How to Pick the Right College

How to Pick the Right College

Choosing the right college is a very complex decision that includes a variety of factors that may, and should, evolve over a long period of time, perhaps years. You will need to consider your potential areas of study, your chances of getting accepted, the cost for four years, potential financial aid and the need for student loans, the distance you are willing to travel and size of the school. There are other considerations that might be less important, but should be part of the decision-making process, like climate, family alumni and even your interest in joining a fraternity or sorority. I might suggest using the funnel approach.

1. What are your potential areas of study? If you know in advance that you want to pursue a specific major, you can search the best schools for your major and use that as a starting point. If you are unsure, as most students are, you should consider a school with a lot of options. If you don’t have a preference for the size of the school, you might want to consider a larger university because the larger the school, the more options you will have for classes, majors and resources.
   
2. The next step should include narrowing the list to schools with a better than 50% chance of getting accepted. Applying to too many schools and/or schools where you have less than a 50% of getting accepted may lead to frustration and disappointment.
   
3. You should also consider the cost for four years of education, housing, books, spending money, extracurricular activities, etc. You also need to consider financial aid, grants and student loans. Some schools also provide more aid, grants and loans than others. You could potentially pay less, out of pocket, going to a very expensive school than an average-priced college that might not offer as much aid.
   
4. How far are you willing to travel and do you have any preference for a small college or large university. Most people have a feel for these two considerations. I have seen many division one athletes with multiple full ride scholarship offers choose one college over another simply because they wanted to be closer to home. The same can be said for the size of the colleges. Some students prefer to attend a small college because they want smaller classes and more attention from their professors, while others like all of the options and resources available at a larger university.
   
5. After you have narrowed it down to several colleges, you can fine tune the list even further if you want to live in a warmer climate, by a beach, in a city or be able to ski on the weekends. You might also want to attend a college where you may have established friendships or family members that may have attended the school.

All of these considerations are important factors in a very complex decision-making process. You can change your mind multiple times prior to making a decision. You may also have your mind made up, only to visit the school and not feel comfortable. You may also have a plethora of variables that can sway you one way or another. It is imperative however, that you use the funnel I presented in this blog because if you make a decision while ignoring your potential major, chances of getting accepted and if you can afford to attend, you will be setting yourself up for major disappointment and potential failure.