Does anyone have the same problem I have, with choosing a college?

Question

i'm so confused. i don't have a clue about which college I want to go to. There are so many schools out there, i don't get how people can make this decision.

Answer 1

It is a big decision, and one you shouldn't take lightly. Before listing your options, answer a few questions:

1) What do I want to study?
2) How far away from home do I want to be?
3) Do I want to go to a a college in a small town, or a big city?

The first question is important because some colleges have better departments that teach those subjects. If you want to study mathematics or computer science, Georgetown probably isn't as strong as MIT. Likewise, if you want to study Oceanography, Nebraska probably won't have as detailed and high-quality of a program as a school on the coast of Florida, California, or Texas would. If you have a subject that you really want to pursue as a career, talk to a guidance counselor or a favorite teacher to see if they have any suggestions.

During your freshman year, you WILL get homesick. If you're the type of person that needs to see familiar sites, going to a school across the country isn't a good idea. On the other hand, if you think your parents would constantly drive to see you if you lived across town, you might want to consider a school in a different city, part of your state, or another state.

Finally, you won't stay on campus all of the time - if you want to get out on a regular basis, you might want to choose a school in a larger city. However, people in small towns might be easier going and easier to deal with.

Once again, it's not an easy decision. DON'T base your decision on where your friends or boyfriends/girlfriends/crushes are going - you will make an entirely new set of friends in college, and you'll also get a MUCH clearer picture of the kind of person you are.

Good luck, and whatever YOU decide, it's the right decision!

Answer 2

First and foremost, you need to decide why you are going to college. In other words, college is a means to an end. Just what is it you want to do once you have earned your degree?

Then you want to search for colleges that have the best program to prepare you for that goal.

Also, there are several questions you need to answer once you have that list of colleges. Do you want to go to school near where you live or far away?? Large or small school? Live there or commute? Affordability??

Finally, once you have narrowed down the list based on those answers, you want to visit the schools. Walk around the campus, talk to students there, and even attend a few classes. This will give you a "feel" for the school and will help you make your decision. Do not be afraid to ask questions!!

If you are still undecided, male a list of each school and list the things that impress you the most about each one and the shortcomings, if there are any, of each one as well. This will help also.

Much of the search can be done using a computer. Ask your guidance counselor to help you. There may be a program for such a search in your high school guidance department.

Good luck!!

Answer 3

First, you have to ask yourself where you want to live for the next 4 years. So, you decide on the in-State vs out-of-State question. This will drive a simultaneous question of Public vs Private. If you decided in-State, that typically narrows the field tremendously. Next question is do you want to be driving distance or not necessarily from your home. If you have answered "yes" by now you are left with probably just two or three schools.

If your question to your first answer was "I don't know" or "Out-of-State" the choices become really endless. The truth of the matter is that they are also almost meaningless. Where you go to school is far less important than what you study there and how well you study (GPA).

What really matters is where you go to grad school... I'll be glad to address this question 4 years from now. I can give you a short preview. Just go to the best most prestigious grad school for the specific field you are into you can possibly get in. The brandname, prestigious school game thing is absolutely crucial at the grad school level. But, contrary to what many of your peers believe it is nearly meaningless at the undergrad level.

Answer 4

The best advice I can give to someone looking into colleges is not to stress out too much. Although this decision seems life-changing, nothing is ever set in stone with college. Whether you are confused about a class, major, or even an entire University, there are always ways to better your standing to what works for you. When I had to make my decision about college, I had to go with my gut instinct about where I felt safe and at home. Only then when I had narrowed down my choices did I feel comfortable adding in the factors of distance, cost, financial aid, etc.

Good luck with your decisions, and remember that you have to do what you feel is best for you at this time in your life. Perhaps in a day, or a month, or a year, you will feel differently, but what is important is that you listen to yourself.

Answer 5

You should consider what you want out of the school and what factors are most important to you. After that, find a few schools that fit your profile through college search engines and make sure that you have the grades and test scores to gain admission at the schools you're interested in. Next, you should request info from the schools, contact the prospective student commitee and set up a tour if at all possible. Getting a fell of the campus will esentially help you decide.

Answer 6

It can be a daunting task, i suggest first answering a few questions for yourself: Where do you want to go to school; What size classes are you comfortable with; What area or major are you interested in(you want a school that will allow you to explore that); Is diversity important to you
These can help narrow the field for you, and then you can get into details, like private vs. public, availability of financial aid, city vs rural....
It can seem overwhelming, but you're equipped to make this choice. I think you should also try to visit the schools or talk to people who currently attend that you believe have the same goals as you.
Also try Princeton Review's site they can help give you a general look at schools

Good luck and congratulations on taking this first step!

Answer 7

My suggestion: pick a college for all the "wrong" reasons.

If you're in high school, right now dozens of adults are probably trying to tell you all the "right" things to think about as far as college goes. Things like program rankings, class sizes, professors, graduate programs, etc.

That's all nice, but that only tells you where to go if you're a robot who lives in a study room.

99% of what you learn in college is about yourself, and about other people. It's not in a book. It's not coming from your professors. It comes from friends, relationships, even hard teachers like bad experience and regrets.

My advice (I only got done with college three years ago) -- go to a school where you want to go. If you're a big sports fan of a certain school, go there. If you have friends going to a certain school -- go there. If you happen to think a certain city sounds like fun -- go there.

If you go to a school where you end up happy, you'll learn a lot, no matter how dumb the professors are or how big the classes are. If you go to the best school in America, where you end up depressed, you won't learn anything no matter how much you study and all you'll get out of college is a depressed view of life.

So heck, pick a school with a cute mascot, and go there. There's nothing worse than being an alumni when you get older, and hating seeing your alma mater's mascot because you think it's dumb.

Answer 8

This is one of those stressful things. But don't let it get to you too bad. There are a number of things to consider: Public/Private, In-state/Out-of-state, do they have a program supporting your major, tuition/fees/room/board, geographical location....and the list goes on. Just ask yourself what state you would like to be in? Big city or small town? Do you want to have a lot of people buzzing around on campus that you don't know, or be able to walk across campus and be able to name everyone you see? Get your education with the same sex or coed? Can you afford to go out of state? .... Start out with a list of schools, gather information from them, and start narrowing it down. I can't say it's not a big deal--because it is, but in the end, I think we can safely agree that a quality education is the most that matters! Happy hunting and good luck!

Answer 9

.Sometimes a Jr. or community college is a good start if you are not sure what you want ti do.
Then you can take basic requirements as well as try a few electives etc. at a lower cost.
Many of those classes will then transfer to a University.
You save money and can usually stay close to home and see what you like.
And then you can also apply for scholarships etc.

Answer 10

I think you need to figure out what it is that you want. I had very specific criteria regarding what I wanted (rural, small classes, in the Carolinas, etc). I then did a search on some college search site and found the perfect school!