How Do I know Which School is Right?

HS senior here, decent academic record, not the 4.00 GPA, 35 ACT type, but still smart. I have a very unique EC experience under my belt and have a very niche interest in terms of what I want to study (a branch of engineering). So far I have applied to four schools, accepted into 2 of them so far. Over the summer I visited one of the two schools I’ve already been accepted into and fell in love with it. Loved the campus, people, geographical location and they are also ranked 12th in terms of graduate school for the program I would want to pursue. In my head, even during the summer, I was telling myself “Oh, I’m going to XYZ university” based off the good feeling I got when I visited.

Fast forward to now, with the November first deadline coming up, I am planning on submitting one more app (probably will), but am very certain I would like to go to the aforementioned university.

My question is, is it even worth applying to another school? I am somewhat worried because I feel like many of my peers are applying to 7-8 schools and don’t have much of a concrete idea of where they want to go. Is it bad I have already “decided” in my head where I would like to go? BTW my parents also liked to school I like.

No it is not bad if you have already decided. It is a blessing if you already have a choice that you love and your family can afford it. Now you can relax and enjoy your senior year with the college admissions question taken care of. Congratulations!

Some people, especially those who need the lowest bottom line through financial aid and/or merit based scholarships, need to cast a wider net in order to try to be able to compare offers and find that most affordable option. If you are not one of those, save your application fee. Start planning for the school that you know you want to go to.

Go to the one you love! No need to apply elsewhere!

No it’s not bad…and it’s not unusual either. Many kids apply early and are done (that’s what ED is about). Enjoy the rest of your senior year.