myUsearch blog

Congratulations!  You worked hard, got involved, and did a great job on your applications.  You have good reason to be proud, but now you also have a bit of a dilemma:  you were accepted to more than one college that you thought would be a good fit for you. So, how do you choose?  Many students find themselves having to decide between schools that, at least on the outside, seem pretty similar.  (After all, that’s why you applied to them!)  The challenge now is to see the differences and decide which one comes closest to meeting what you have come to look for in a school.  There are a few steps you can take to make this decision a little easier.

1. Consider the cost. Education is a great investment in your future and taking out some loans to help pay for it is a reasonable thing to do.  What you have to determine is when the amount of the loans becomes unreasonable. So, before you do anything else on this list, “crunch the numbers”.  Look at amount of the loans included in your financial aid award and estimate how much debt are you going to be in at the end of four, or five, years.  While you shouldn’t necessarily choose a school based solely on cost, it is something that needs to be seriously considered - especially if the career path you’re on demands that you attend grad school.  If the debt you are being asked to incur by a school is unreasonable, please take that school off your list and move on to Step 2.
2. Put the school under a microscope.  When you did your original college search, you probably considered everything from ivy covered buildings to lab facilities in your selection, so you know the schools that have accepted you have what you were looking for.  Now is the time to look more carefully at the depth and strength of the programs.  For example, if you applied to schools because they offer undergraduate research, find out which undergraduates actually get to do research.  A school that only offers research options to upperclassmen is very different from one that encourages freshmen to do research.  The same holds true for any major or program.  Don’t be afraid to make phone calls and ask difficult questions.
3. Visit.  I hope you have heard this a million times - it’s that important!  You should not choose a school
   until you set foot on the campus and see it in person.  You need to get a sense of how comfortable you feel there, as well as what kind of students attend that school.  I suggest you immerse yourself in the culture of the school.  Go to class, eat in the dining commons, sit in the library, read the student newspaper and hang out in the student union.  If possible, spend a night in a residence hall.  You will walk away with a much better sense of what it means to be a student there.
4. Trust your instincts.  In the midst of making your final choice, you will undoubtedly receive lots of advice - both good and bad.  It can be challenging to sort it all out.  The important thing is to listen to yourself.  If you visited a campus and you didn’t feel comfortable there or didn’t like the students around you, chances are it’s not going to grow on you once you get there - even if it is a prestigious college.  The more comfortable you are, the more likely you will stay there and thrive.  That’s ultimately the best place to go to school: a place where you feel you will be supported in taking on challenges, discovering more about yourself, and sharing those discoveries with others.  No one can tell you which school makes you feel that way except you.
5. Don’t second guess yourself.  Once you’ve made your choice and notified the school, let the rest go.  You’ve made the best decision you possibly can.  Focus your energy on making the most of your college experience.  Fill out that roommate questionnaire, register for classes, and start packing.  Be sure you participate in all the orientation activities that are available to you, immerse yourself in your studies, and get involved in things you are interested in. In short, jump in with both feet!

Just remember that while it’s important to choose a college that’s right for you,  the experiences you have there are in your hands.  Wherever you end up, if you give it your best, good things are likely to happen.

Thanks for visiting. If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed.