Decisions! Decisions!

It's time to decide where you are headed next fall. Hopefully you've taken time to enjoy your acceptance letters and consider your choices. If you haven't yet, it's a good idea to make a pros/cons spreadsheet with a worksheet for each school you are seriously considering. List the BEST things about each school and the WORST things. This can range from the amount of money schools are offering you to the cafeteria food to distance from home. Talk to your friends about how they are making their decisions. Talk to trusted adults about how they chose a college (if they did) and what they think is best for you. It's good to have a few different perspectives!

A huge piece of your decision will likely be regarding School Aid offers. Here are some tips!
Remember to use the price calculator to clarify the cost to you. Both of these links will take you to pages that also break down types of aid, types of loans. This one will compare the cost of a few of your possible schools with each other.

When considering what college to attend, remember to focus on YOUR LONG-TERM GOALS! For example, while it may be fun to go to college with your best friend, if that school doesn't have the program you are interested in...it doesn't make sense for your long-term goals.

Consider the following 25 questions compiled by USA Today.

Yes, that's a lot of questions but this is a BIG decision!

1.) Is the city or town that the college is located in one that you’d like living in? Or has location never been something that’s negatively affected your day-to-day life?

2.) Is dorm life, as portrayed on a school’s website or seen during your campus visit, the experience you’re looking for?

3.) Does the school have the major you want and is the program sufficient? If not, is there a similar major offered?

4.) Is it a city that will have internships in your field or will you have to travel for that experience?

5.) Is it a social campus, a commuter campus or a quiet campus? Which do you prefer, and are you willing to compromise on this point?

6.) Is the school within your price range or worth going into debt over? Are they offering you scholarships or grants if you go there?

7.) Is the campus visually pleasant and a place you’d be okay spending a good chunk of your time on?

8.) If you end up landing a great job in town before or right after graduating, would you be okay living there? Same question for if you get married or meet the love of your life.

9.) What’s the weather like there? Is there a lot of one kind of weather, like snow or rain, that you love or can’t stand?

10.) Are the professors at the school renowned in their fields? Do they have doctorate degrees or books published? Do you care?

11.) How well does the school rank academically? Are you in a field where that matters at all?

12.) Has the school had significant price hikes from year to year, making it difficult to gauge how much it’d cost to attend for four years?

13.) Are the students at the college happy? Have you researched that or asked around, perhaps by emailing current students?

14.) Does the school have any interesting electives you’d like to take, such as philosophy of film or yoga?

15.) Are there any infringing rules the school places on students even off campus, such as no drinking or smoking, that you’d inevitably rebel against or despise?

16.) Does the cost of living in the city sound reasonable for a college student? (Remember, unless you’re living off financial aid in the dorms, you’ll likely move off campus for most of your years there).

17.) Is the school a weekend trip’s distance away from home? Does it matter to you how far away from home it is?

18.) Do you have any friends or acquaintances attending the school or living in the city? Or does it sound more exciting to you to go knowing no-one?

19.) Is there a line of successful alumni from the school? Have you browsed through the college’s alumni magazine or checked the alumni section of the website?

20.) Is the school located within a reasonable day’s drive to other thriving cities? This could be a consideration if, during your junior and senior years, you can apply for internships and jobs there and be able to drive there and back within the same day for interviews.

21.) Is there a good scene for whatever niche group you’re part of, such as a Christian club on campus or a libertarian group? If not, how about in the city?

22.) Does the college have big or small classes or both? Which do you prefer or think you’d prefer?

23.) Is the campus big or small? Can you reasonably walk from class to class in a decent length of time or would it be better to bike or bus?

24.) Are the professors kind or approachable? Have you checked some professor ratings on sites like ratemyprofessors.com or asked current students?

25.) Can you imagine going to any other school more than this one? Or does this one just feel right? How important do you regard your feelings vs. logic?

Accepted!!! Now what?

Many of you have received acceptance letters from colleges and universities around the country. 

Congratulations! 

Now what?! You have some big decisions to make but where do you even start?

Let's consider a few approaches to making your decisions! 

Remember: There is no such thing as a perfect college but you can DECIDE on the best college for you.  College really is what YOU make of it!

1) ASK QUESTIONS! Consider what is most important to you like distance from home, cost to you, sports teams on campus, course of study, clubs etc. Make a list of at least 10 questions that you can research and answer about your colleges. Create a chart to keep track of the questions and answers (something like this). You'll likely have to do some research to find your answers...but that's all part of the decision making process! 

2. Compare Financial Aid Packages! You'll need to consider  the cost of attendance for each school. This doesn't ALWAYS mean go to the school that will cost you the least! For example, if College A has the Major you want to pursue but College B does not, it may be worth it to attend College A! Don't lose sight of your long term goals. Here is some more info on assessing the $$$ part of your decision. Talk to people you trust especially when considering any loans! 

3. If you are able to do so, visit the campus (even if you've already been). You have now been accepted and are deciding where to spend a HUGE amount of time and energy over the next 2-4 years. Most schools provide opportunities to return after you've been accepted and even arrange for overnights where you stay in the dorms with current students. Let me know if you want help looking into this kind of opportunity! You get to learn first hand about life on campus by living it for a day or two! If you can't stay over night or won't be living on campus, you can probably find an event (a play, lecture, sports game) that's open to the public. Check it out! 

4. Talk to people who know and love you! While you don't have to do what they say, people who know you probably can help with the decision. They may bring up things you didn't think about and likely have your best interests at heart. Talking it through is also a great way to learn more about yourself and your interest in particular schools. Do you get really excited when talking about College B but not so much about College A? That tells you something important!!!! 

5. Pay attention to deadlines as they vary by school. You don't want to miss out out on your 1st Choice School because you missed the deadline for committing! 

As always, let me know if you have any questions!