How to Choose the Right School for Your Child’s College Education?

Eleven months from now, my eldest daughter will be going to collegiate school.  This after she finished the newly launched K12 program of the Department of Education (DepEd). 

I know by this time, students as well as their parents are starting to look for school suited for their chosen track or courses. 

Remember that the right decision in choosing for the right school could put your child’s path toward lifelong learning, a prestigious college education and a successful career. 

That is why it very important that in choosing for a particular school a lot of things has to be considered.

As a mom of an incoming collegiate freshman I also have my own guide which you might also find relevant.  Please take time to consider some of them.

School’s Reputation and Background

Since education is considered by many as an investment for their child future, choosing the right school with good reputation and background is an utmost important.

So what are the determining factors to we say if the school has a good reputation?

First of all, the school should have a good standing record for producing excellent students and would-be future economic shapers of the country.  It is not enough that the school is producing graduates.  Rather what we are expecting as parents is for the school to hone students with skills and intellectual expertise that he can share on the outside world ones he left the four corners of the classroom and university he is attending.

Second, the school’s total produce graduate should rank well in the National Board Examination.  If the school is not producing enough board passers, are you going to trust the school for your child’s education?  Think twice.

Tuition Fee

Sending a child to school nowadays is no big joke.  Tuition fee increases has gone higher for the last several years.  Parents started to feel the burden of sending their children to college.  Which is also a cause for a big dropout of students continuing college education.  As the old saying goes, when you send a child to school “igagapang mo talaga para lang mapagtapos mo sila”.  Which is quite true.

In the Philippines, we are lucky that aside from private schools and universities the government also provide public education for those who could not afford the expensive tuition fee of the private schools.  Some of these state universities I understand give tuition fee subsidies to students depending on their parent’s family income.  As of this writing, I think there was a correcting move on the part of CHED’s guidelines to give/implement the full free college education to all public school students which is a welcome relief to a lot of parents including me, of course!

However, though we put into consider the low tuition fee offered in different colleges and universities this doesn’t mean we have to sacrifice the quality of education that other expensive school can also offer.  If the family can afford to send a child to an expensive school that can provide good quality education, then why not? 

But course, we also have a lot of state universities that can stand at par with other expensive universities in terms of educational standard.

So, this one I can say really depends on the family’s allotted budget for their child’s education.

Location

With the current traffic situation that we have nowadays, choosing a location nearer to your home is a smart choice.  It saves time, money and not to mention traffic stress.

One good advantage of having your school nearer your home allows you the privilege of not waking up too early in the morning just to be in time for your class schedule. This means less time for going in and out of school.

 

Another advantage is that you save for transportation expenses. Which means that the nearer the school to your home the more you save for transportation expenses.  This way, the save transportation allowances by the student can be used for other purposes like for his school projects and activities. 

Most of all, it unleash you of the burden of traffic stress that most of our populace has been experiencing.  Less stress provides you with good opportunity to study well.     

Child’s Interest and Choice

Well no matter how much we want a particular school for our child, the child’s own choice and interest does really count.  Anyway, they are the one who will be going to school and spent several years of studies.  If the child is not comfortable with the school he is attending he will not be motivated to study harder and life will be a life full of hell for him throughout the entire years he will be spending in the school.

So let us also give our child the freedom of choice but with enough guidance so that he will choose the right decision for the right school he would like to attend eventually.  Explain to him the things that he has to consider in choosing his preferred collegiate school.

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I hope this guide will help you decide along with your child in choosing the right school for your child’s college education. 

As an additional help for moms and upcoming college freshmen, I will be making a separate School Review: List of Collegiate Schools in the Philippines which may help supplement to your decision-making in choosing for your child’s collegiate school.  So, till then and wait for my next blog post!

If you have additional ideas you want to share I will be more than happy to hear it from you.  Please feel free to comment on below.

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Happy reading!

Arlene