As senior year reaches its close,
college decisions are at the top of the to-do list. These decisions, however, can be tough to make.
How to Make a College Decision
From tuition price to class sizes, there are many things to consider when deciding where you want to go for higher education.
Tuition and Room and Board Cost
The price of education is often a top quality to consider when
choosing a college/university. This is especially true with how much college tuition has increased over time.
When choosing the school for you, it is important to consider your personal expenses and any outside money you will receive. If you have a significant amount of money saved up for your education, places with a higher tuition cost may have a higher availability for you.
However, if money is an issue, colleges with smaller
tuition and room and board costs may be the better option for you. In the end, however, the best decision that you can make for yourself in terms of basing college choice off of cost is to find the school with the major/minor and any other important qualities, that is being offered to you for the lowest price possible.
Spending too much money on your college of choice may lead to expensive student loans. These loans may cause issues later with things like your credit score and the purchasing of property. So, when making this decision try to look for other ways (such as scholarships and less detrimental loans) to effectively pay for your higher education.
Class Size
Class size is important to consider when deciding on what college you want to attend after high school. If you work better in smaller and more well-knit groups, it's important to consider looking at private colleges which allow for this atmosphere. If you work better in larger groups, it is important to consider looking at public universities that often provide a more group work focused environment.
Additionally, depending on your class sizes, in person communication with your professor may be difficult. With smaller class sizes, and a smaller amount of people to
ask the professor questions, it is likely that you can speak with your teacher and ask any questions you need to. This can be extremely helpful to incoming students who require more hands-on assistance.
Larger class sizes result in the teacher running out of class time to speak with every single student. On the flipside, larger class sizes can be extremely beneficial to those who require less assistance and instead prefer more independent work.
Overall, class sizes are a determining factor for deciding on where you go after graduating from high school.
Location
Another crucial factor to consider is the location of your college/university of choice. For many students
living on campus is a given, but for other students, commuting may be the best choice.
For example, I will be attending college in my hometown this fall as I want to stay close to my family and friends and be able to stay involved in the community I call my home. While this is the case for me, there are others who may feel that attending colleges in other cities, towns, states, and even countries will be beneficial to their present lives and futures.
Both ways of thinking are great, but it is up to you as an individual to decide which of these will be the best way of thinking for you.
Major and Minor availability
Depending on your major and minor choice, certain schools may be better than others. If your chosen major and minor are not present at an institution that you are looking into, it may not be your best bet. Without the
major of your choice being available, it may be difficult to receive the education and training required for your future career.
On the other hand, the schools you are looking at may have your major, but you are having trouble figuring out where to start looking. The best way is to start thinking of what category your major and minor fall into.
For example, if you are looking for
common majors (such as education or engineering) at a reasonable price, it may be better for you to attend a public university. If you are looking for more specialized classes and majors/minors, private and liberal arts colleges/universities may be a better choice for you.
On the other hand, if you are still looking for specialized majors/minors but wish to focus more on the trades (such as welding and nursing), community colleges may be the better choice.
Extracurriculars
Joining and participating in clubs is a key part of the college experience. These extracurriculars allow you to meet others who share similar interests with you and provide you with an outlet to participate in your passions. Being a part of these clubs, however, can be difficult, if the institution which you are considering choosing does not have clubs established which match your interests.
So, before making your final college decision, make sure to look through your school options school websites. Clubs are often listed on these websites alongside other important information of what to expect at the given institution.
Overall, it is important to think about the many important factors which can help you
identify which college/university is the best choice for you.
