Five Questions Every Family Should Be Thinking About Before College Begins

By Mark Hostutler, Bucksco.today

Choosing a college is a major milestone. But after the excitement of making a decision comes a new set of questions: Will I be ready? What should I be doing now to prepare for life after graduation?

Brett Fucci has spent more than seven years helping Holy Family University students answer those questions. As Director of Career Services, he works with students from their first semester through graduation and beyond.

Here, he shares five questions he hopes every college-bound student and their family will consider before classes begin.

When should I start thinking about my career?

Most students think career planning starts junior year. I tell every first-year student the opposite: start now.

You don’t need to know exactly what you want to do. But the earlier you begin exploring your interests and getting involved, the more opportunities you’ll have to discover what excites you — and what doesn’t.

One of my favorite success stories is about a nursing student who came to my office her first year. We talked about finding a campus job that would help her build workplace skills while she pursued nursing. She took a work-study position, stayed with it throughout college, and is now completing her nursing externship with several job opportunities already lined up before graduation. She’ll tell you that what she learned outside the classroom was just as valuable as what she learned inside it.

Whether it’s a campus job, volunteering, shadowing someone in your field, or simply introducing yourself to your career office, every experience helps you grow.

How will I know if I am on the right track?

Honestly, there’s no switch that flips senior year. It’s built day by day, starting from the first week of freshman year.

One student came in his first year anxious about whether he’d chosen the right path. Through career coaching, campus events, and an internship with a local police department, he gained confidence and eventually discovered where he belonged. Today, he’s proudly serving as a police officer.

That’s why I encourage families to ask every college what opportunities students have to gain experience before graduation. Are internships encouraged? Do students build relationships with employers and alumni? Those experiences matter.

At Holy Family, 92 percent of graduates are employed or enrolled in graduate school within a year of graduation. To me, that’s more than a statistic — it’s hundreds of individual success stories. We track those outcomes through surveys of each graduating class. Every college should be able to tell you the same.

What should I expect from my investment?

It’s natural to think about tuition and starting salaries. But I’d encourage families to look at the bigger picture. Ask questions like: Do students finish their programs and graduate on time? Where are alumni working? Those answers tell you much more about long-term value than a single number.

Resources like the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard can also help. Families can compare any school’s graduation rate, average annual cost, and average earnings of students four years after graduation.

At Holy Family, we’ve seen students launch careers with organizations like the Philadelphia Eagles, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, NASA, and many other leading employers. Based on College Scorecard data, Holy Family ranks first among Pennsylvania Catholic colleges and universities for 10-year return on investment, and third in the state overall, behind only the University of Pennsylvania and Carnegie Mellon.

We’re also proud to be recognized as an Opportunity University, a Carnegie designation that recognizes colleges that both expand access to higher education and help graduates achieve strong economic outcomes. I think that’s a meaningful measure because it focuses on what matters most: how well a college helps its students succeed.

Beyond the rankings, what actually matters once I’m on campus?

Rankings can be helpful, but they don’t tell you what your day-to-day experience will be like. I’d encourage families to ask questions like: Will professors know my name? How easy is it to get help if I am struggling? What opportunities will I have to gain experience before I graduate?

At Holy Family, career development isn’t something students discover during their senior year. They work on practical skills throughout their college experience — from building a resume and practicing interview skills to preparing for their first job search. Those experiences are woven into the curriculum rather than left until graduation.

What should I be doing as I start my first semester — or even before?

If you’ve already committed to a school — don’t go quiet over the summer. Check your email, show up to orientation, reach out to your career office before you even move in. The students who stay engaged over the summer are almost always the ones who hit the ground running in the fall.

But don’t feel like you have to have your future figured out before you arrive on campus. The students who grow the most aren’t always the ones who have a detailed four-year plan. They’re the ones who ask questions, introduce themselves to people, try new things, and aren’t afraid to ask for help.

Every year, I watch students arrive unsure of themselves and leave with confidence, direction, and a plan for what’s next. More often than not, that journey starts with a single conversation.