Questions you need to ask colleges before you apply or enroll:

Cost, Aid, and Transparency* What is the total four-year cost of attendance, including expected increases? * How do you determine who receives merit aid? * Are there scholarships that don’t require separate applications? * Will merit aid be automatically renewed each year, and are there GPA or enrollment requirements? * Can you walk me through a sample financial aid award for a family with our income/assets? * How much aid comes in the form of grants versus loans? * Do you “front-load” aid—i.e., give more in the first year than in later years? * If a parent loses a job or income drops, how flexible is your office in reassessing aid? * Is work-study available to all students who qualify for it? * What happens if we don’t qualify for need-based aid—do we still have a shot at merit awards? * Do you “gap” students—i.e., admit them but don’t meet full need? * Can you give me examples of recent financial aid appeals that were successful?

Academics & Intellectual Environment* What are the largest and smallest classes in the first two years? * Will I be taught by professors or teaching assistants as a freshman? * How often can undergraduates engage in research, and in what ways? * How accessible are faculty for mentoring, office hours, and career advice? * Are academic advisors assigned, or do students find them on their own? * What happens if a student wants to switch majors—are there barriers? * Are there honors programs or learning communities, and what are the benefits? * What is the support structure for students who struggle academically?

Outcomes & ROI (Return on Investment)* How do you track student outcomes—both immediate and long-term? * What percentage of students have jobs or graduate school acceptances within 6 months? * Do you offer career coaching or job placement services beyond résumé reviews? * What employers recruit on campus? What industries are common among graduates? * Are there guaranteed internships or structured pathways for real-world experience? * Are alumni engaged in mentoring or hiring students? * What are some examples of “transformative” student experiences here?

Emotional Return on Investment (as Lieber frames it)* What does your institution do to help students discover their purpose? * How do you help students who feel like they don’t belong? * What support do you offer for mental health, and how accessible are those services? * Can students easily find mentors among professors, staff, or alumni? * What do students say is the most joyful part of their experience here? * Do students stay on campus over weekends, or is it a commuter culture? * What traditions unite people across diverse backgrounds?

Family Considerations & Fit
* What do you wish more parents asked you about during this process? * How do you handle the differences between “helicopter” parents and “hands-off” parents? * What happens if my child doesn’t thrive here—what’s the off-ramp or support plan? * How do you support students from non-traditional, working-class, or first-generation backgrounds? * If your child had the exact interests and background as mine, would you recommend this school? Why or why not?

Value Alignment & Personal Fit* What do your students tend to value most about this college? * Can I sit in on a class that represents the academic culture here? * What differentiates your school from others with similar rankings or offerings? * What are students complaining about most right now? * When students transfer out, what are the reasons they usually give?

Negotiation & Appeals (advanced/strategic)* If we receive a better offer from another college, are you open to discussing a match or appeal? * Are there scholarships or stipends available for travel, study abroad, or unpaid internships? * What are the most prominent mistakes families make in applying for aid or evaluating cost?