity of ideas and backgrounds.
- Campus reputation – Is the campus known for its academics or for its sports team? Is the college known to be a “party school”? If so, it might be helpful to look at policies regarding alcohol and drugs or consider how this may be reflected in other students’ goals and values.
- Conditions of the buildings, such as classrooms, library, labs, etc. – is the campus rundown or are the buildings updated? Also, it is important to look at the quality of the facilities you will be using, such as the labs and recreation center.
- Mentors – does the college offer the opportunity for incoming students to have mentors or tutors? This may be a bonus for a student who is new to college thus needing social and academic support.
- Social events – is the school dominated by sororities and fraternities? Are there structured and safe social events sponsored by the college? Also investigate opportunities for social and academic clubs where you can socialize and develop friendships with students who share similar interests. If you are to live at home, to what extent will you be able to participate in the rest of college life?
Academics
The academic reputation and features of a school are key factors to consider.
- Is the school highly research-based?
- Do the faculty members have impressive and diverse backgrounds?
- What is the use of graduate assistants in courses, and what is the availability of instructors?
- What is your area of study? It is crucial to look at your area of study to see if the program is strong and to identify which aspects of it appeal to you. For example, do the program’s course descriptions sound like a good fit for what you want in a class? Does the program sound challenging enough or maybe too challenging? What are the backgrounds of the instructors in the program?
- Look at the college in its entirety. What is the academic rigor of the institution?
Safety & Transportation
Safety was briefly mentioned above, but it is important that we touch on it more in depth. Look into the safety on campus and in the surrounding areas of campus, including neighborhoods and even the whole town. You may want to investigate the town and college’s crime statistics. You will probably not want to walk to the library at night, especially if the chances of a crime occurring are high. It is also important to see how crime is handled on campus. Are there police and security officers that help maintain safety on campus? It is also important to look at transportation. How will the student get to and from class safely? Does the campus offer late-night transportation or escort service? Consider the lighting and spacing. Is the campus lit well enough at night? Are there wide-open spaces between buildings, or are there alleys or back ways that must be traveled?
Financial
When investigating colleges, the cost of attending is a factor to consider. Cost can include many things such as tuition, books, room and board, meals, recreation, and transportation. Of course, the cost of the college should not deter you from applying if it is a great fit otherwise. Section 7 will go into depth regarding financial assistance.
Other Considerations
If your local college isn’t one you would otherwise choose, you may want to take a few courses, and only from those special professors who are, indeed, demanding in their expectations and whose teaching approach focuses on understanding complex ideas. Otherwise, ask yourself some serious questions before considering full-time enrollment, such as:
- “Even though this isn’t my first choice, is the school a good enough fit? Are there sufficient opportunities to make it a positive experience?”
- “Will attending this college hurt or enhance my career and personal goals?”
- “What is the success rate of graduates from this college – what graduate schools do they attend or what jobs do they obtain?”
See if it is possible for you and your family, or one parent, to establish a residence near a first-rank college to which you apply (and at which you are accepted). Or find a relative or other family with whom you can stay during the week. If you’re not going to be living with your own family, try the situation out first, and get the rules clarified as to how much you are to be considered a kid and how much a college student – and who does the chores!
Look for a residential college that is specifically designed for very early entrance to college. Such an arrangement may be close to ideal, since your fellow classmates will match your age as well as being bright and interesting themselves – you are just the kind of student they are designed for. An increasing number of states now offer residential college programs for students who skip their junior and senior year of high school and some do not require state residence. For the most comprehensive listing of early college entrance programs, please see:
- Early Entrance, Acceleration Institute
- Early College Resources – Davidson Gifted Blog
- Hoagies’ Gifted Education Page list of Early Entrance College Programs
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