Hello! It’s the end of March, and I’m sure I am far from the only person beginning the process of trying to decide which college to attend. I was hoping this could be a more general thread that could apply to everyone. So, without further ado, here are my questions:
What factors ought to be considered when deciding which college to attend? Maybe some beyond the obvious, but at times the obvious bears stating, too.
What is the best way to find out more about those factors for particular schools?
I’ve heard that admitted student weekends, while fun, don’t actually present an accurate picture of the school, and, while CC has alumni of many schools, it’s pretty difficult to parse the reliability of at times contradictory accounts. What’s more, if you want to know things like “Is the student body generally more collaborative or competitive?” how could you find that out?
Congrats on Stanford! Wow… Ivy Day will probably be a breeze for you.
As for things to consider before you attend:
Look through the majors available and see if the school provides you with the major you want to pursue. Some schools are better at some subjects than others (for example, Stanford engineering is better than Harvard engineering, although both institutions are great).
Location: imagine yourself going to this place for the next 4 years. Do you want a place in New England, where it is colder, or a place like Stanford, where it is sunnier and warmer? Do you want to go to an urban center like Columbia or a more isolated school like Princeton?
Cost: often the school that gives the most money should be considered. College does cost a lot of money, so you want to get out 4 years from now with the least debt as possible.
Career/Internship Opportunities: is the school good for job placement, depending on your major?
Difficulty: do you want to go to a cutthroat, competitive school like MIT and Princeton, or do you want to go to a more relaxed but still challenging school like Harvard and Yale? Depending on what you want to do there, this is different for all schools.
Extracurricular Opportunities: look through the activities at each school to find things that you want to do. College should be a fun experience, and you should find the place where you fit the best!
Realize that you can’t go wrong; with many good schools on your list, choosing one over another will not be a life-changing, critical decision. You’ll be successful regardless of where you go!
As for finding this information, there’s really no other way beyond than asking students who attended the school. College visits during classes should be helpful, and sources such like Quora and CC can bring a bit of additional information to the table. Keep in mind that straightforward answers shouldn’t be expected, as experiences are relative. Some people might think that MIT is easy, while others might think that it is hard. Whether or not the student body is competitive or collaborative may result in a different answer depending on whether the student you are asking is doing Pre-Med or English, for example. Also, keep in mind that the next four years will be yours, and not anyone else’s. Don’t let a foul experience turn you away from a school you really want to go to.
"Some people might think that MIT is easy, while others might think that it is hard. " LOl You probably chose the most improbable example out there. I know a ton of MIT students. I’ve not met one that would say MIT is easy.
It sounds simple but try just Googling the school name - and then dive into what you find a 3 or 4 pages into the search. Sometime you find some interesting news articles, blogs by professors, what research is being done on campus that is not related to your specific major and such that can be eye opening about the atmosphere on campus, the people that live/work/study on campus etc.
Really think about the level of difficulty and how much work you really are willing to put in,be honest with yourself.
One of the factors that influenced my college decision was the students I met during the accepted students’ days, who were also choosing each school. One place just felt like a better ‘fit’ for me, and I chose it.
@labegg - “Really think about the level of difficulty and how much work you really are willing to put in,be honest with yourself.”
I know I’d much prefer a more collaborative, less grade-focused, cutthroat environment. However, I’m not sure how to figure out which schools offer that and which do not. There are some (MIT, UChicago vs. Harvard) that are known to be one or the other, but is there any way of exploring this further? And for schools that aren’t “known” for one or the other?
I was unable to visit any college campus before officially making a decision. My final two schools were near polar opposites in everything besides gender and race ratios. I based my decision off of the weather I would have preferred, the school’s strength in my major (both schools were strong, but one was better than the other), the people who I interacted with on the FB groups, which state I’d rather call home, and even the strength of their respective athletic conferences, among others.
It was an easy decision at the time. And almost a year on, it’s looked even easier.
