It's early March, and that means that all the high school seniors of the world are probably manically refreshing the admissions portals for the schools they applied to and tearing through the mail when they get home every day. Once you've been admitted to a whole bunch of schools, it's time to make an important choice — which institution am I going to throw a ridiculous amount of money at over the next four years? Here's some advice for choosing which college is best for you.
1. Thou shalt not stay close to home out of fear of moving away
After living under your parents’ wings for the entirety of your life, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the fear of leaving the nest and thus sacrifice the quality of your education to stay at home. Don’t fall into this trap. Moving away from your parents does not change the fact that you love each other or that they will always be there for you.
It’s their job to raise you to be a real person in the big scary world — by leaving them for school, you’re taking one of the first steps to becoming a real person. That being said, if staying near home for college doesn’t decrease the quality of your education, go for it! It’ll be nice to have someone around to help the first few times you forget how to do laundry or get homesick.
2. Thou shalt not disregard the possibility of spending time at a two-year school first
There is no shame in clearing prerequisites at a two-year school before transferring. Let me say it again for the people in the back: Clear your lower division classes, save yourself some money, and grow up a little bit more before you have to transfer. Of course not everyone will go this route, but bear in mind that it is a viable option that you may thank yourself for taking later.
3. Thou shalt not commit to a school clearly outside thine budget
It’s an unfortunate fact of life that the American higher education system is really, really, really expensive. After taking all the financial variables into account — tuition, housing costs and fees, as well as scholarships, financial aid, loans and other sources of income — ask yourself if the school you’re interested in has a final cost that you can reasonably pay over the course of four or even more years. Don’t write off a school because it’ll be more expensive in the long run, but also don’t commit to a school that’s going to leave you a gazillion dollars in debt in a difficult job market.
4. Thou shalt not pick a school because said school has only one good program that thou art interested in
You will change your mind about what you want to do with your life at least twice in the time you’re in college. I switched majors three times in my first quarter of college alone. Going to a well-rounded school is important because it gives you a better chance at getting a high-quality education in whatever field you end up pursuing.
5. Thou shalt be as organized as possible the entire commitment process
Make a spreadsheet. Make another spreadsheet. Keep a file folder for everything. The more organized all your information on each school you’ve been admitted to is, the easier it is to compare schools and decide which are objectively the best fit for you. I strongly recommend keeping spreadsheets of things like financial breakdowns, clubs and activities you’re interested in and other miscellaneous qualities you’re looking for in a school.
6. Thou shalt not decide what school to attend solely based on a significant other
There's no way to justify this. Just don't. If you and bae end up at the same school for reasons other than the fact that bae is there, great! Woohoo! But a good bae will understand that you are your own person and that may mean picking a college based on factors other than proximity to your relationship.
7. Thou shalt take into consideration one’s potential plans after college
Seriously thinking about going to medical school after graduation? Take into account a school’s med school placement rates if you can find data on it. Does a school give preference to undergrads entering its graduate programs in a subject you’re interested? Take that into account as well. Your school’s statistics don’t define you, but if a college has a lot of success placing undergraduates in the real world or even higher learning institutions, clearly they’re doing something right.
8. Thou shalt not forget that there is a world outside thine university
Don’t forget that not only on-campus opportunities influence your college experience. Remember that at some point you will have to venture out into the college town community as a whole. This may be to find a job or just to go grocery shopping, but don’t forget that there’s a whole ‘nother world out there.
Take a look at internship and opportunities not offered by the university in whatever city you’ll be living in. Look into the cost of living should you decide someday to move off campus. Think about transportation — if you’re not bringing a car, will you reasonably be able to get around with public transportation or on a bike?
9. Thou shalt not forget to take into account the little things
Remember: you will be in your college community for the next four years, if not longer. If you visit the campus and get a gut feeling saying it’s not a good fit, take that gut feeling into account. If you absolutely hate humidity and are deathly afraid of alligators, maybe don’t commit to that school in Florida. And if there’s not a Starbucks within walking distance of campus, don’t even bother.
10. Thou shalt have faith in the system
You will end up where you need to end up. Trust me. Even if you don’t believe in the whole fate thing or if you have no trust in the universe, if you make the best of whatever school you decide to commit to, you will be fine. And if not, just drop out and move to Antarctica; it’s a cool place.
