Skip to main content

8 replies

A little math to help narrow the choice

JimnevJimnev100+ posts
I have seen a lot of folks recently talking about college fit or how do we decide what school etc. My son is a sophomore and in an effort to focus him in a little I came up with this thing below. Don't know if it makes sense or not. It's not the be all end all but it a way to get him to focus on the future.

This is what we did. I had him answer the following questions.
From favorite to least favorite what region do you want to go to school in?
1. Mid Atlantic Value 3
2. Northeast Value 2
3. South Value 1
What size student enrollment do you want? Prioritize from large, medium small.
1. Large Value 3
2. Medium Value 2
3. Small Value 1
What type of town do you want to live in? Prioritize from Large city, college town, rural.
1. Large city Value 3
2. college town Value 2
3. small rural Value 1



What are your Top 10 schools?
What are 5 potential courses of study?

Now go to those top 10 schools and see if they offer all those courses of study. If not replace them with another school that does.



Now go to the top 10 list and plug in the value for each question for example Boston College is in my son's Top 10 Its score would be:
Mid Atlantic 2
Medium enrollment 2
Large city 3
Giving BC a total value of 7 which equals number 2 on his list.

It's a start.
Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Backstop-17Backstop-17500+ posts
If you are a blue chipper and can select from multiple schools, then I would agree with your approach.

I would also agree if being able to play baseball is not a deciding factor in your decision.

For the non blue chipper who is hoping to play baseball in college and does not have multiple schools, I offer the following simple yes/no selection:

1. Does this college want you for baseball?

Yes ----------> Go to question #2

No ----------> Select next college, return to #1

2. Does this college offer a major you like?

Yes ----------> Go to question #3

No -----------> Select next college, return to #1

3. Do you like where it is located?

Yes ----------> Go to question #4

No -----------> Select next college, return to #1

4. Can we afford it?

Yes ----------> Select College

No -----------> Select next college, revisit rejected colleges and return to #1


My son had 3 schools who were really interested to choose from (2 where they expressed they wanted him for baseball - 1 where they had interest but he would have to try to walk on). School he chose made it through all 4 with yes. School he didn't choose failed question #3. Walk on school didn't make it past #1.

Good luck whatever decision you make!!
TRhitTRhit10,000+ posts
I looked at it a bit differently with all my boys---did not worry about the major because few if any 17 year olds have made that choice size mattered not because they came from large high schools and their circle of friends in college would be athletes regardless of the number of students:location was up to them---cost was simple---find the school you want and like and the one that wants youu and let me worry about the finances--it worked well---three played college baseball and all got degrees
S SwampboyHSBBWeb Administrator
Good stuff.

Any system that motivates a young man to clarify his priorities and start separating reality from fantasy (academic, baseball, and financial) can be useful. Just keep it flexible so it can accommodate additional factors when he visits schools, envisions life on a particular campus, and discovers new things that really matter to him.
JimnevJimnev100+ posts
I agree about the blue chippers. At this point we don't know if he's a "blue chip." Numbers, grades and projectability are there but it's very early in the process. By narrowing down to 10 and prioritizing he can send those schools an email including summer schedule, webpage, points of contact etc. If that garners interest then that schools stays if they so thanks but no thanks then that school gets replaced. Not a science but a method. TR good point on the major but I think he has to factor it in, at least a general idea. I also agree with coming up with the money, that's my department. If interest from a school off the list comes in that becomes a different folder of real interest.
fenwaysouthfenwaysouth10,000+ posts
Backstop-17,

That simple decision tree looks vaguely familiar... Wink I love it.

Son was not a bluechipper but he had some D1 & D3 choices. So we had a few of these decision trees going on at the same time which helped elevate the stress levels.

To swampboy's point about flexibility, we added a #5 - "do you like the head coach/pitching coach?".
Last edited by fenwaysouth
CollegeParentNoMoreCollegeParentNoMore1,000+ posts
Did this process twice with my son, HS and JC, he was a 4-2-4.

Easily the most important factor the second time around was how well he liked/trusted/respected the HC. I feel its very easy to over analyze the situation. You must be flexible at all times and be willing to give up things like location if getting into the best playing situation is important. i.e. recruited walkon at San Diego or get a guranteed spot at Ohio State?
RJMRJMHSBaseballWeb member since 2007
I see setting up a scoring system as overanalyzing the situation. The player and the parents can get a gut feel for whether a school is right.

These schools look right
These schools are interesting in me
Make a decision

My daughter played college softball. She attended a college not on her radar screen outside her geographic preference. She majored in a degree other than what she intended. Post college she's very happy with her decision. This college would have scored ZERO in a self created recruiting scoring system. And as PG mentioned, the school recriuted her, not the other way around.

Sometimes it just takes instincts.
Last edited by RJM
ILVBBILVBB1,000+ posts
Jimnev

I don't have an issue with trying to systemize the selection process. What I would caution you is for having your son respond to well meaning questions without having an understanding what they might mean. For most boys that are sophomors, they have no clue what it means to be on a college campus.

Before I would start asking questions designed to help him focus, it might be a good idea to take him to a handful of colleges and let him take the tour.

What I have found is that boys know colleges that appear on ESPN and the schools within say 50 miles of home.

When I talk with parents from my area I suggest that the take their kids to 5-6 schools in our area; UofCal (major public university), SF State (state university - major commuter school), St. Mary's (small, private, religious), UofPacific (smaller, private, classic campus), Menlo (very small private) and UCDavis (state university, rural campus). I am sure that you can find 6 schools within 50-100 miles which would help your son learn what it means to attend college.

After that the question is what do you like and what don't you like. Then your son would be better prepared to answer the questions that you have outlined.

Add Reply

Post
.

Membership Required

We're sorry. You must be signed in to continue. Sign In or Register
×
Are you sure you want to remove from your Block List?
×
Loading...
×
When you block a person, they can no longer invite you to a private message or post to your profile wall. Replies and comments they make will be collapsed/hidden by default. Finally, you'll never receive email notifications about content they create or likes they designate for your content.
Note: if you proceed, you will no longer be following .
×
Advanced Search
Advanced Search
Link copied to your clipboard.
×