How do I know what college to choose? This is a frequent question that comes up during
my advising appointments from students who know they would like to attend
college. How do you make a college choice when there are so many options and
such little time to decide where you want to go?
I can personally relate to this question. This is the same
question I had several years ago when I was trying to decide what college I wanted
to go to. Although I do not have a perfect answer for students, I can give some
helpful advice from my own personal experiences.
Here is my best
advice:
- Research, Research, Research!
- College websites give a lot of great information. Make sure you do your research on cost, school size, class sizes, campus activities/events that you can get involved in, etc.
- Make sure to follow the colleges you are interested in on social media- Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. This will help give you a good picture of the school culture and what you can get involved in when you arrive on campus.
- Make a college visit! Several schools have an overnight option- take them up on this! This will give you a real feel of what campus life will be like.
- Look into the town you will be living in! If you are going to a school that is in a town you are unfamiliar with, get familiar with it- learn what restaurants, shopping, businesses and other amenities they have that might be important to you.
- Talk to those who know you well. They might have some great advice for you that you wouldn’t have thought of before.
- Most importantly, always follow your heart!
Meghan - ICAN Hiawatha Center
