Whether you’re reading a university’s website, a college guidebook, or an online profile, you’ll confront numbers and statistics that tell a story about the school you’re considering. It’s easy to misread these numbers. Below are some tips for avoiding common mistakes parents and students make when reading a profile.
1. Student/Faculty Ratio
These numbers are remarkably misleading. If you see that an elite university has a 6:1 student/faculty ratio and a smaller college has a 14:1 ratio, you’d probably assume you’d have smaller classes and more access to faculty members at the elite school. Chances are you’d be wrong. The most prestigious universities often have faculty members who rarely teach undergraduates and devote much of their time to educating graduate students and doing research. You can expect first-year classes with hundreds of students, not six. The small college is more likely to have small, discussion-centered classes from the day you walk through the door.2. Average SAT or ACT Score
Be careful not to view a test average as some sort of magical cut-off line. If a school has an average combined math and verbal SAT score of 1340 but you have a 1230, you’re still in the running. The average tells us that just as many students scored below 1340 as above it. Some of the more useful college profiles don’t present the average score, but the range for the middle 50% of scores. That 1340 might represent a middle 50% range of 1220-1450. Suddenly your 1230 doesn’t look too bad.3. Total Cost
Many students shy away from their dream schools because the costs are intimidating. Realize, however, that many of the country’s best schools are able to offer excellent financial aid packages for students who need the help. If your family has a modest income, you may find that you’d end up paying the same amount for that $48,000 private college as you would for the $8,000 state school down the road. You should never rule out your dream school until you actually see the financial aid package.4. Percentage of Full-Time Faculty Members
This number is frequently overlooked. After all, who really cares if a teacher works full time or part time? Don’t be fooled. Schools typically depend on part-time employees to save money. These adjunct instructors are paid significantly less than full-time faculty, and they receive few benefits. Because of their low pay, many part-time instructors must teach numerous courses or hold second jobs to make a living. The consequences? You’re likely to get less interaction with your teacher and less feedback on your work. Also, your teachers may not be fully satisfied with their jobs, and you may have a hard time finding them in a couple of years when you’re looking for someone to write a letter of recommendation.5. Freshman Retention Rate
This is another number that students shopping for colleges often ignore. Don’t. The retention rate represents the percentage of first-year students who return for their sophomore year. If 95% of students return, you can be pretty sure that the majority of students have a positive experience at the college. If only 70% return, you should try to figure out why 30% of students give up on the school after just one year.
