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Choosing a School
by Kevin Paul, M.A.
(edited by EDge staff)
For some people, making the choice as to which post-secondary school to attend can be very difficult. However, if you take some time and use a systematic approach, you are most likely to make the choice that is right for you. It is impossible to cover all of the factors you might want to consider, but the questions listed here are a good starting point in your search and decision-making process.
1. Is career college, community college, or university right for me?
This is one of the most important questions you need to answer. College or university is not for everyone, nor is everyone ready for the length and manner of intense academic study that is required for success at university. This has nothing to do with whether or not you are "smart" enough. Many "smart" people are just not suited to intense academia. Many are not ready immediately following high school, but discover a few years later that they really want to go.
Universities offer various levels of degree programs leading to either a Bachelor's degree (the three or four year first degree), a Master's degree or a Doctorate degree. To enter a university directly, you usually need at least a high school diploma with above average marks, or, in some provinces, special courses beyond the usual ones required for simple high school graduation.
University colleges combine the best of the Canadian university and college traditions, with a strong base of applied and academic programs offered in a supportive campus environment. As the name suggests, university colleges offer both academically-oriented university degree programs and the more practically-oriented college diplomas and certificates programs. You can expect to find a wide range of program choices. University colleges are distinguished by their strong student support services, smaller classes, and strong campus communities.
Colleges are post-secondary institutions that can be entered into directly after graduating from high school. These "community colleges" commonly offer one- to three-year diploma or certificate programs which prepare you in some way to enter the marketplace by giving you the specialized skills training needed. Some colleges now offer university transfer and degree programs, which will help you lighten your course load if you decide to go on to university later. The standards for admission are not usually as demanding as those for university, and emphasize the work and skill experiences that you have already obtained rather than the marks that you have received.
Colleges have a primary function of responding to the training needs of business, industry, the public service sectors, and the educational needs of vocationally-oriented secondary school graduates and adults.
Colleges typically have a more vocationally-related curriculum than universities, with smaller classes, off-campus course offerings, a greater ratio of laboratory space to classroom space, a more interactive teaching style and more inclusive entry criteria. Employment-related programs, including apprenticeship and continuing education courses, often maintain varying entry levels and range from the technologies to the creative arts.
In our Web site, we refer to Community Colleges as Colleges.
Career Colleges are private post-secondary institutions, many of which have the same kind of admissions procedures as community colleges, and have similar types of courses. However, in most cases, the career college learning period is concentrated into a much shorter period of time, enabling you to graduate sooner and enter the work force faster.
The emphasis at career colleges is on practical skills over a broad range of programs. They specialize in specific areas such as business, computers, and secretarial skills. Although privately owned, these schools are provincially approved and regulated ensuring that the standards of programs and their quality are maintained.
Be honest with yourself and make certain that you will be attending the right school for the right reasons. Appeasing your parents or following your friends are not good enough reasons by themselves; you could be wasting a lot of time, money and effort.
Once you have really thought about it, and you are sure which type of school is right for you at this time in your life, do some work to help yourself make the best choice of schools.
2. What is my personal situation?
Your choice can be limited by your personal circumstances. Take stock of your situation before you begin to list possible places to apply. What is your academic record like? What is the state of your financial resources (e.g., your savings, family contribution, scholarships, possible summer jobs, etc.)?
3. Have I checked out ALL my options?
Don't make a quick decision based on "convenience", what your friends are doing, or where your parents want you to go. These are all valid points to consider in your decision, but only after you have the whole picture. Look at all of the choices available to you. Make lists of schools that interest you and offer what you want. Take a quick "tour" of the schools listed on this Web site. Explore their Web sites on the Internet. Write away for calendars and admissions handbooks (they're usually free).
If you just choose a school close to home without a proper search, you may regret it for a long time. You could be missing out on the perfect place. If you look honestly at your options and then decide to stay at a hometown school because it's cheaper, close to your friends, AND you'll get the education you want, it's a much easier decision to live with.
4. What about academic quality? How can I tell?
Of course you want excellent academic quality, but how can you be expected to judge that? What should a new student look for? Two factors that you should NOT use are reputation and rankings.
Reputation is often not a good gauge of what's currently happening at a particular school. Professors and programs make a school's reputation, and those things can change dramatically from year to year. You can be certain that any particular school is not the same place it was when your teachers and parents attended.
Rankings are a waste of time, except for entertainment value. Do not use them as a factor when choosing a school.
The reality is that in Canada, each school provides good education. What makes the real difference to a beginning student like you is whether or not they offer what you want, or a wide enough selection to give you lots of options. Also, the "extras" can make a real difference to the academic quality you experience. Extra factors to consider could include:
The libraries and laboratories. Is the library a priority for spending? Will you be using old or up-to-date lab equipment?
Will all of the classes be huge lectures? Or is there a genuine attempt to provide small classes?
Will you be taught by actual professors or will most of your teachers be temporary part-time lecturers?
Are they offering the same old programs and courses? Or is there a pattern of new programs and new approaches? Co-op education and interdisciplinary studies are some of the ways you can judge this.
Does the school have a clear sense of what it is supposed to do and what kind of place it wants to be? You can tell by asking if there is a mission statement and strategic plan to help fulfil that mission. If there is no plan or goal, then it's probably just drifting along and spreading its resources too thinly. The more focused a school is, the more likely it is to offer fewer programs but of higher quality.
5. Will they care about me when I get there?
Some institutions do a very good recruiting job, but don't provide a lot of support once you get there. The ones that are likely to care more about you once you're there are the ones that offer rewards:
A good orientation program at the beginning of the year;
Well-funded counselling and study skills programs;
Co-op programs to help you pay for your education, as well as enhancing your job prospects when you graduate.
6. What other things are important to me? Do any of the following matter to you in making your decision?
A large or small campus?
An urban or rural setting?
Family housing? Non-smoking residence rooms?
Church affiliation?
Far from home or close to home?
7. How do I "feel" about each possible choice?
Sometimes the final decision comes down to intangible elements. If you have considered all of the objective factors like academic programs, money and housing - as well as the identifiable subjective matters like where your friends will be, the size of the campus and the support services - then it's okay to leave the final decision to your feelings. With enough hard information to work on, a "gut feeling" can often be pretty accurate. Trust it.
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