How to Help Your Student Choose a College—Without Overwhelming Them

If you’ve ever asked your teen where they want to go to college and gotten a blank stare in response, you’re not alone.

Picking a college is a huge decision, and for many students, it feels like way too much pressure. The more they think about it, the more they panic—until suddenly, they’d rather watch TikToks about dorm life than actually decide where to apply.

So how do you guide them toward the right choice without sending them into full decision fatigue? Let’s break it down.

1️⃣ Shrink the List (No, They Don’t Need to Apply to 20 Schools!)

Some students get overwhelmed because their list is too big. If your teen is staring at 30+ colleges and has no idea how to narrow it down, here’s what to do:

✅ Step 1: Eliminate the obvious NOs. Too far away? Too expensive? No desired programs? Cross it off.

✅ Step 2: Group the remaining schools into three categories: Reach, Target, and Safety.

✅ Step 3: Aim for 8-12 solid schools. Enough options, but not too many to handle.

💡 Pro Tip: I teach a step-by-step method for building a smart college list without overwhelm—and I break it all down in my course (launching in ONE WEEK!).

2️⃣ Visit Smart, Not Everywhere

Campus visits are great—but they can also be exhausting, expensive, and, frankly, confusing. If your student walks away from every tour saying, “It was fine, I guess,” you’re not alone.

✅ Visit a mix of schools—big vs. small, urban vs. rural—to get a sense of different environments

.✅ Skip the information session if it’s the same speech you can watch online. Spend more time exploring the campus instead!

✅ Let your teen take the lead. If they don’t feel engaged, they won’t remember the visit.

💡 Secret: There’s a right way to do college visits that actually helps students decide. I teach parents how in my course!

3️⃣ Focus on Fit, Not Just Rankings

It’s easy to get caught up in “big name” schools, but the best college is the one where your teen will thrive—not just the one with the best ranking.

Ask your teen:

🤔 Do you want small classes or big lecture halls?

🤔 Do you need a campus with lots of student activities or something quieter?

🤔 Do you learn best hands-on or through traditional lectures?

Encourage them to picture their day-to-day life on campus. If they can’t see themselves there, it’s probably not the right fit!

4️⃣ Remind Them That There’s No “One Perfect School”

Many students feel overwhelmed because they think they have to pick the one “right” college—as if the wrong choice will ruin their future. (Spoiler: It won’t.)

Here’s the truth: Most students could be happy at multiple schools. What matters most is what they do once they get there.

🎯 The best college isn’t the “perfect” one—it’s the one where they feel comfortable, challenged, and supported.

5️⃣ Give Them a Deadline (and Then Step Back!)

At some point, they just have to make a decision. Give your teen time to think it over, but don’t let the process drag on forever.

✅ Set a decision deadline (and remind them they can change their mind later if needed).

✅ Let them take ownership—this is their future, after all.

✅ Trust that they will figure it out!

💡 Feeling stuck? My course launches in ONE WEEK, and it’s designed to help parents and students navigate this whole process without stress or overwhelm. Check it out here: www.futurefindersllc.com