10 Things To Consider When Choosing A College
When it comes to choosing a college, it can be a really overwhelming experience. It’s the place that you’re going to spending the next few years of your life so you want to be sure that you make the right choice. At the end of the day, it’s best to follow your gut feeling but to help you make up your mind, we’ve rounded up 10 things you might want to consider when choosing a college.
1. The location
The location of your college is so important. Whether you want something near home, in the city of your dreams, campus or an inner city one, it’s so important that you find a college that’s in the right location for you. College isn’t just about studying, it’s about taking that next step into adulthood and the right setting will help you do that.
2. The reputation
It doesn’t have to be an Ivy League College, however, the reputation of the college is something to bear in mind. A college with a good reputation will really stand out on your resume and chances are the better its reputation, the more enjoyable you’re going to find it too.
3. The extracurricular activities
It’s not all work no play, so when it comes to choosing a college it’s important to suss out what extracurricular activities are available. From sports teams to societies and college newspapers, a good college should offer plenty of opportunities to have fun and gain some other skills alongside your studies.
4. Housing
If you’re planning to live on campus, then another consideration when it comes to choosing a college should be housing. There are so many things to consider when it comes to housing from how many people actually live on campus to if it’s catered, clean and whether housing is co-ed or single-sex.
5. Cost
Cost is probably one of the factors that are going to influence your decision the most. There can be a huge variation when it comes to prices between colleges and it’s important tot are finical aid, housing and transport costs into consideration alongside the tuition fees.
6. Admission rate
Another thing to consider when choosing a college is the admission rate. If you’ve got fantastic grades then you have a strong likelihood of getting into a college with a lower admission rate that’s probably slightly more challenging. Whereas if your grades could be better then its a good idea to apply to colleges with a higher admission rate so you’ll have more chance of getting in.
7. Graduation rates
Obviously, graduation day is what you’ll be working towards so it’s really important to check out the graduation rates of the colleges you are considering. A low graduation rate, suggests that students may have not enjoyed the college or found that it didn’t give the necessary academic assistance. Therefore you should be really wary of any colleges with a high drop out rate.
8. Party life
The social side of things is a huge part of what college is about. If that’s important to you then be sure to bear in mind a colleges reputation when it comes to its party life. The best way to do this is to visit the colleges in person and suss out the atmosphere for yourself. You can also talk to others that have been to the college and be sure to pay attention to the type of sororities and events on offer too.
9. Study abroad options
If you’d like the opportunity to spend a semester or so studying abroad then you should consider how many study abroad programs are on offer at the colleges you are considering. Studying abroad is a fantastic experience that offers you so much more than experience for your resume so it’s something that’s worth giving some thought about.
10. Career services
Another thing that’s important to consider when choosing a college is the type of help available when it comes to looking for a job. Getting a good graduate job is the end goal after college and some colleges offer loads of help with this from resume writing sessions to work placements so it’s another important factor to bear in mind.
