There are plenty of things I wish I knew before I started applying to college my senior year of high school. I didn’t exactly come from the most college-oriented background. Most people went straight to working minimum wage jobs after graduating from my high school. College was simply never in the picture for a lot of people.
Not many teachers or school counselors were really able to give me much advice on how to save for college or how to apply. However, I still ended up picking the perfect college for me (mostly by coincidence though).
Yet here's why my college ended up being the perfect college for me, and how you can find the one for you
Step One of finding the perfect college: Step out of your comfort zone.
I’m sorry to say it, but if you go to a college close to home with the same type of people you’ve grown up around, I question how much you’ll actually gain from it. College just isn’t meant to be a comfortable experience at first. It’s supposed to be scary, and you need to find a place where you can learn new things from new people. Homesickness can be a necessary experience.
Yet I know that there are two ends of the spectrum. You need to be able to find a college where you can be around different people in a different place, yet still get along with them, interact them and work with them. If later on, you find yourself around a lot of damaging people at the college you’ve chosen, you’re under no obligation to stay. If you genuinely have difficulty relating or getting along with the people at the college you chose, then, by all means, initiate the conversation about transferring, but at least give it a chance first.
Miami (the college I go to) was in the Goldilocks zone: the people around me were completely different, yet I still had no difficulty interacting with them, making friends with them and working with them. I genuinely learned a lot from them because they came from completely different backgrounds than me. I now have more friends now than I have ever had in my entire life. I know that my college won’t do this for everyone. Just because I mixed well with my peers and professors at my school doesn’t mean everyone that comes to Miami will.
My college is two hours away from my hometown, making it the perfect distance away from home as well. Yet I know just because a college is farther away doesn’t automatically mean that you’ll be able to learn and grow in that place if you don’t feel safe or secure or get along with the people in the area you’re in. My advice is to find the Goldilocks college: a college that doesn’t feel quite like home yet feels like a place that could become your new home. Don’t be afraid to be around different people, as long as you feel safe and accepted around them. This is why going on college visits is crucial because it is the only way you will get a sense of the environment of the college. Try to find people that went to your college and ask them about their experience (but realize your experience and theirs will NOT be the same).
Step Two: Go to a college you can afford.
If you are a little lacking in financial aid from your college and/or the FAFSA, absolutely call the financial aid office at the college you’re intending to go to. If a college seems a little pricey, don’t automatically take it off your list. Research every possible way you can get aid and scholarships at that college. Maybe you intend to be a music major: See what scholarships their music department in particular has. Maybe your school has scholarships specifically reserved for those with financial need that aren’t advertised or automatically given. You need to ask a lot of questions and make a lot of phone calls to the financial aid office.
If you've pursued every possible avenue for aid at that college and still don't feel financially equipped to pay the tuition and fees, it might be time to look at another university. You don't want to go through college feeling strapped for cash the whole time.
Step Three: You need to have a general sense of what you want.
If you hated English class in high school, don’t take the liberal arts route. If you were a math geek in high school, then the STEM field might be for you. If you were particularly drawn to music and theater, give it a shot in college. Then, go to the college with the best programs for your interests.
It might take a bit of trial and error too, as not everyone finds their "thing" in high school. Your involvement in high school plays a large role here because it’s going to be the easiest place to find what you’re interested in. If you weren’t very involved in high school, knowing what exactly you want to do in college might be harder. AP classes during high school help a lot as well because they will give you a sense of what certain classes will be like in college (sort of). If you weren’t involved in high school, finding what you’re interested in might take some trial and error once you get to college. So, use gen-ed classes to try to find subjects you might be into and get involved during your first semester (without completely overwhelming yourself).
You need to find the Goldilocks zone in this area too: Find a field you enjoy that also makes money down the road. Keep your expectations realistic. If you choose philosophy or women's studies, know that finding jobs will simply be more difficult. If you choose to do psychology, getting a Ph.D. is crucial. Have a general sense of what can be done with the major you intend to have even if you don’t have an exact idea of what you want your future career to be.
Step Four to finding the perfect college: You won't.
Maybe you don’t even want to go to college in the first place — cool (as long as you have a plan and can find a way to put a roof over your head)! Realize that every college will have its annoying downfalls and nuances. It’s up to you to decide how negatively those downfalls will harm your college experience. Never feel bad if you end up transferring, but don’t make plans to transfer until after your first semester (at least) because sometimes the adjustment to college simply takes time.
Good luck!
