A year ago today I would have laughed at you if you told me I would be going to the University of Michigan for college. It was just one of the fourteen colleges I applied to and nowhere near the top of my list. Through acceptances, deferrals, and rejections my rankings of where I wanted to go to college kept changing drastically from the months December to April.
I was extremely jealous of my peers that were accepted early decision to their dream school in December and didn't need to worry about their decision for the rest of the year. For the majority of us, most of second semester senior year was a constant struggle trying to decide which school to pick.
For those out there currently in the stages of being accepted to schools and trying to wrap your brain around where you might want to spend the next four years, first of all take a deep breath. You have so much time before decision day in May and everything is going to work out the way it is supposed to.
To start, go visit all the schools you get into. It would be helpful to spend time at the schools you get accepted to, and maybe try to stay with a mutual friend that attend the schools. It's important to get an overall vibe from the schools and give yourself the opportunity to see if you could see yourself living there.
Location is definitely extremely important when choosing a school. It's easy to feel like you want to escape your hometown and get as far away as possible when your ending your senior year. Decide if you would be okay with a five hour car ride every time you travel to and from school. If you are considering a far school, are you okay with only being able to come home just for specific breaks and not at your leisure? Do you want to be able to take the train home on a Friday night for the weekend? You won't know exactly what you want until you're living at school, but take it into consideration while you're deciding on the school that will be the right fit for you.
Research programs and classes at the school you are considering to see if anything sparks your interest. You should pick a school that can push your interests academically. At the end of the day you are the person that has to go to school there so a fancy or well-known name shouldn't matter to you. The size of a school should be an important factor in your consideration as well. If you're okay with having a few classes that may have over 300 kids in it, then a school over 20,000 students may be a place for you.
On decision day you're going to be so excited about the place you chose and all the amazing experiences in your future. Making that decision is a hard one, but it's worth the deliberation. Choose a place where you can see yourself happy for the next four years. Choose a place where you can see yourself enjoying the people you will be around socially and academically. Choose a place that will push you to become a better you.
