Ask the Experts: When Should The College Search Begin?

Q: When should families begin searching for their child’s choice of college?

A: “It’s a process that takes the full four years,” says Linda Gabor, director of college counseling for St. Ignatius High School. “We speak to freshmen about the transition and concentrating on their academic work and getting help when they need it. Then in sophomore year, we look at the bigger picture and encourage them to maybe take a visit to a college campus. We talk about all the options that might be available to them, both public and private universities, the cost differential and how they can make college affordable. Some of them think they know exactly what they want to do, and once they get to college, they’ll change their mind. They should always be open to whatever is available to them.”