I will definitely have to make a pro/con list and a chart to help decide which school is best for me. Asides from tuition, what are good things to add on the chart? Obviously things like “Fit” are important, but is there a way to break that down even more because Fit encapsulates so many other things? What did you or your kids look at specifically when deciding?
- Money first; And then in any order of what's important to you--
- rural vs urban
- Greek vs no Greek
- Your child's intended major(s)
- Size
- Other opportunities, like research, coop programs, internships, study abroad, etc.
- Geographic region and distance from home
For a good list see the Supermatch tool on this website.
Fit - apart from cost - can (and should) include:
Programs offered: How strong are they in your intended major or general field - MIT may be a fabulous school, but I wouldn’t choose it if I were a humanities kid. Likewise, a engineering kid might to better at a school with an ABET-certified program. You also should consider curriculum and Gen. Ed. requirements. Do you want a core curriculum or flexible requirements?
Size: Do you want a small liberal arts college or a large research university or something in between?
General school spirit / Vibe: Are sports teams important to you? Do you want a heavy Greek presence? Do you want a heavy intellectual bent or a party school or something in between (work hard/play hard)? Do you want a more academic or pre-professional focus?
Residential life: Do you want to live on campus all 4 years? Does that matter? Do you like traditional dorms, residential colleges, suite-style dorms, etc.?
Geographic Location / Campus: Do you want four seasons? Do you despise cold? Would you be miserable in a more tropical climate? Do you want rural, urban, or suburban? Is architecture important to you? Can you negotiate a hilly campus?
Population: How important is diversity (of experience, race/culture, LGBTQ-acceptance, political thought) to you? If you’re ultra-liberal, you might not want to look at some of the more conservative schools and vice-versa.
These are just some things to think about.
@LoveTheBard thank you. I completely agree with everything you said, but it seems crazy to pick one school over the other based on Greek life or something. Just my thought
Not “crazy” to have Greek culture (or not any) being an important criterion. I had no interest I frats and really didn’t want that kind of culture dominating my college so I chose a school with no Greek system. I knew a girl who wanted to be a legacy in her mother’s sorority so it was important for her to attend a school with that particular sorority.
Fit is about what is important to you, not to anyone else. You should did deep and think about what you want in a college. IMO academics and affordability are the most important criteria. Some other typical things people think about to determine “fit” may include: Greek life (availability as well as how big is the presence on campus), are there big time sports/school spirit, if a school is religious/secular, the location (both geographic and urban/rural/suburban), size, availability of research opportunities, EC opportunities in whatever you are interested in, what size of college do you feel most comfortable in and anything else that YOU care about.
This is not a one size fits all question. And not one set of criteria is right for every person.
Decisims are oftentimes made with the heart not the brain. So while a pro and con list is useful, it ultimately will come down to your visceral instinct! Of course this assumes that the cost of the schools are both affordable.
One more suggestion, which I will recommend for my daughter as well, in order to determine where your heart is really at. Pretend for 1 or 2 days that you selected Alabama. Really imagine that you selected that school and only think about that school during that time. When talking to your family during that two day stretch say you are thinking Alabama. See what emotions you are feeling. Then switch and pretend for another 1 or 2 days that you selected Ohio State. Go through the same imagination and thought process with your family for that 1 or 2 day period. Compare and contrast the emotions you felt --which school did you feel more happy and comfortable imagining yourself at?
@trackmbe3 that is fantastic advice! My issue is that I talk myself out of it and i won’t be able to imagine myself only going to Alabama because I know Ohio state is an option and vice versa. Good luck to your daughter, I know we are both looking at Ohio state.
Distance from home and travel options/ease of getting home is an important factor for some
Academic ability is the first criteria for me: Is the school too challenging? Is it too easy and not challenging students enough?
Second criteria: What interests me there?
Others: The city, the location, the region.
I assume I have money to attend the selected schools.