When Choosing a College: It's Not About the Best College, It's About the Right College
This big decision can be complicated, let's help you make the best decision for you
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I Love College – Asher Roth
Oh, college. What an amazing, exhausting, daunting, and freaking awesome time you are. For many, going to college is the simple goal – it’s the dream! Really choosing the school where that dream is going to come true, though, can be much more of a challenge than some are ready for. Not only do you need to figure out what you want, but your family, friends, and even people who are irrelevant to this choice will try to tell you what they think you want.
This article is here to help you cut through the noise and remember that at the end of the day, the college you choose will be your home for the next 2-8 years (depending on what your program looks like and how many classes you fail – yeah, it happens).
There are a lot of crucial components people sometimes overlook when choosing a college, so use this article as a reminder of what should be on that pro/con list you are making.
So, grab your favorite drink and let’s get to working on that college list!
Misconceptions About What is Important
High school movies and TV shows create a huge misconception for real life teens about what life is really like, where priorities should lie, and combined, what is important about choosing a college. But, hey, that is just my opinion, the campus’ proximity to a Chick-fil-A could be really to you!
A short list of things that are not important when choosing a college are listed below. Things that maybe should not be on your pro/con list are:
- Other people that are going to that college
- School’s national “rankings”
- Sticking with high school friends
- Being close to your hometown (this one might be important to some)
- What others will think about your decision
- The physical campus being “SO beautiful!” You need to like more than just the brick building you might never even go in
The conclusion I hope you take from that list is that this is your decision, so while there might be many outside opinions being thrown at you, at the end of the day it is you who will be attending this school. Do what is right for you.
What is Actually Important
Major/Minor Programs
This is the most important thing to consider when choosing a college - duh. This is why you are going to college, to study something you are passionate about and want to do in your career!
If a college doesn’t have your program, I wouldn’t even keep it on your list. Seriously. Take it off. Unless you don’t have a clear idea of what you want to major in, the only schools that should be on your list are ones that have the program you are planning to pursue.
Also, consider that just because the school might not rank nationally, one of their specific programs might. A school you might have ranked lower because it seems less prestigious than another, might actually end up ranking higher in the program you want, so make sure you check that.
This can really come into play when applying for jobs and the company hires a candidate from a “worse” school than you. The specific program they earned their degree through might just be ranked higher than the program you received that same degree through at a “better” school. I use air quotes when I describe schools as “better” or “worse” because there are no schools that are truly better than others when you are choosing what is right for you. Remember that.
Physical City and State
This is a hugely overlooked consideration. Being comfortable in the city/state you are living in for the next 4+ years is so important. We all know how awful it feels to be visiting a new place that you don’t like. Imagine that feeling, but you aren’t visiting. You live there. Without your parents. Horrifying, right? So, make sure you don’t put yourself in that position when it comes to college.
*Insert Ferris Bueller’s voice* If you have the means, make sure you tour the campus, stay for a couple of nights in the city and really picture yourself there for four years. If you see a bright future and love the town, then keep it on the list. If you truly don’t think you could go to that grocery store for four years, use that gym for four years, scratch it off the list.
That being said, do not write off an entire university based on one quick campus tour and one-night hotel stay. Give it a fair chance. Every new place can seem daunting, so if you can, give every place a least a second look. If you are reading this thinking, “I do love the campus!” then you need to scroll back up to the top and start reading this from the beginning. The college is more than just the campus and brick buildings, it is the entire city and even state it is located in.
Campus Culture/Environment
Every college has a specific culture. Shocker, I know! It could be a major Power Five conference sports school. It could be a small private Catholic school. It could be a school with tons of extracurriculars, or it could have two clubs. It could be in the center of a major city, or it could be a in a “college town.”
P.S. College towns are the best. That is my non-bias, totally factual opinion.
What I am trying to say is, the university might have your major and be in a city you like, but if the culture is not your vibe, and you can just feel it, then you probably won’t find yourself enjoying your full college experience.
You might think the things listed above would not hinder your experience, but from personal experience, and knowing a lot of people that have similar experiences, they definitely can. If the vibes are off, man, the vibes are off.
A good rule of thumb is, if you are excited to go on campus and explore all the things the school offers rather than dreading it., then it is probably a good choice.
Extracurriculars
Clubs, intramurals, Greek life, groups, activities, working for the university, are all crucial components to consider in your college search.
This category comes with easy advice: the more opportunities for you to get involved with the school, community, and anything outside of your classes – the better. You want to have seemingly unlimited options of ways to get involved and to enjoy the best four years of your life. You are also there to make lifelong friends, you know.
