Help Your Teen Find Their College Fit with Jeff Selingo

Event Date: September 29, 2026

Many teens overlook a range of potential college options. Many narrow their searches, based on factors like prestige and familiarity. The culture of prestige is real, and it can narrow college options that families consider. In this BigFuture® Live event, author of Dream School and higher education journalist Jeff Selingo shared how to help your teen build a college list that starts with who they actually are. He explained what "fit" means across academics, cost, culture, support, belonging, and career outcomes. He also discussed how to ask better questions without taking over the process entirely.

Watch the recording to learn how to help your teen build a college list based on who they are, not just a name you recognize.

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Key Takeaways

Most Teens Start Out as Passengers in the College Search

"Most students are passengers, right? They're kind of along for the ride… they don't really know what they want to do." – Jeff Selingo

If your teen seems to be along for the ride in the college search, you're not alone. With so many schools to look at, many teens aren't sure what they want yet. Pushing them to take the wheel can backfire. Give them time and keep the pressure low. Try an open question, like "What do you think freshman year would be like?" Or look together at how a school helps first-year students get settled. Small steps help your teen warm up to the search at their own pace.

A Balanced List Beats Chasing One Dream School

"Do what you want to do in high school and then find the college that wants you." – Jeff Selingo

High school is a time to try new things, not to build a case for one admissions office. When a teen is aiming at a single school, they may drop the band, the school play, or a part-time job to add something that "looks right." A balanced list takes that pressure off. With a few reach schools, a few good matches, and a few likely ones, your teen is free to spend their time on what they enjoy, knowing there are great options waiting whichever way it goes. Every school on the list should be one your child would be happy to attend.

A Higher Acceptance Rate Doesn't Mean a Weaker School

"Their acceptance rate keeps going up, but it's nothing to do with the quality of that school." – Jeff Selingo

Students are applying to more schools than ever, but they can only attend one. When fewer admitted students say yes, some colleges admit more of them to fill their seats. That can push acceptance rates up, even though the school itself hasn't changed. A climbing acceptance rate often just reflects how many more places students are applying today, not a decline in the school itself.

On Your Campus Visit, Look for Signs of Connection

"So much of the college experience is around these connections." – Jeff Selingo

You'll learn a lot on a campus visit just by looking around. Picture your teen walking these halls. Do students seem to know each other? Do they stop and talk with their professors? Try asking a student or two how they found their friends and who helped them get settled. Those stories show what the school is really like.

The Best College Is the One That Helps You Grow

"A lot of it matters what you do in college, then where you go." – Jeff Selingo

When your teen applies for jobs, employers care about what they've done, not just where they went. Internships, research with a professor, and campus jobs build real skills and give students something to talk about in interviews. That's why employers hire from a wide mix of colleges. A strong alumni network might get you in the door, but it's the experience a student builds along the way that gets them hired.

Additional Resources

• Download the Future Planning Guide for Parents, Mentors, and Families
• Get the book Dream School: Finding the College That's Right For You by Jeff Selingo to learn about thinking more broadly about what signals a "good" college and then the tools to discover their dream school.
• Subscribe to Jeff Selingo's newsletter Next to continue to explore more information around college exploration and career planning.

Speaker

Jeff Selingo Author, Dream School: Finding the College That's Right For You Jeff Selingo has written about colleges and universities for more than 25 years and is a New York Times bestselling author of four books. His latest, Dream School: Finding the College That's Right for You (September 2025), draws on more than two years of research and a survey of some 3,000 parents to give families permission to think more broadly about what signals a "good" college and then the tools to discover their dream school. He is also the author of Who Gets In & Why: A Year Inside College Admissions, named one of the New York Times's 100 Notable Books of the Year in 2020. A regular contributor to The Atlantic, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal, Jeff is a special advisor to the president and professor of practice at Arizona State University. He writes the biweekly newsletter Next and co-hosts the podcast Future U. He lives near Washington, D.C., with his family.