For some, picking a college is as easy as continuing a decades long family legacy or choosing your childhood dream school. This, however, is not always the case for most. When choosing a college/university there are many things to keep in mind, some more obvious than others. While there are dozens of varying reasons, in this blog post we will be going over the most common things to consider for the next big step in your career.
What We’ll Discuss In This Article
Location
The location of a college or university can impact more than just decisions. It can affect the cost, experience, and success of a student. As far as a career it can be beneficial or a hindrance. Some cities cater to a student’s ambitions by having readily available jobs that build experience and students’ resumes. For example, Orlando, Florida has a large tourism industry. A substantial number of UCF’s students are hospitality students and worked at Disney. Housing can at times be one of the most costly components. This is an advantage to save money through staying at home and commuting to your local college/university.
This is a special time in a student’s career and limiting harmful things can strengthen your time in college. This includes new or existing distractions a location can harbor. Know your weaknesses! A party city can be detrimental to someone who has difficulty focusing and can easily cause a student to tank in just a semester. Or if you’re in your hometown, naysayers or a negative environment could cause a decline in progress or motivation to complete your degree.
School Size
Considering the size of a school can have the Goldilocks effect. A college can be too big, too small, but you aim to choose a school that is just right for you. There are pros and cons to choosing schools that are larger or smaller in size. Ultimately, this is a personal choice for each student. Some benefit from being at small institutions that provide smaller class sizes of 15-20 students versus 300-person classes. A college with smaller student populations allows you to have better opportunities for connecting with professors and staff. Larger schools can be overwhelming for some and that’s okay!
While others enjoy an intimate environment with less students, some embrace colleges that are packed to capacity! Large campuses generally have more opportunities for extracurricular activities and clubs/organizations. There is an atmosphere and ambience that considerable sized schools provide that smaller schools cannot. For example The University of South Florida has two campuses. Their main campus in Tampa has about 49,600, while USF St. Pete has a noticeable scaled down size of 4,500. While these schools are under the same institution, you will likely have two different experiences attending one versus the other.
As a prospective student, you should evaluate your personality and what situation you’d thrive best in.
Available Programs
The main purpose of going to college is obtaining a degree, so selecting a school that has resources for your future holds significant weight in a student’s decision. Every college doesn’t have the same focus for all degree programs, let alone the program you’re interested in being available. For example, I knew someone who was looking to do interior design and was considering transferring from their school because they were unable to study their chosen curriculum. A developed academic program is also essential given resources for certain degrees can lead to the feeling of a quality education with more opportunities. It can be the difference between a liberal arts college or a large research university being the best fit. While this is important, also keep in mind you can look outside your school for opportunities you may feel are lacking in your degree program. If all other boxes are being checked such as location and cost, see how you can maximize that situation with other supplemental experiences.
Researching the possible degree program and college can be relatively easy and an exciting process. It’s great to see where you’ll be in just a few months! The college’s website typically offers a well of information and a timeline and what will be expected of you. Looking into notable alumni can also demonstrate the resources available from that college.
Student Life
Getting a quality education is important, however, you will be there for four years, make sure you enjoy it! Having an active student life has many benefits that not only help you socially but can assist in furthering your career. Extracurricular organizations can help you grow through leadership and other great opportunities that can further build your resume. These opportunities can range from volunteering, networking, and staying plugged into the active community surrounding your career. These elements come into hand when applying to grad school and beginning your professional career post-college, where programs and companies often like to see active students in not only their community but also on campus.
Involving yourself in student life is not only great for your career interest, but socially beneficial. Clubs, organizations and sororities/fraternities are a great way to connect with your peers and develop lifelong friendships. College is often not like the movies where you find your best friend in Biology class. Joining a club can help you find like minded people. Getting to know your peers can lead to forming study groups and opening connections.
We’ve told you why it’s important for a school to have an active student life, but how can you see as a prospective student? Start online! Research on their website or social media. In this day and age of social media many current students are documenting their lives on youtube and other outlets. It’s a great tool to see what being a student looks and feels like. Do they look like they have events to engage students on campus? College tours are built for you to learn about the school. Ask the tour guide if they don’t mention it, more than likely they’re a current or former student. While we wouldn’t recommend choosing a school solely on its student life, it’s important and can affect your college experience.
Cost & Finances
Finances can arguably be the most important and biggest deal breaker. Costs can eventually lead you to transfer no matter how much you enjoy a school or feel it’s the perfect fit. Students have to consider the debt later on. Is it worth it just for the 4 years? You’re paying for more than just the tuition. Other costs can include housing, food, etc. and if you move to a new city or are not able to stay with family this can become a burden and make focusing on your career harder. This can be further exacerbated if the school is private or out-of-state. They carry their own extra costs that public, in-state schools do not. A private school that’s within your state can cost just as much or even more than an out-of-state public school. For example, The University of Miami on average, costs ~$55,000 per year for Florida residents as a private institution. In comparison,The University of Georgia costs ~$30,000 for an out-of-state student as a public university. Whether a school is public or private, instate or out-of-state can change your yearly tuition/costs drastically and is something to consider when deciding what college you will attend.
These financial concerns can be solved through scholarships, having a job, choosing to stay home and commute, and other cost effective ways. It doesn’t have to be a deciding factor but if there’s no way around it, it’s okay to say no because of this reason.
When it comes down to choosing a school, it’s a give or take. No school is perfect, so some things may be deal breakers for you while for another person it may not be as important. It’s essential to weigh what is most crucial for not only this current decision, but your future. Is staying on budget more critical, or do you need to be at a school that caters more to a certain career? These are questions you may ask yourself when deciding on a school. This is your decision, so choose what is best for you!
By: Ashley & Alicia Thomas