April's a stressful month.
By now, all of your college decisions have been released and the tables have turned. No longer are you pitching yourself to schools, the schools are pitching to you now. With this, comes the task of choosing where you will be living your next four years of your life and embarking on an incredible journey.
There are so many things to consider when choosing a school, and often these are variables that you don't have control over. Here are three important variables that you should consider when looking for "the one":
1. Financial Aid
This is a tricky one. Often times "state schools", colleges that are funded by the government, are often the cheaper for in-state residents as opposed to private institutions. For example, a Florida resident who is accepted to the University of Florida would have to pay less to go there as opposed to attending a private school out in Virginia.
My take on financial aid is unless the money is too good to pass up, don't let it dictate how you choose a school. Financial aid is an important variable in where you should go, but if the money difference isn't substantial between two institutions, follow your gut, not the aid. Many of my peers "followed the money" to a certain school and have regrets about not doing their due diligence of other schools they were accepted to.
2. School Size
There are many different sizes of high schools in the United States. Personally, my graduating class was 92 students and most of us knew one another. I had a school near my house with a graduating class of 1,900. Despite this, I went to USC, a university with 44,000 students.
Personally, I don't feel overwhelmed by the number of students here compared to my high school but I know that many people do. The best advice I can give is to visit and get a vibe of the school. Some people enjoy having a big community of students around them, while others would rather be in a more intimate setting with smaller class sizes. Everyone's different, find what's best for you.
3. Major vs. School Ranking
One of the biggest dilemmas that students have is deciding between the school that's generally higher on rankings or the school that has the better program for what you're specifically looking for. To me, the safer decision is going to the school that's higher on the rankings generally, unless you're absolutely in love with what you're going study.
The biggest reason behind this is because the chances you are either going to change/add another major are extremely high. By choosing the best overall school, you ensure that you're going to get a well-rounded education anyway.
