5 Questions to Ask Your Child to Help Them Find College and Career Fit

So, you’d like to be involved in your child’s college search, but you’re not sure how to go about it without inadvertently taking over the process. First, it’s great that you want to be involved, and that you want to be mindful of how you involve yourself! You’ve likely heard countless times that your role throughout the college and career search is to support your child, and we’d like to reiterate that sentiment!

However, supporting your child shouldn’t be taken to mean simply nodding your head in agreement with their every thought and decision. Instead, continually engaging your child in open conversation is the best way to prompt them to take time to self-reflect.

In this article, we outline 5 questions you can ask your child to help them find their best-fit college.

• What do you want your life to look like after college?

• What types of careers interest you?

• What credentials do you need to excel in that career field?

• How much are you willing to invest in your education?

• What will a college get if they admit you?

We also share how Scoir can help guide college and career conversations with your child.

What do you want your life to look like after college?

Do they want to stay close to home or move far away? Do they want to have a house or an apartment? What kind of social life do they want to have, and how might their work hours affect their social life? After considering lifestyle, your child can consider which career paths fit their ideal life.

Which types of careers interest you?

When asking this question, focus on careers rather than college degrees. You'll want your child to think of their lifelong career desires, and backtrack that into a degree program.

If your child knows exactly what they want to do, great! Ask them to explain why they came to this decision and keep asking for detailed responses.

If your child is still unsure, ask them about things they enjoy inside and outside school. Do they like math more? Maybe science? Neither? Okay! Help them find an area of study that interests them, and from there, work on identifying why they like that subject.

What credentials do you need to excel in that career field?

Too often, students pick a career field without being fully aware of what most employers look for in employees within that field. Your child must know the exact type of schooling and/or level of experience they will need for the career they are interested in pursuing. Asking family friends for advice or pursuing a shadow/internship experience can help your child gain more insight into the requirements of a career. Once they understand this, they can better understand the type of education they’ll need.

How much are you willing to invest in your education?

Whether you’re paying for all, part, or none of your child’s education, they must understand that college is an investment. To that end, help them learn what level of investment they are willing to take, and how the career they pursue will position them to have a positive return on investment. Too many students end college unaware of the amount of college loan debt they’ve acquired. 

Learning more about financial aid options together can be a great follow-up to this question.

What will a college get if they admit you?

This one might cause some eye-rolls from your child. It’s a little vague, and a little rhetorical, but sometimes those questions prompt a lot of thought. The idea is to get your child to think about who they are. What are their best qualities? Why would a college benefit from admitting them? Encourage your child to list their best qualities, strengths, and weaknesses. This can be a great foundation for their college application essays down the road!

Use Scoir as a Guide for College and Career Conversations

Scoir is a free tool (desktop and mobile) for students and parents/guardians to do all things college planning. 

With our 5-minute career interest assessment, students can view top-suggested careers that fit their personality.

Students can explore hundreds of different careers on Scoir, and learn about that career's outlook, potential pay range, and skills needed. Students can also find colleges that provide great programs for careers of interest.

You can also search for colleges based on your student's preferences! Have them take the College Match Quiz to get started, and suggest colleges to your student from your parent/guardian account.

For more guidance on the college planning journey, check out The Student Guide to College Planning. You'll find helpful checklists and links to guide your student's college search from 9th to 12th grade.

This article was originally published on May 20, 2021. It was updated on July 15, 2024 for accuracy and comprehensiveness.