A HEALTHY APPROACH TO COLLEGE PLANNING
The Fit Imperative
Less than half of first-year college students completely agree their college is a good fit. There are four conditions every teen needs to find theirs.
Too many students make decisions about college based on prestige, pressure, or incomplete information, rather than what's actually right for them. A healthy approach focused on fit isn't only a college planning strategy, it's a college completion strategy.
WHY FIT MATTERS
What Makes a College the Right Fit?
A good fit is where students experience academic success and a sense of belonging. A good fit is different for everyone. For each of these factors, students must consider their own needs and goals to find what's best for them.
Four Core Conditions for Finding Best Fit
Building on the work of many counselors and college access organizations, these conditions of a healthy planning process help teens find a fit, based on their unique needs, aspirations, and preferences.
WHY A HEALTHY APPROACH?
See the Full Picture
The Fit Imperative—informed by research, student perspectives, and promising practices from counselors and college access organizations—makes the case that when students find a college aligned with their academic and career goals, financial circumstances, and personal priorities, they are more likely to graduate.
Tools to Help Teens Find Their Fit
Free, ready-to-share guides for teens, families, and schools to center conversations and plans on personal fit.
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For Teens: Your Future, Your Fit
Helps teens reflect on what they want their future to look like, recognize their own strengths, and start defining the fit factors that matter most to them.
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For Families: Their Future, Their Fit
Equips families with conversation starters and practical ways to help teens understand who they are and what they need next, without adding more pressure to the college process.
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The Fit Imperative: A Future Planning Guide for Schools
Uplifts the work of counselors and equips the entire school with practical ways to support fit-centered college planning.
Finding Their Own Fit, In Their Own Words
Hear directly from young people featured in the publication about their journeys to find their own personal fit.
What We Wish We'd Known Going In
Hear from four families who've been through it. They share what it actually took to find a program that fit their teen, from financial feasibility to campus culture.
Appreciation to Our Partners:
The Jed Foundation, National Career Development Association, National College Attainment Network and their many member organizations including Achieve Atlanta, College Track, and 10,000 Degrees, and National Parents Union as well as College Board's K-12 and higher member institutions and Counselor Community Advisory Group whose perspectives, expertise, and insights helped to shape this report.