After a year of researching, deciding, applying, waiting--and waiting some more!--the dust has finally settled. Relief! You made the cut at several colleges. But the questions remain: Which college will make your final cut? How do you choose between two or more great schools?
Know Yourself
“The key to choosing a good 'match' is knowing what one is seeking,” says Sandra Lawrence, an educational consultant (GA).
So before you think about the colleges themselves, go back and review your college goals. Ask yourself again why you want to go to college, what majors interest you, and what your tentative career goals are. Many students refine their college and career interests during their senior year of high school, as they grow more mature and learn more about what various colleges have to offer.
After you've revisited your interests and goals, think about which college fits best with those goals and with your personality.
The Nitty-Gritty
Once you've received your acceptance letters, going to college changes from a dream to a reality. “Little” details that you didn't really think about now become important.
Distance. “At this time, distance from home must be seriously considered,” says Linda Shapiro, an independent counselor in Massachusetts. “During the senior year, the thought of moving far away from your parents may be a beautiful dream, but as the time gets closer, think instead about 'optimum distance.'”
For example, you may want to be close enough so that it's easy to get home for holidays or for a weekend here and there. Also, it can be expensive to buy an airline ticket every time you want to go home. Of course, many students attend college far from home and enjoy it. It's up to you to weigh the pros and cons of attending college close by, far away, or somewhere in between.
Money. This is also the time for you and your parents to take a careful look at your finances. If you received financial aid, sit down with a parent and compare the financial aid packages from each college. Some things to consider:
- Total amount you/your parents are expected to pay at each college. Remember, the total amount of aid may be considerably more at one college than another, but your total cost is the difference between the amount of aid and the cost of the college. A college with tuition and fees of $20,000 a year that gives you $15,000 in aid will cost you the same as a college with a tuition of $10,000 that gives you only $5,000 in aid.
- Proportion of loans versus grants or scholarships. If possible, you want to minimize the amount of money you'll have to pay back later.
- Overlooked costs. As discussed above, you'll spend more on travel to a college that's farther away. Other costs to consider are living expenses, especially if you'd stay in a dorm at one college but rent an off-campus apartment at another college. Books and other materials for class may also cost more than you expected.
If you did not receive financial aid, talk with your parents about the total cost of each college, including the overlooked costs mentioned above, and how the family will pay for college.
The goal for these discussions is to discover which college(s) is more affordable for you and your family. You don't have to attend the lowest-cost college, but you do need to know what you can afford and how you'll pay for whichever college you choose.
Academics. Another factor to consider is each college's academic program. If you're interested in a particular major or general area of study, find out how similar programs at different colleges compare.
“Two ways I've found that help to compare academic programs are to compare requirements for the specific major in which a student is interested and to compare the sizes of departments,” says Lawrence. Some questions that Lawrence recommends include:
- Are the required courses more theoretical or hands-on?
- Is there a particular slant or bias in the required courses? (And are you interested in courses taught from that perspective?)
- Do the required courses leave time for other things that you're interested in doing, such as study abroad, internships, opportunities to take courses outside your major, etc.?
- Are there enough faculty members in the department to provide different viewpoints and specialties within the major?
- How accessible are faculty members for academic advising, mentoring, and extra help?
Trying It On
Once you've thought about the details, step back to see the “big picture.” Do you feel more at home at one college than another? The best way to answer this question is to visit each college under consideration.
“When on campus, attend classes and talk to professors to learn about the academic life of the college, eat a meal in the dining hall to get a sense of what the student body is like, and then just hang out in the student union to people watch,” says Kristy Leach, director of college counseling at Albany Academy for Girls (NY).
Even if you've visited the college before, it's worth the time and effort to visit again.
“Students tend to look at a school differently once they know that a given school wants them,” says Marilyn Emerson with College Planning Services, Inc. (NY). When you're not wondering whether you'll get in, you can be a little more observant and objective during your visit.
“When it comes to decision time, the most important thing to do is to 'try on' the college,” says Shapiro. “Just as a dress or suit in the store window may look great on the mannequin and terrible on you, a college may be a wonderful place but not the place for you.”
Trust Your Instincts
If you carefully chose all of the colleges to which you applied, you could probably be happy at any of the colleges that accepted you. Once you've reviewed your goals, thought about the nitty-gritty details, and visited the colleges, you've probably gathered all the information and impressions you need to make a decision.
“In the end, I tell students to do all of this work, but then go with their gut instincts,” says Leach. “College is what you make of it, and a place where you feel the most comfortable is where you will stretch and grow and take advantage of all it has to offer.”
—Copyright 2007, National Association for College Admission Counseling