Dear Class of 2020,

Apr. 1 has come and gone, and with that, most colleges and universities across America have stopped receiving applications and sent out their acceptances. It is time for you to decide where you will spend the next four years of your life. For most schools, you have until May 1 to submit your deposit. For me, this time was stressful, as I was accepted into all five school I applied – Franklin and Marshall, King’s College, Lycoming College, University of Scranton, Wilkes University – and had no idea where to go or even start to make a decision. I did finally choose King’s.

Since I have been a student at King’s College, I have also been an admissions ambassador, helping prospective students and their families find the college that is right for them, even if that is not King’s. Behind buying a house, attending college or university is the largest investment most people make in their life. With such weight behind it, it is essential that you make the right choice.

I know this is hard since you will probably have three to six very good schools to choose from, where each program is as good as any other. (Tangent: I know you can transfer; however, not only does that cost more money, but there is no consensus whether transferring is good or bad, as a rule.) With all this in mind, I offer a few words of wisdom to keep in mind as you decide where to send in your deposit checks.

Look at Financial Aid Packages

Once you receive your final financial aid packages, sit down and compare them. (I made an Excel sheet.) Compare: Tuition, Room & Board, Books, Miscellaneous Expenses and Loans over four years. This last one is most important since knowing how much debt you will graduate with can easily make the choice for you. As of now I am looking at approximately 22,000 dollars of federal-only loan debt, with which I am in a comfortable position.

I eliminated the University of Scranton from my possible schools since I would have had over 60,000 dollars worth of debt. If a school is not affordable, it helps make the decision easier. (NB: Anyone applying to the Class of 2021 or beyond, never look at sticker price and always apply and see what the financial aid package is; you would be surprised how cheap some schools are after everything is said and done.)

Look at the Student Population and Campus Life

I eliminated Franklin and Marshall and Wilkes University from my list when I asked myself if I would fit in and thrive on campus. This is really a gut feeling that you can support. F and M and Wilkes did not feel like home. They both have amazing political science programs, where I knew I would be well educated, but I could not say the same for outside the classroom.

If you carry 15 credits a semester, you spend 15 hours a week in the classroom and 153 hours outside of it. I know the purpose of college is to study and enrich your mind, but it is also a place where you live, love, and grow. If it is not a place you can do those things at, then it is not the place to attend.

Go with Your Gut

After looking at funds and campus-life, you should be left with one or two schools. For me, it was between Lycoming College and King’s College. I loved my visits to both of these campuses, was familiar with the areas they were in, knew that I would thrive in the classroom and on campus and would graduate with minimal debt. I knew I could not attend both and I had to decide.

When it comes down to it, the best advice is to go with your gut. It sounds silly and cliché, but it is true. If you feel as if one college is better than another for you, follow your feeling. I did, and I made the best decision of my life, one that I have never thought of changing.

With these three things in mind, I hope deciding where to attend becomes an easier decision. I know it is stressful and bleak at times, but just remember these words from "The Help," “You is kind, you is smart, and you is important.”

Sincerely,

James McDonough