#decision maker

if you're indecisive like me and always need to know how to rank your favorite characters/songs etc. but can't find any tier makers that actually compare each item, look no further. God bless you, Karen.

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Choosing a university can be tough. I personally struggled for a while, stuck between two amazing schools with no idea which one was right for me. Ultimately, due to my logic-based nature, I met my conflict with an algorithmic approach. Below is the method I used. I am sharing it in hopes that it may be useful to someone else.

First, I came up with a list of my top values/considerations in a school. These can range from logistics like commute time to price, or social aspects like homecoming and school spirit. The list I compiled personally was the following:

1. Reputation 

2. Scholarships

3. Program

4. Campus

Once I had complied my list, I assigned a level of value to each category on a scale from 1-10. The category that was the most important to me would be ranked very highly, whereas the category that was flexible would be ranked lower. Think of 10 as your “non negotiable” value (for example: you are willing to compromise and go to a school with a poor reputation if the scholarship money is really good, but you are not willing to go to a school that doesn’t offer a lot of scholarship money- so scholarships are ranked a 10 in importance). This will appear like this:

1. Reputation (7)

2. Scholarships (7)

3. Program (10)

4. Campus (6)

I then proceeded to score each of my universities on a scale from 1-10 for each of these categories, after researching and touring them (for example: McMaster scores a 9 in reputation because it’s ranked 5th in the country, but a 7 in campus because it always seems to be under construction). A completed score assignment card may look like this:

McMaster

1. Reputation (9)

2. Scholarships (9)

3. Program (10)

4. Campus (7)

After I had finished scoring the university, I would multiply the two numbers I had assigned to the categories. So it would be (value)x(score)= category mark. 

The outcome would have resembled this:

McMaster

1. Reputation (7)x(9)=63

2. Scholarships (7)x(9)=63

3. Program (10)x(10)=100

4. Campus (7)x(6)=43

I would then add up each of these values:

63+63+100+43 =269

This equation would determine that on my personalized scale, McMaster scored 269 out of a possible 300 points. I would then rank all of my other university options on the same scale, and their scores would indicate to me which school matched my preferences to the highest degree.

The best part of this formula is that it is highly customizable, you can add as many values or as many schools as you want. The results are not the be-all-end-all answer to your “where should I go” question, but they are indicative of the most logical option, and they give you something to consider if you feel lost.

In the end, you will know what school is right for you. This is just a way to quantify your needs and put things in perspective. This approach can also be used to tackle many other decisions in life: from what major to do, what vacation to take, or what relationships to pursue.

Best of luck in your decision making,

Decision maker. 

© Iris van Gelder