Deciding where to go to college is probably the biggest decision you’ve made in your life so far. Up until this point, most things have been decided by your parents, so this is truly the first choice where it all comes down to you. Some people have known where they wanted to go since conception, while others truly have no idea. While some people pay their own way through college, others have varying levels of support through scholarships, grants, and their parents. This decision is not one size fits all and truly requires some personal insight to find what would work for you. Let’s break down some questions that will help you whittle your list of colleges down. This is: things to consider when picking a college.
Career
Do you know what you want to do, career wise? Will this help you with your goals?
Most people go into college not knowing exactly what they want to do. For many people who do know, they end up changing their mind part way. Regardless of what stage you’re at, you need to determine what benefits the school you want to attend will have for you and your career.
If you want to go to school for business, and you are going to a school with an exceptional program for it, then you’ll have a top notch education as well as tons of alumni connections after graduating. For any big school in general, no matter the program, the more students, the more alumni that can help you find a job.
Is the school in a city you want to live in for a long time? In this case, going to school in said city will set you up for success after, since you’ll know the culture and be able to make connections early on. Maybe the boss of a part time job you get, will know someone in the city working where you want to work. If you’re set on a location after college, considering colleges in that area will be beneficial
Post College
One of the most important things to consider when picking a college is what the school has to offer, as well as what advantages it will give you after. If you don’t have a flaming passion for any subject, you need to make sure the schools you offer will provide you with opportunities to help you post graduation. Examples of these are clubs/involvement groups, networking opportunities, internships. But, it’s also up to you to take advantage of these.
At the end of the day, a college education is becoming the baseline for any job. If you aren’t going to an ivy league school or a school that will give you tons of opportunities, then don’t waste a ton of money on your education if you can get it somewhere else for less.
Size Does Matter
Will the student size fulfill you? Do you prefer a busy, more city-like setting, or more quiet and relaxed?
Did you like the size of your high school graduating class? This can be a great indicator on what size school you would prefer. My graduating class was about 400 people, and I felt like I knew who everyone was. Personally, I love being in the city. Being somewhere where there are tons of options of what to do, where I can never get bored, was exciting to me!
Take what you know about yourself and think about what kind of school size you’d want. Do you feel overwhelmed in big classes or big groups? When you need help, will you actually speak up? Can you advocate for yourself? While you’ll need to advocate for yourself going forward regardless, since you are an adult, there’s a lot more of it needed at a big school, where you can get lost in the crowd.
Free Time
Do you prefer to be busy, or spend your free time relaxing? Does location matter to you, like being by the ocean, land locked, in a city, in the suburbs, or in the middle of nowhere? Is the perfect night out dancing at the club, or hanging out in your room with your friends? Determine how high or low your activity maintenance level is, to see if the schools you’re considering match that. Regardless, you will spend more time alone in college than you ever had before. Figure out your ideal way to spend your time with yourself.
Are you a big fan of sports, or not so much? A big part of how active a campus is, corresponds to their sports teams. For me, I knew I wanted to go somewhere with tons of school spirit. I ended up picking Penn State, which has many great sports teams that I could tailgate for and follow. I had a few friends that weren’t the biggest fans of football, and would relish the days that campus was empty when everyone else was in the stadium.
One of the most important things to consider when picking a college is how busy you truly want your college life to be.
Getting Involved
Are there things to do, like tons of clubs to get involved with, hobbies to take up, a good social scene?
No matter where you go to school, you have full control over how you get involved. Every school has clubs, but it’s up to you to make the most of it. Whether that’s in order to make friends, have a killer resume, or to gain real leadership experience, getting involved will always benefit you.
Penn State
When I committed to Penn State, I remember I scrolled through the 500+ clubs on campus and wrote down the ones I was interested in. Then, by the time the involvement fair happened, I knew exactly the booths I wanted to check out.
Another reason I chose Penn State was for the fun social & nightlife. I love to dance, and I love to talk to strangers. When I was considering my options, I knew that my final choice had to be somewhere with lots of things to do, with tons of people. This was important to me, and I chose well! I loved my time at Penn State and was thrilled with my choice from every aspect.
What kinds of things are you interested in? What do you enjoy outside of class, and what do you want to learn more about? Clubs are a great way to cultivate a lifelong hobby that will bring you peace and help you make friends throughout your life.
There are SO many different categories or types of clubs: sports/athletics, professional/networking, arts and crafts, wellness, languages, food and culture, plus many more. In college, you are given the freedom for the first time to build your life from scratch. You decide what you study, who your friends will be, what you do with your spare time. One of the most important things to consider when picking a college is that your experience will only be limited by yourself and what the school offers. Make sure the schools you’re picking have options that you’ll enjoy in every area of life.
Finances
Can you afford this? Are your parents paying for college or helping you? Is it all on you? How much debt do you want to take on, and how it will impact your life after college
One of the most stressful things to consider when picking a college is if you can afford it. This is, if you’re not one of the lucky people who have parents footing the bill. The finances of college are arguably one of the most important parts. You need to determine if the salary of your future career is worth the debt. If you have no idea what you want to do, this is even more important to consider.
I remember applying to college and the loan payback starting felt incredibly distant. It didn’t seem like something really worth worrying about then. Current-me, who is putting more than half of her paycheck towards her loans is not having fun. Know that while student loans don’t feel like a big issue right now, they will certainly be at some point.
I have friends who are almost 100k in debt and have lost hope. They have accepted that they’ll be paying them for the rest of their lives. I have friends who can’t afford to move out. Friends who got a degree, but now don’t know what they want to do, but are stuck with these loan payments.
Take time to truly understand what you are financially getting yourself into. The time will pass regardless, so paying back your loans will happen. While life after college probably isn’t even a thought in your mind now, your decision now will greatly impact just how fun your 20s will be.
Conclusion
There are so many things to consider when picking a college to attend. From finances, to student body size, to sports teams, hobbies, nightlife, and so much more. Take some time to answer the questions that go with each section to figure out what you value and what you want to get out of your college experience. This decision is different for every person, so give yourself time to make this decision
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