Wowzers, where has the time gone? You’re finally applying to colleges or maybe you’ve finished your applications and now it’s finally time to make one of your biggest decisions to date. What college will you attend for the next four years? Maybe you want a small school, maybe you want to go to the same school as your friend/sibling/parents? Wherever you decide, make sure you take a step back and look at all the things the school has to offer and decide for yourself if it will be the right college for you. Here are a few things you’ll want to look at when making your final decision.
- Location. Where are the schools located that you’re looking at? Big cities, rural areas, states away from home or just down the road? Make sure to discuss this with your parents to make sure they are okay with your decision.
- Cost of Attendance. If you’ll be paying for college yourself you’ll definitely want to take this into consideration when choosing. A private school may be more on the expensive side or even an out of state school, so make sure to pay close attention.
- Campus Size. Are you someone who wants the big school feel? Than maybe look towards larger state schools like FSU, ASU, USC, etc. If you’re not quite into that many people than smaller schools are a better fit.
- Athletics. Are you interested in playing sports in college? Maybe you want to go to a big basketball and football school because you like the whole school spirit atmosphere.
- What is there to do around the school? Is it in a city with good food, shopping, and concerts? Maybe it’s in the mountain with trails, hiking, and sight seeing.
- Does it have your major? Make sure it has 1-3 majors you might be interested in choosing that way if one fails you always have a backup plan.
- Are the professors good? Using ratemyprofessor.com is a great way to find this out. You don’t want a school with teachers that just plain suck, otherwise your classes will be ten times harder than need be.
- Resources on campus. Does your school offer numerous resources from counseling, career advice, writing help centers, tutoring, and more? Make sure you’re choosing schools that are clear that they want their students to succeed.
- Living Situations. Will you be living on or off campus? Either way make sure the living situations are up to your par. You want to feel as comfortable and at home at school as possible.
- Campus Safety. Does your school put safety of it’s students first? Make sure that you feel safe attending the school.
- Organizations and getting involved. Are there several ways and options for getting involved in things on campus? Are there organizations you’re interested in joining? Are you interested in greek life? Make sure your school has it!
Hopefully these 11 points will help make your college decision making a little easier. Make sure to visit schools you’re hoping to attend several times to really get a feel for the campus and it’s students. You want to make sure you’re choosing a school you can see yourself flourishing, growing, and excelling in.
Make sure to check out my channel on YouTube for more college advice!
Lauren | Simple Southern Belle
