If you went to college, how did you decide on which college you would go to?

I am 18 and in high school and I need to start looking at colleges so I can commit to one. I live in the midwest but I want to go to college in state so I am not stuck paying student loans for ages. I consider myself smart, and I want to go to a school that will challenge me but will not overload me. I am stuck however in deciding what college to go to. There are a few different colleges I am looking at, all of them have their pros and cons. For example, I want to major in economics or finance, or a something similar. I have always loved this side of business. The college I am looking at has the best business school in my state. It is also one of the cheapest university colleges. I am on the high end of the average ACT/GPA scale so I could probably get some kind of scholarship as well. Up until now, I thought of this as the college that was best for me. However, after visiting the college, I found it is in the middle of nowhere. The school is about 45 minutes away from the nearest large city, and the university is basically the city itself. Although there are 10,000 student, many of them commute. Also there is nothing to do in this city and I think part of college is to have fun and meet new people.

On the other hand, the biggest university in my state has slightly higher tuition. It isnt known to have as good of an academic program either. However, I think I would fit in better at the school. It has a bigger campus and more people. Not to mention compared to the other university which is in the middle of nowhere, this one is in one of the biggest cities in the midwest. I think there would be so much to do just in the city.

So for those of you who went to college or are in college, how did you decide on what college you would go to? Are you happy with that decision? Is there something you wished you would have considered more?

 

Whatever college you do decide to go to, make sure the one you choose is the one you want to go to. You wont enjoy it unless you want to be there, so, no regrets.

Anyways, I'm just coming up to finishing High School but I already decided what College I was going to when I was 16. I had a few options, but the choice came easily. It's a college ran by the church I attend. It's heavily subsidized, I would be around people who share the same beliefs as me (other options are public institutions) and it's in Hawaii! It was a no-brainer really.

 

I did my research. When looking for a college, don't go to one that only focuses on one thing. I went to a liberal arts college for law, ended up wanting to do medicine more than law, and then decided to forget all of that, and went for Physics. It worked out very well for me.

Things to keep in mind:
-Tuition
-Quality of school
-Classroom size
-Majors offered
-Alumni
-Distance from home (home sickness is a real thing)
-Surrounding area (off campus)
-Sports / Extra curriculars

 

If I could go back in time. I would of chose the university by the professor's ranking.

Literally, just go to ratemyprofessor.com. See what courses you have to take your academic calender and see which profs are the hardest. As a person pursuing further post-secondary education, it is important to do well in your undergrad just as much.

If you are just going for just the degree and that's it; my suggestion is to stay at home, you save so much money living at home. Also, you have someone who does laundry, cleans, cooks and etc. That kind of service is stuff you take for granted when you begin to live on your own.

 

I don't know what it's like there, but in England you can go and visit the college (or Uni) and see what it's like.

Depending on what course you want to do, look at what they have for you.
For example if you want to do sports, make sure they have all the sports equipment an it's in good quality, also ask the past grades etc.

Eventualy you should find the perfect one

 

I go to college in the Midwest at mankato state and it's a very nice school. I am double majoring in economics and finance. The head of the Econ department. Is a genius here and very interesting to study under. It is also a cheap college. Lots of girls, parties, ect.

Any other questions just ask

 

All of the advice that these guys are giving you is good stuff... definitely some things to keep in mind.

I'm currently in my second year and the choice was pretty easy for me when I was 18 and deciding. I go to the most expensive/prestigious school that I could afford on student loans at the time. I came from a poor, pretty rough school and city, so when I graduated- my goal was to get as far away from that as possible.

If I could give you real advice- with my perspective after two years:
1) Choose a school that you can afford.
2) Apply for every scholarship you hear of, even if you think you won't win it. You'll be surprised how many of the low end (under $500) scholarships that you'll win by default because no one else applies for them- and trust me, these add up quickly.
3) Go to a campus that has viable job opportunities near by. Eventually you'll want to get a part time job or what not, and it'll be nice that there's actually places that are hiring.

In the end, most colleges/universities offer the same level of education, for the bachelor's level at least. Follow the 3 points above, and always do your best in school and you'll do well.

Hope that helps.

 

That's a very solid list, also would add where your friends are going. Wouldn't suggest going to a college because your best friend is going there but if they're close (same city, etc) then you can see each other more, but still make new friends and hang out with them.

Rs Emperor

 

It was less than an hour away, my girlfriend of 2 and a half years at the time, her aunt, and her brother went there, her mom has worked there for 35 years, I had hung out there a lot the year before and knew my way around, I had a reasonable number of acquaintances, and I just liked the environment.


But I'll tell you from experience, do not go to a college because a girl you like or your girlfriend is going there. It will fuck you over.