“Football? Why are you playing football?” That question from my first-year academic advisor stung. After all, football had been a focus for most of my life and was the reason I was in college. Up to that point, I had done little self-reflection on what else my college experience could hold. I wish he had said something like, “Football? Awesome. That means you will have an incredibly busy fall semester with all the travel for away games. But when you have time, what else do you want to explore?”
Some students’ identities are often defined by labels—athlete, musician, club officer—but college offers a chance to expand beyond them. Your identity is a starting point, not a limitation. Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you research and ultimately choose a college.
Like mine, many students’ self-concepts are shaped by high school environments (sports teams, music groups, leadership roles). We involve ourselves in our passions and explore them as deeply as possible during our high school years. Walking onto a college campus can be disorienting. It can seem as if you are back to square one, starting over again from scratch, auditioning for the chorus even though you were your school’s “top singer,” or going from soccer team captain to “just another first-year player.” It can be a shock to the system; however, college provides opportunities to build on those roles and experiment with new ones. For example, that soccer player might continue athletics but also discover a passion for political organizing, theatre, or entrepreneurship.
College years fly by quickly, so be aware of the college opportunities that students often overlook. Academically, keep an eye out for any interdisciplinary first-year seminars, courses outside of your expected major, or unique double-major possibilities. Many colleges offer club and intramural sports, allowing students to try activities they may have never had the opportunity to participate in during high school, without the pressure of a varsity-level commitment. My experience led me to a life-changing study abroad opportunity, so be on the lookout for opportunities like study abroad and internships, which offer exposure to global perspectives or career paths that can reshape your identity. You may also explore housing options tied to shared interests, such as sustainability, service, or global languages, in Living-Learning Communities. On the academic and career side, you may never have envisioned yourself as a researcher, but many colleges offer research opportunities with faculty where undergraduates contribute to meaningful projects early on. In our ever-interconnected world, leveraging cultural and service organizations can lead to opportunities to connect with peers from diverse backgrounds and broaden one’s worldview.
At McMillan Education, we approach college research with identity in mind. We ask our students to reflect and ask themselves, “Which parts of my identity do I want to continue? Which do I want to expand or reconsider?” We encourage and help them take a deep dive into student club lists, course offerings outside of core majors, mentorship and advising programs, first-year exploration programs, and campus culture surrounding trying new things (e.g., are non-majors welcomed in arts programs?). We encourage our students to ask questions. “How do students describe themselves beyond academics? Is it easy to change majors or explore new fields? What support systems exist for students, athletes in transition, or students balancing multiple interests and responsibilities?
Depending on the student, we can guide them toward the experience that is best for them. It could be a U.S. college experience that emphasizes exploration, with flexible majors, extracurricular freedom, and the chance to “reinvent themselves,” where it is common to switch majors, add minors, or double major, offers broad access to clubs, intramurals, arts, and service opportunities, and has a strong residential culture that fosters identity beyond the classroom.
Contrasting the U.S. experience with Europe and the UK, students apply directly into a single subject or track (e.g., law, medicine, history), have less flexibility to switch fields or explore outside their chosen subject, and experience an extracurricular life and campus culture that are often less central or organized compared to U.S. colleges. They will also gain deep expertise earlier, but may miss the identity-broadening opportunities outside academics.
In both models, we want our students to recognize that college is not just about who they already are—but who they might become. During research and visits, our students are intentional about finding environments where unexpected growth and reinvention are possible.
When we think of the right fit, we are not looking at only who you are now, but rather, thinking about where you will have space to grow new sides of yourself.
