I still haven’t received all of my decisions but was just wondering how I would decide which university to go to. I know this is a bit subjective but what are the factors that should be taken into account when choosing a university?
The unafforadble ones get binned. The affordable ones get lined up and reviewed. If possible, you visit the campus of the ones that still are at the top of the list. If at the end you have two contenders that are equal, toss a coin, and then see how you feel about the results.
The problem is I’m an international student so I can’t exactly visit the campuses.
- See where you get in.
- See what schools are affordable.
- If you have multiple affordable options you can re-post here with the schools and ask for specific advice.
If you do end up with multiple affordable options you should also do research on your own (other than posting the question on CC) including but not limited to:
-looking carefully at school websites, seeing what coursework/ professors are available in your area(s) of interest
-look at campus maps/photos of campus, consider geography if one area of the US is better for you
-see if you can get school newspaper online to get a sense of what is happening on campus
-go to the library and see if there are any guide books to US colleges (ex. Fiske, Princeton Review, Insiders Guide) where you can read up on the school
-post any specific questions about a college on that college’s CC page etc.
-see if there are any online chats for accepted students, join facebook pages etc.
It is great to solicit advice here but also do the work to make the best choice for you.
This might depend on your academic interests.
I would make a spreadsheet and include info like:
Net Cost
Number of Undergraduates
Faculty Student Ratio
%of students that live on campus
How big is the department for your major? If you are majoring in something that only has a couple of professors, that does not bode well.
Housing- do they offer all 4 years? freshman only?
Is this a commuter school? (do students go home on weekends)
Surrounding area - what is the nearby town/amenities like?
Urban/rural/suburban Transportation - how would you get home
AP Credits - can you get credit for AP tests you have taken
Male/Female ratio
Greek life - what % of students are in greek life
Parking
Diversity
Safety
Sports
Campus
Jobs - what happens to seniors after they graduate
Internships - depending on your major, is it easy to get internships?
…and whatever makes sense for you
You might not care about, say, greek life. but if 50% of the kids are in greek life and you don’t want to be, that is something to know. Or you may want a big time sports scene or you might not want one.
If you are fancy, you could weight each of these.
Grade them from 1-5 as they make sense to you. Then see which one has the largest score.
Then see if that is the one you secretly would hope would win.
Here is a calculator that might help you http://www.finaid.org/calculators/awardletteradvanced.phtml
Each of the places that you applied to is on your application list for some reason. Go back to that list, and think about how you created it. What factors made you decide to apply to this group of colleges/universities, and not to some others? Was it the weather? Was it the major? Was it the cost of travel to that place?
When you know which places are affordable, contact the International Students Office at each campus, and ask if they can put you in touch with a current student from your country or an international student who is studying your probable major. That student will have ideas for you. Many colleges and universities also have Facebook groups. You could check those out too.
Thank you guys so much for the help. Will try to evaluate the universities as soon as I receive the rest of my decisions.
After seeing which ones you gain admission, make a list of pros and cons for each. Base that on criteria that is important to you (size, local, strength of major, greek life, sports, class size, etc. - could be anything that you want / need). Of cost is primo important in terms of affordable. That doesn’t mean least expensive is best. As long as they are affordable based on conversations with your folks.
For example, when S was deciding he went through this same exercise. Narrowed it down to two or three (from 8). Ultimately his decision came down to two different price ranges, one requiring him to take loans - the basic Stafford Loans (that was our deal - you want X, you have to contribute something). He chose the more expensive one. COuld have gone either way as far as we were concerned.