Assuming you are able to identify appropriate environments academically, you need to assess the competitiveness of your credentials for admission to those colleges. How does your record stack up with those of other candidates, most (about 90%) of whom are just like you in that they can do the work, too?

A helpful guide in this regard is to compare your credentials with those of students who are already enrolled at the college you are considering. You can do this by looking at the Admission Profile for that school’s most recent entering class.

How comfortable are you around water? Are you a strong swimmer or do you struggle to keep your head above water? Are you comfortable venturing into the deeper water or do you prefer to wade into shallow water as long as the bottom is visible and the footing is certain? Most people expose themselves to water and swimming situations according to their respective levels of skill and comfort—no more, no less.

The same might be true as you assess your comfort level with different academic environments in search of a good college “fit.” Just as you might study a body of water to figure out its temperature, depth and current (relative to your levels of tolerance) before venturing in, you need to investigate the rigor and pace of an academic environment—and your ability to keep your “head above water” if admitted—before deciding to apply.

Whenever I present to groups of students and parents, I like to ask the parents the following question: “How many of you are now doing in your careers what you knew you would do when you were 17 years old?” When I asked this of my audience last night only six of nearly 100 parents present indicated that was true for them. Interestingly, that response is pretty typical of most parent groups around the country. Despite their many achievements in life, most of them have arrived at their current positions by pathways they couldn’t have imagined when they were your age. You, too, need to be flexible in finding and following your path. A good college fit is one that will encourage you in this direction.

There has never been a more important time to become an advocate of early childhood education than today. Whether you are a parent, a teacher, a home care provider or a concerned citizen, the long term effects of cutting funding to early childhood education initiatives would ripple across all aspects of daily life in the future.