So I’m a senior, and time is running out for me to make my college decision. I’ve managed to narrow down the fourteen schools I applied to (I regret nothing) to my favorite two. Without giving away the names of the two just yet, I’m curious if anyone has any strategies/advice for someone who’s having trouble picking their favorite. Both are small universities located next to bigger ones, have a good program I’m interested in (though one is more research based, and one is more experience based), are in big cities, and are nearly identical in net price. I’ve been selected for the honors program for both as well.
I’ve heard the “flip a coin and go where you want it to land” trick a hundred times, but I’m still too indecisive for that. Any other advice?
Really comb through the schools’ websites and their Common Data Sets and jot down notes. Look at things like graduation requirements; for instance does either school have a language requirement? What percentage of students graduate on time? What kinds of opportunities do the schools provide for summer internships or research? Look at the bios for the profs in the department you’d like to major in. Are they studying things you’re interested in?
Frats? Thesis? Successful football team? Study abroad? Food? Transportation? Grad school placement?
When you have a list of the small differences your choice may become more apparent.
Look at the specific course offerings in the fields of study you are interested in and see which one has classes that seem more interesting to you. Look at the event listings on campus and see if one set appeals to you more.
@Sue22 and @doschicos - Thank you both! I’ve looked into the things you mentioned and it has helped out quite a bit.
@intparent - I’m looking into Loyola New Orleans and Lesley University. I avoided giving the names at the top because Loyola’s name is much better known and people tend to be biased towards that. I’m planning on studying Psychology though and Lesley has a phenomenal program for that, though Loyola has a good academics all around.
Where did the professors get their degrees? What are their areas of research? Email them and ask what research they’re working on and whether they take on some Honors students to work for/with them.
(You may also want to try and ask if they’re on a 3/3, 3/4, or 4/4 schedule - 4/4 means they have no time for research.)
In the past 5 years, how many students made it to grad school (out of how many majors)? Which grad schools? With funding?
DD was in a similar position until this weekend - torn between two good schools, both with pros and cons and unable to make a decision. Because her proposed career choice will require her to continue with her education after college, she made appointments at both schools to find out about her major in detail and also with advising to find out about the number making it to grad schools, and to which ones, about how much support the school gives them in prepping for grad school etc. As a psychology major you will most likely be intending to continue on to grad school as well so as was mentioned directly above, dive into this area and this, like it did for my daughter, may make one school a clear winner…
Good luck!
I would look at what it means to be in the Honors Program at each. Those can be wonderful, with lots of interaction among honors students, trips, outings, dorms/floors within dorms, summer opportunities, small and very intellectual honors seminar classes, etc. However, they can also be in name only with a few special programs and a couple of honors classes thrown in.
I would call each honors department and ask them to have a current honors student call you. Get the inside scoop on what it means to be in honors and go with the one that will really challenge you and offer you the most opportunities.
If they are equal there as well, then I would go with the one closer (or further!) from home, depending upon what you want!
Lesley was cobbled together recently from several very different schools, and you might want to look into how that has worked out as a coherent institution. When I lived in Cambridge it was an all-girls college. Most of the stats (selectivity, grad rate, class size) tip toward Lesley, but you’d have to ask yourself if you are comfortable with the huge gender imbalance which is about 80/20 F/M.
One way to decide might be to eliminate one of them (in your mind). How do you feel? Then reverse. Is there one that’s harder to let go of than the other?
^^ This is great advice. My D narrowed her choice to two as well. I finally asked her “imagine you pick one of them, which do you think you would regret no going to the most.” If you chose A, how would it feel to let B go? And if you chose B, how would it feel to let A go? This answered it pretty quickly for her.
A true story….A student liked two schools equally and for different reasons. Torn between the two and unable to decide, she filled out the acceptance forms for both schools, fit them in the same sized envelops and put them in a bag. At the post office she closed her eyes, reached in the bag, grabbed one and inserted it into the slot. !!! She never regretted it and never looked back. The above two posts seem a better method
