There are over 4000 four-year colleges in the United States and another 1900 community colleges. Choosing a college can be overwhelming if you don’t narrow down the choices with this simple list of basic criteria. Once you’ve narrowed it down, you can get more selective and specific with your final choices.
College Choices
- Your study preferences—Are they more comfortable in a structured class or do you excel doing independent study? Do you require academic challenge or prefer in-class time with little or no additional study?
- Money—Your budget plays a huge factor in the decision process. If your budget is tight, will you consider student loans? And if so, will an expensive private university be worth the debt?
- Size—Do you want small class size or does it matter? Does being part of a large student body appeal to you or would they prefer a small college atmosphere?
- Location—Do you want to go away to college or stay close by so you can live at home? Are you looking for a cultural experience that a big city offers or a down home experience provided by a small town college?
- Extracurriculars—Are you set on joining a sorority or a fraternity? Are these offered at the colleges you are considering? Are there other activities that you feel are crucial to having a positive college experience (i.e. working on a campus newspaper, participating in intramural sports, studying abroad)?
- Academics—Is there a specific major you are interested in or will a liberal arts degree do? Not every university offers the same academic disciplines.
- Career focus—Do you want to study the culinary arts or fashion design? Consider a school that offers these types of specialized degrees.
- Sports—Does the school have a huge sports program or do sports play little impact in your decision?
- Competitive vs Non-competitive—Do you have the resume that will ensure acceptance in a competitive college like Harvard? Or do you have a strong academic showing that would send you to the top of the list at a non-competitive college and qualify you for a full scholarship?
- Specialized programs—Do you want to work in the stock market? Does the school offer a trading room? What about internships, undergraduate research, service learning, and even specialized senior capstone projects (integrating and synthesizing what you have learned).
Which of these 10 criteria is most important to you? Would these help you in narrowing down your choices? Tell us in the comments below!
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Some of these mistakes might be “no-brainers”. But you might be surprised at how many college applicants make them and how often they affect the outcome of the final acceptance decisions. Don’t make these ten crucial college-planning mistakes:
1. Applying to a college sight unseen
Every college is a community where students learn from each other, as well as from professors. Visiting a campus, talking to students, and observing how they live gives you a genuine feel for that college community. After you get a sense of the place, you, and only you will be able to decide whether it’s the kind of place where you would be comfortable. Many students who are unhappy after their first year never took the time to check out the campus before they applied.
Related Article: “8 Steps to Finding the Perfect College”
2. Visiting a campus without making an appointment
The most important person to see on campus is an admissions officer. He’s the expert dealing with, and providing information to, potential applicants like you. You want to leave a favorable impression at the admission office, in case you apply. So call at least two weeks before you arrive to schedule an appointment with the admissions office. Then build the rest of your visit around the appointment.
3. Ruling out a college because of its price tag
The number one fact to remember about money is you probably won’t pay the sticker price. Two of every three students attending four-year colleges in the U. S. aren’t paying the price advertised in directories. They’re getting some kind of financial aid. Many are getting merit aid in the form of discounts off those five-figure prices.
4. Thinking that you won’t get financial aid
Financial aid is not just there to help low-income students. Much of financial aid goes out to deserving students, regardless of what size paycheck their parents bring home. They’re the smart students who get aid as an enticement to enroll at certain colleges. And billions of dollars are given away each year to average students who are neither poor nor extremely smart. But you can’t get it if you don’t fill out the FAFSA.
5. Making up information
Colleges are built on the foundation of honesty. If the admission office discovers you are less than truthful about any part of your application, you’ll be dead in the water. Resist any temptation to embellish your record with a few colorful, but inaccurate items.
6. Missing those pesky deadlines
If a college wants your application by February 15th, get it in by late January. Your application won’t get buried with all the last minute submissions. You don’t want to have to plead with anyone to give you a break because you missed a deadline. And some deadlines just aren’t bendable. Keep track of dates using your calendar and stay on top of the deadlines.
7. Submitting an incomplete application
Check, double check, and triple check your applications. Make sure you have checked off every single item required. Proofread your application before you hit the “send” button online. If it’s incomplete, it will delay acceptance and affect your financial aid award.
8. Not paying attention to recommendations
Letters from teachers and counselors are vital components of an application and weigh heavy in the admissions decision. In marginal cases, admissions officers will read the recommendation letters to find out things about the student that they won’t find anywhere else. If you’ve done your homework and picked the right people to recommend you, these letters could give you the edge you need for your application to get put in the “accepted” pile.
9. Choosing a college for its reputation
Selecting a college solely for its reputation without mixing in all the other items important to you is a good way to wind up transferring for your sophomore year. Reputations are not as important as “fit”. When you find that perfect fit, you will know it.
10. Allowing parents to have too much control
Searching for a college, applying and making the final decision should be the applicant’s. Parents should be coaches, mentors, encouragers and advisors. Do not turn over the reigns and let them choose the college. Ask advice. Get opinions. Consult on the finances. But ultimately, the person attending should make the decision.
Have you made these dreaded mistakes? Were you about to? Tell us in the comments below!
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Have you ever heard someone say, “College is a waste of time and money”? Or, “There’s no way I could afford to go to college”? These are some common myths about college that many people believe to be true. But the reality is that neither of these statements is true.
Following are some common myths about college, examining the reality of each of them:
Myth #1: College is a waste of time and money.
College is only a waste of time and money if you waste your time and your money. Choose the right college at the right price, and you will recoup your investment tenfold. Choose the wrong college and incur a tremendous amount of debt, and the myth could become a reality. Waste your time drinking and partying without devoting time to academics, and that tuition money could fly out the window.
Myth #2: There’s no way I could afford to go to college.
Many students and parents believe that financial aid is only for the extremely poor or highly gifted students. That’s simply not true. Everyone qualifies for some form of financial aid and there is an affordable college solution for everyone. Community college is an affordable option. Winning scholarships can decrease your college costs as well. Working during college can also help defer some of the costs. If college is your dream, there is a way to finance it.
Myth #3: The college with the lowest price is the most affordable.
This is not necessarily true. Colleges with high sticker prices often give the most financial aid based on alumni contributions and generous donors. After taking financial aid into consideration, a seemingly more expensive college may be more affordable than one with a lower sticker price.
Myth #4: The only good degree comes from a 4-year college.
Nothing could be further from the truth. There are many satisfying and good paying jobs that require 2-year or technical degrees. If those type of careers interest you, then you should not discount that type of education. Getting the degree you need for the career you want is more important than graduating from a 4-year college.
Myth #5: Small colleges offer limited opportunities.
The size of a college isn’t enough to make a complete judgment. Small colleges and large universities all offer unique opportunities for the students who are looking for that perfect fit. The philosophy and vision of the college and its leadership is much more important that the size of the student body or campus.
Don’t believe everything people say about college. Do your own research and evaluate using the information you gather. Separate the myths from the realities.
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