I remember when I spent all waking moments trying to wade through the college information I was receiving. I wanted to make the best possible college choice for my life. I wanted to set myself up for happiness. Choosing my college was definitely a mind-consuming process so I want to highlight the steps of choosing a school for all of the high school seniors currently consumed with the same dilemma.
1. Getting truckloads of college mail, at least half from schools that you’ve never heard of before
I really appreciated colleges reaching out to me because after looking through all of the mail, I had a better sense of what I was looking for in a college as well as characteristics that would definitely not suit me.
2. Taking the SAT and/or ACT to have your scores college-ready
These standardized tests are the source of stress for many college applicants as some schools place a heavy importance on proficient scores. Many schools look into your academic records more than these standardized tests, so don’t worry if you are not the strongest standardized test-taker.
3. Trying to Decide if there is a department/major that you would be interested in pursuing
You’re only 17 or 18 when choosing your college, but looking for a college when having some direction on what you might want to study narrows down the search field. This doesn’t mean that you can’t change your mind later.
4. Coming up with criteria that your ideal college would have
Whether it’s the size of the school or location or a specific major, picking a school that fits your criteria is important to being happy with your final pick. Even if a school has the major you want and is your perfect size, you won’t be happy if the location isn’t what you want.
5. Going on collegedata.com to start looking for colleges that might fit your criteria
Conveniently, you can enter criteria into the search engine and it will give you a list of schools that meets those criteria. Having the search engine do all of the preliminary research for you is a big time-saver.
6. Making a List of Schools you want to Visit and Visiting Them
After searching collegedata.com and researching the schools that meet your expectations, visiting can give you an idea of where you could see yourself attending college.
7. Making a List of Schools you want to Apply to and APPLYING
Yes, this part can be stressful. You must make sure you are supplying all required materials for each individual application and submitting it by the deadline. My one piece of advice on this is to narrow down your choices before you apply to colleges so you don’t have to send in 20 different applications and can instead spend time perfecting the five schools you could really see yourself attending.
8. Hearing Back from the Schools you Applied To
You might not be what some schools are looking for and that’s ok. Rather than focusing on any rejection letters, focus on the schools that want you to attend.
9. Choosing your College
After receiving acceptance (and maybe a couple rejection) letters, weigh your options. Every college has its ups and downs and you have to consider every aspect of the school. Since the college fit your initial criteria, consider how you felt when you were on campus during your visit as well as things like extracurricular activities the school offers that you’d enjoy. Choosing your college is an important decision but try to remember that if your first semester really does not work out, you can always transfer.
10. Sending in your Acceptance Letter
Make sure you send in your acceptance letter and deposit to attend your college and reserve your spot. Also, let the colleges you will not be attending know that you will be attending elsewhere so they can open up your spot to someone else. Your future awaits!
