Where do I start? 

This is the question in the minds of many students and families at the beginning of the college search process. It is an overwhelming thought: How should I decide which of the over 6000 colleges and universities in the US are the right fit for me to learn and grow, and which are affordable for my family? 

We begin by helping students reframe the process. Instead of asking, “What’s the best school?” we encourage students to ask, “What is the best fit for me?” Through reflective exercises, research, and thoughtful advising, our students discover what matters most to them and what questions to ask when researching colleges to find the right fit.

Letting Go of Preconceptions: The Anonymous College Fair

First, students decide what is important to them. One of the ways we help students do that is with the Anonymous College Fair, where college names, locations, and mascots are anonymous for the first 60 minutes. 

If my 5-year-old daughter were evaluating cheeseburgers, any sauce- ketchup, mustard, mayo- would lead to an immediate “yuck.” While it is easy for students to understand different preferences in food, they sometimes struggle to treat the college search in the same way. They want to find what other people “like” or think is “good”–even if they, themselves, disdain the special sauce.

The anonymity of the college fair allows students to leave preconceptions at the door, the idea of a “good” college only being one with a low acceptance rate, and the fear that they might be judged for walking up to a less popular table. 

From Curiosity to Clarity: Defining Personal Criteria

In any blind test, you should develop the criteria first. If, say, you are evaluating cheeseburgers from different restaurants, first you have to define what you think makes a good cheeseburger- is it the quality of the meat? How sharp is the cheese? The special sauce? This is where we started with our junior class last week when we introduced the concept of the anonymous college fair. We encouraged them to draft questions specific to their interests and preferences and helped them hone their questions. 

They started with a question like “Do you have study abroad programs?” and we refined it in the seminar to “I care about a global perspective, what percentage of your students study abroad”? 

Perhaps they shared that “campus culture” was important to them, so we drafted a question about how many students live on campus for all 4 years. In this way, we encouraged them to begin to develop their criteria for their college search, to help them begin to filter the many colleges and universities to find multiple schools where they suspect they might thrive. 

Navigating Uncertainty to Ownership

The 85 members of the class of 2024 went to 63 different colleges, universities, and gap year adventures after a college process purposefully focused on fit and finding multiple communities where they could thrive. They brought agency and choice to the college process. 

The college process at Holderness is not a one-size-fits-all race. It’s a thoughtful, multi-year journey rooted in self-discovery, reflection, and individualized guidance. By the time students choose a school, they’re choosing a community where they can thrive. 

The college process doesn’t have to be overwhelming and terrifying. With a bit of a mindset shift, it can be joyful, exciting, and even, dare we say it, fun. 

About the Author

Kelsey Berry
Director of College Counseling

Kelsey joined the Holderness community in 2011 as a history teacher and coach, after a brief stint away, she returned in 2012. She served as the History Department Chair, then worked for five years as the Director of Teaching and Learning. In 2022, she started leading the College Counseling Office. She lives in the Pichette dorm with her two small children, and her husband, Mike Carrigan.

kberry@holderness.org, (603) 779-5310