How to Choose the Best College

You’ve come to a very important turning point in your life. It’s time to leave the safety of public education and head out into the unknown territories of higher learning! You’ve written your essays, sent in your applications and now – now it’s just a matter of picking the right college. This isn’t a decision you want to rush in to. Picking your college is a very important decision, and should be treated with care. There are several things you need to consider before selecting your appropriate college.

The first thing you’ll need to ask yourself is this: what do I want to study? All colleges have different programs and different areas of strengths. Some colleges specialize in pre-law, while others tend to focus in education or communication. What is it that you want to study? If you already have a clear idea of your future career path, then choose schools that will help you on your way there. Pre-med students, for example, shouldn’t attend liberal arts colleges with no medical programs. Students that know what careers the want should pick specific schools that specialize in their field. If you’re unsure about what you want to do, or where you want your future career to go, your best bet is to select a larger, more general studies college. You can take a variety of classes and explore several different fields in your first semester. From there, you should be able to narrow down your education choices.

There are several other aspects to choosing a great college. Realistically, you’ll need to consider price. What is the average cost of your prospective colleges, and can you afford them? Unfortunately, you may have to rule out some choices due to financial constraints – although you can always work hard for scholarships! Other issues may involve distance. Is the college on the other side of the country, when you want to stay close to home? Or do you want to get far away and try to make it on your own? Consider that you’ll be at your college for the better part of at least four years, so make sure it’s in a location you approve of.

Lastly, consider other activities, facilities and extracurricular events the college offers. If you love to swim and be on a swim team, it might be hard to attend a college without a swimming pool. There’s more to going to college than your academic path; the college also provides the majority of the activities and social events you’ll experience for the next few years. Consider what kinds of facilities, clubs, sports and other groups exist at different colleges before you select your final choice.