If joining something new and stepping outside of your comfort zone is not your vibe, that is totally ok. However, I highly suggest choosing a college that at least gives you the options to step out of your comfort zone and try something new.
For example, when I was in high school, I used to think, “No way am I joining Greek life, that is way too daunting.” As a survivor of four years in a fraternity, I can say whole-heartedly that going Greek was the best decision I made in college. It forced me to step outside of my comfort zone and push me to make friends. I am so grateful that I did. I am leaving college with a small, close-knit group of friends that I never would have met if I didn’t swallow my fear and sign up for recruitment.
This is why, even if you don’t think you want all these things right now, make sure your school provides you those opportunities if you change your mind.
Financial Aid and Scholarships
This is how I picture every single college admissions counselor. Jerry Maguire yelling into his cell phone. It is no secret; it costs money to go to college. Do not let that stop you from going. This is why someone, one day, invented financial aid, student loans, and scholarships.
Every school has a list of scholarships and financial aid packages you can apply for listed right on their university website. They could be hidden pretty well, since I don’t think colleges want to over-advertise giving away free money. They are there, though, so keep looking. You can even call the admissions office directly to gather more information as well.
There are scholarships for just about everything, and they are not always first come, first serve. I know you are already rushing to get those housing applications submitted on time so you can get the best dorm with all your best friends. So put that same level of urgency and importance into submitting the applications for financial aid and scholarships.
Student loans are dangerous. They seem great and might solve all of your financial difficulties for the time being, but they can be tricky to manage in the future, so try to avoid them as much as possible. Look into those scholarships and financial aid plans to help boost your ability to attend the university of your dreams.
Career Centers/Services
Let me breakdown the perfect equation to set yourself up for a lifetime of fruitfulness and happiness:
Go to college + Earn a degree = Land a sick job in the field you earned said degree in.
Bada Bing Bada Boom.
That is what it’s all about, right? When you break it down to the basics, you want to major in something you eventually want to get a job in. So, just like it is so important to choose a college with your program, you want to make sure the college also has great career services to help you land that job.
What do “career services” mean exactly? Don’t worry, I got you! Just to name a few services the people working in your school’s career center would provide you…
- Resume, cover letter, portfolio building
- Networking/career events
- Helping you join the alumni connections atmosphere
- Administration/advisors for career counseling
- Clubs you should try in your specific study
These are all things you should be focusing on while you are in college, so how convenient that your university would provide a place to help you with literally every single one! It is almost like they want you to succeed. If the colleges you are looking at have these services, that is a huge pro to add to your list! Most colleges have something along these lines, but you want to make sure you research which colleges have proven success with career building and job landing.
And no, this does not mean, “Oh Harvard has great career services because they are so prestigious.” I mean actually research into the systems put in place by the school and how they will help land you a job in your desired career field. Like I have stated preciously, school prestige does not always mean superior services and better resources.
Bonus: School Spirit & Alumni Relations
This last component is a bonus because it is not the most important thing, but it made my college experiences even better, so I stand by its importance.
Going to a school that has great school spirit is, simply put, the greatest thing ever. For example, going to Washington State University has shown me what true school spirit is all about. Without fail, every single day that I am out and about wearing any Coug gear, and I see someone else also wearing Coug gear, each of us yell out a friendly, “Go Cougs!” I mean, I could literally be at a bar in Palm Springs, CA and someone is wearing Coug gear and will yell across the bar, “GO COUGS!” That is how strong and awesome our school spirit is.
I share with you that story to show you the importance and the connection between school spirit and a strong post-grad community. You will be a part of the strong school community for the rest of your life, so choose one that you love and are proud to be a part of.
Putting it all together
Okay, I threw a lot at you, and it might feel overwhelming, but that is ok. College is going to be great no matter what.
There is one last pearl from me to you that I would like to end this newsletter with. If you retain only one thing from this entire article, retain this: All of the aspects of college life listed above are singular points, they are not the whole picture. When searching for the right college for you, remember it is about putting every one of these puzzle pieces together. When all the pieces are together and you feel comfortable, confident, excited, safe, challenged, and like you will have a kickass time, then that is the college for you.
All you need to do next is dive right in, confidently, and without hesitation. This way you will be sure to enjoy every moment of your college experience. If you are like me, you are probably sitting at your desk job wishing you could relive college because it was just so damn great. And that my friends, is the ultimate goal.
Cheers!
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