What do you look for when choosing a college?
When it comes to avoiding exercise, I have many excuses. One classic defense is that my running shoes hurt my feet. The fact is that when I got those shoes, they were cheaper than the ones that really worked for me. I soon discovered that the best deal is not always the best fit. As you contemplate and pray about your college selection, remember that just because one college is a better deal doesn’t mean that it is God’s will or the best fit for you.
The best deal may have a lower price, be closer to home, and have fewer or more rules. Maybe the best deal has more students or better food or even more guys or girls to offer as a future spouse. Maybe it seems like the best deal because all your friends will be going there. Just as with my shoes, the best deal may not be the best fit. Which is really more important?
The best fit is the college that is most compatible with your personal goals for the future. If your goal is to become equipped for ministry and learn what it means to live a life of abandonment for God’s glory, the best fit will mix sound academics (taught by passionate, knowledgeable professors with a biblical worldview pervading every subject) with a pursuit of God that is encouraged and practiced in the lives of those who surround you. The best fit offers you balanced structure that enhances the biblical principles that you have learned at home, church, or Christian school—or provides structure in a way that you might not have had the opportunity to experience. The best fit is where you will feel loved as an individual and will be personally discipled by a faculty and staff you trust. Remember that the best fit probably won’t seem like the best deal because real spiritual growth and learning are never easy. They require a willingness to die to self and to follow Christ. Don’t miss out on the opportunity for the best spiritual growth and education for your future by choosing—like me and my cheaper shoes—the best deal over the best fit.
Continue to pray about what college is the best fit for you. Visit the colleges you are interested in, take a good look, and ask a lot of questions. We hope Northland is a college you are strongly considering. We would love the opportunity to challenge you academically, give you the tools you need for your future ministry, and walk alongside as you discover what God can do through you as you yield yourself to Him. In the end, when you consider the investment and its potential returns, the best fit is the best deal.
by Mike Glanzer
Associate Vice President for Student Advancement