Everyone has advice for college-bound students, yet the tips and tricks are heard much less frequently as a student goes through their college journey.

But former #NACACreads author Frank Bruni wants everyone to know “how a student goes to school matters much, much more than where.”

Using research and his own surveys of recent graduates, he offers advice in The New York Times on the importance of relationships with faculty members, socializing, and how to look beyond just earning a degree.

“The study has not found that attending a private college or a highly selective one foretells greater satisfaction. Instead, the game changers include establishing a deep connection with a mentor, taking on a sustained academic project and playing a significant part in a campus organization,” Bruni wrote.

“What all of these reflect are engagement and commitment, which I’ve come to think of as overlapping muscles that college can and must be used to build. “

Ashley Dobson is NACAC’s communications manager for content and social media. You can reach her at adobson@nacacnet.org.