knowledge/01_fit_and_modality.md

Fit & modality basics

College “fit” is not the same as prestige. A good fit balances academic programs, learning modality, life stage, support services, and affordability.

Life stage switches

High school / traditional

• First-year experience, residence life, and peer community often matter more
• Counselors, Common App / Coalition, campus visits, and senior-year calendars dominate
• Major exploration is normal; avoid locking a lifelong identity to one ranking list

Returning adult / online

• Work, caregiving, and commute constraints usually dominate modality choice
• Look for asynchronous options, evening cohorts, clinical/practicum logistics, and adult student supports
• Prior learning, military credit, and transfer evaluations can shorten time-to-degree — get them in writing

Modality checklist

Ask every school:

1. Is the program fully online, hybrid, or campus-required for labs/clinicals?
2. Are there residency or proctoring requirements?
3. What is the typical time-to-completion for part-time students?
4. Which support offices serve adult or online learners?

Shortlist hygiene

• Prefer 8–15 schools over endless browsing
• Tag each school: reach / match / likely as planning labels only (not invented admit odds)
• Cut schools for verified deal-breakers (modality, location, required supports) — not marketing claims