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College Matters

College is a journey that will shape who you’ll know, what career you’ll pursue, and who you’ll become. That’s why understanding the college process is important — and why you shouldn’t walk through it alone. This guide exists for you. For your hopes, your dreams, your fears and your questions. We hope you’ll find it encouraging and helpful as you prepare for your next chapter.

What’s in this guide?
Step 1
Before You Begin Your College Search
Step 2
Explore Your Options for College
Bonus
Choosing a Christian College
Step 3
Journeying through the Admissions Process
Step 4
Making Your Final Decision
Step 5
Making the Transition
Prefer a PDF? Download the College Guide

Step 1:

Before You Begin Your College Search

Who God Is

Throughout this process, there’s a truth you can hold onto.

The all-knowing, all-powerful, all-loving Creator of the universe can be trusted with your future.

He sees you. Whether you feel supported or alone. Whether college seems like a near impossibility or the logical next step. Whether you think you know where you’re headed or are struggling to put one foot in front of the other. Whether you’re anxious and unsure or excited and confident. He understands the pressures you’re experiencing.

And he cares. He loves you more than you can comprehend, and he’s deeply invested in your future. He entered the world and embraced suffering so he could welcome you into relational intimacy with him and invite you into the process of becoming who he created you to be. He’s already pursuing you and preparing you for what’s ahead in ways you may not yet realize.

He’s not a God you can control, and these next months may look nothing like you planned. But he is trustworthy, and you are not alone.

Throughout this journey, he is God and you are held.

Who You Are

Before we talk about college, let’s talk about you.

We’ll start here: you are not what you do.

Your identity is not tied to your GPA, your standardized test scores, or the college you choose to attend. Even your career or accomplishments do not define who you are. Ultimately, your true identity is based on how God sees you and what He has done for you. When you are rooted in your identity in Christ, you take that into every season of life, every job, every success and every failure.

You are declared infinitely valuable by Christ, and nothing can change that reality.

Still, we were each created differently, and knowing what makes you unique offers valuable insight into the kinds of colleges, academic disciplines, and careers for which you may be well-suited. Take time to become familiar with your personality, strengths, values and interests.

Here are a few questions to consider:

  • When do you feel most yourself?
  • Is there anything you’ve always been good at? What is it?
  • What kind of characteristics do you look for in a community?
  • Describe your ideal college experience.

Some students find personality tests and inventories helpful. You might consider investigating your:

Establish Your Goals

You were created by God to do good works.

Before you start your college search, take some time to find out your “why”. You don’t need to have your life figured out, but having a sense of God-given purpose will give you a direction to explore. It will give you ideas and dreams about goals to pursue.

Clearly defining your reasons and goals for continuing your education can be a valuable exercise to help you make an educated decision about the school that will best aid in achieving your goals. Try finishing the statements below to help you identify your main motivations for attending college. Remember, there are no right or wrong answers; the prompts are simply meant to help you understand what’s driving YOU in this process.

  • I want to continue my education and attend college so I can …
  • I am most excited about attending college because it will give me the opportunity to ...
  • In five years after graduating from college, I envision myself ...
  • My passion for _________ drives me to pursue further education in ...
  • To me, success in college means ...
  • My primary reason for attending college is to ...

Once you’ve established why you want to attend college, try identifying the important elements that make up each goal and using those as points of evaluation for colleges you decide to evaluate.

Example:

I want to be prepared with the technical, creative and professional skills needed for a career in media and entertainment while also being equipped to be a light for Christ in the industry. I want to explore the different areas of study in media and entertainment to see what fits with my passions and interests. I think going to a Christian college will give me the opportunity to grow in knowledge and skill in the midst of a supportive and faith-based community. Beyond career, I also think college provides a chance for me to grow into the person God created me to be. I want an education that prepares me for a life of faith.

Key elements tied to a career in cinema and media arts:

  • The university must offer a degree program in cinema and media arts or related field
  • Ideally, the chosen university would have a strong alumni network in this field
  • Courses that help me grow as an observer, interpreter and creator of mass media from a Christian worldview
  • Access to studio facilities with industry-standard equipment for hands-on experience would be valuable
  • A university with smaller class sizes would allow me to interact more directly with professors who can offer industry advice as well as biblical wisdom

View “Finding the Best College Fit For You” for more factors and priorities to consider in relation to your goals for a college education.