As you are making such a monumental decision, you will be breezing through many details: Do I like the school's colors? Will the color of my potential dorms go well with
the pink bedspread I plan on buying? Well, your thoughts are probably much deeper than this, but we hoped to show the breadth of questions that you must address (humorously).
We make no bones about it: Deciding where to attend college is frankly difficult. The blessing of receiving multiple acceptances brings the difficulty of deciding among some
great choices. First of all, we encourage you to maintain a thankful attitude, remembering that you are blessed merely to have had the opportunity to apply to college. Please remember
that only a small percentage of the world's population well under 10 percent of every man, woman, and child will ever have the opportunity to study on the university level.
The grand question to answer is: Which school to which I've gained acceptance would prove the best fit? There are certainly a number of avenues by which to approach this question.
We offer some suggestions herein:
Financial
- Which school offers the most attractive financial aid package?
- At which school can I most reasonably obtain the type of employment that I would want to have?
- Which school appears to offer the best value for the fees that I would be paying?
- Is the financial aid I am receiving primarily in the form of loans or grants?
- What will my estimated debt load be upon graduation?
Academic
- Does this school offer strong programs in what I intend to study?
- If I decide not to follow my original intended major, will there be other plans of study that I would like to follow? Will they also be high-quality?
- Are the professors approachable at this facility?
- Do the students seem committed to studying to the degree that I desire?
- How well esteemed is a degree from this school?
- Is this school nationally known? Regionally known? Locally known?
- Do the students in my intended area of study recommend this college or university?
Geographic
- Is this school easily accessible from my house?
- Is this school too close to my house? Too far?
- Do I enjoy the environments surrounding the school?
- Especially if you are considering a state school as an out-of-stater, will I feel comfortable when others are much closer to home than I?
Extracurricular
- Are there a variety of activities that might interest me?
- What seems to be the interest level of students in extracurricular activities?
- Will I find the support and challenge in extracurricular groups that I desire?
Social
- Do I strongly conflict with the social scene offered at the school?
- Do the students at the school appear open to receiving newcomers?
- Will I be able to enjoy myself on a limited budget?
- Will I become involved in the school's Greek system?
- Are there culturally enriching opportunities around that students pursue, like plays, concerts, and clubs?
|