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Conversations
The Right Choice for Your Teen By Charlene Torkelson
With so many colleges and universities around the United States, how is a perspective student to narrow down their education choices? Let's eavesdrop on a few conversations to see what the thought process is for many juniors and seniors and their parents:
Father: "My son has decided to apply only to schools with a good Ultimate Frisbee team..."
Girl to her friend: "I want to attend a small college that is located in a suburb of a larger city, so I have easy access to the airport to get home."
Parents: "Our daughter wants to be as far away from home as possible, so that means either East Coast or West Coast."
Mother: "My daughter is being recruited by five Division I schools in diving. The University of Wisconsin seems to be her first choice at this point because she really likes the coach and the team."
Father: "My daughter has no idea what she wants to do or what she wants to study, so I'm encouraging her to attend the local community college to get her basics out of the way until she can decide on a course of study. Financially that seems to be a smarter move."
Mother: "Nicole wants a school with a good dance line, and the University of Minnesota has a great reciprocity agreement with Wisconsin, so it looks like that should be her first choice."
Mother: "I want my son to live at home during school to save money."
Father: "I'd really like my daughter to attend the university, because my wife's job allows her a discount in tuition."
Sean to friends: "I'm not interested in * college because it's too expensive."
Mother of Sean to friends: "Sean is doing a college visit of * college. I know he said it was too expensive, but that was yesterday. Today is a different day."