Tips for Choosing the Best College for You

By James Williams

Choosing the right college is a step that could affect your entire life. In case you are confused and do not know how to do it, take a look at my step-by-step guide to choosing a college and use it to select a college that suits you best.

These are the basic factors that you have to think about when choosing a college:

1. Where do you want to go to college? When I say "where" I mean the geographical location. The two polar opposites are staying at home and going far, far away. In between there are various possibilities. It all depends on how much you can afford for transportation costs, and also your need to be near home. If you must be near your home then one option is to live at home and commute to college, and another possibility is to choose a college within your immediate area. Think about this and choose the general area where you want to be.

2. How much can you afford to pay? Cost is a huge factor. Getting a higher education in the U.S.A. has become very expensive, and you will have to balance your aspirations with your financial capacity. One way to save money is to look for public institutions (state colleges, for example) that combine academic excellence with reasonable fees. If costs are not a big factor for you, then you can take a look at private colleges and universities that have good academic reputations. However, when investigating the costs of any college, public or private, be sure to find out about what financial aid (scholarships) would be available to you.

3. What do you want to study? If you have an idea of what you want to major in, then this can help guide your choice. If you know that you want to be an engineer for example, look for colleges with a strong engineering department. Your guidance counselor can give you an idea of which schools have strong programs in your area of interest. If you are not sure what your eventual major will be, then look for a liberal arts college or a university that offers many different departments.

4. College Prestige, it can be important. If you get into a college that has a strong academic reputation, it can pay off in the years ahead by helping you to get better jobs or easing your ability to be accepted into graduate school. If you have good grades, strong SAT scores and have participated in extra curricular activities you may be able to get into a prestigious college that has a highly-selective admissions policy. To get an idea of how a college ranks, you can look at the annual guide published by the U.S. News and World Report.

When applying to a highly-selective college it is important to also apply to other colleges that have easier entrance requirements. It is always good to have a backup!

These are the main factors to consider when choosing a college. Think about them carefully, do your basic research and you should be able to find a college that is suited to your needs and objectives.

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