Things to Consider When Choosing a College
As you may know, I’m a freshman in college, but a have a lot of friends in the midst of receiving decisions from colleges and starting to decide where they want to study for the next chapter of their lives. So for that reason, I’ve decided to make a list of factors to take into account if you haven’t already.
-Location. This was a really big point for me when choosing, because I knew I wanted to be far enough away that it was a new environment and I could be more independent from my family, but also close enough so they could come up for a weekend or I could go home if needed. For me, the perfect distance was about 3-4 hours, but this really is a personal choice.
-Program. This is kind of a given, but make sure your school has a strong program for what you want to do. Look further than just having your major, because that was a mistake I almost made at first. For example, if you really want to do research make sure they allow undergraduates to do so, or look at what opportunities for jobs and internships they provide.
-Campus atmosphere. For this reason, I really highly suggest going on campus tours. At first, I thought I wanted a quaint, small school but after touring I decided I needed somewhere a little bigger. I love my school because it's larger but there are a lot of organizations that give you a small school feel. Also, take into account campus size and whether or not you’re willing to bus to classes.
-Price. College is very expensive, so this should definitely be a factor you’re taking into account, especially if the financial burden is falling on your shoulders. With that being said, there’s no harm in applying as some schools are really helpful with financial aid and there are outside scholarships you can find online and potential get more funding. If you would like a full post on finding and applying to scholarships let me know! When it comes down to it though, it may be worth paying a little more or taking out some loans if that’s where you’ll be happy, but of course within reason.
-Dining hall/living situation. This may seem small but seriously you need to at least feel comfortable where you’re living. It’s hard to get around communal bathrooms and bad food, but at least make sure it’s livable. For example, some schools have more vegan or vegetarian options than others. I recommend eating in the dining hall during the tour if possible to get a feel for the selection.
Obviously, there are more factors to take into account, but these are some that were important to me and caused me to choose the school I did. If you have specific questions or advice you’d like let me know, and feel free to give ideas on what you want to see posted. See you soon!