The Admission Decision Letters Are In! How Do You Make Your Final College Choice?
Congratulations! You've been accepted to three colleges! Now you have to make a decision. How do you decide on one college when all of the choices are good ones?
Well, there are a series of things you can do.
First, identify what it is that you really want to in a college: size, location, makeup of the student body, the feeling of the campus, how much access you have to professors, etc.
Second, if it's important to you and your family, take a look at the financial aid packages.
Who is offering you the best deal? However, if College A's financial aid package is superior to College B's, but you think you'd rather go to College B, call the Financial Aid Office at College B to see if they can match College A's offer.
Third, if you haven't done this already, visit your top choice colleges. If you go, try to visit when classes are in session. And be sure to talk with current students about what they like (and don't) about the college. Also try to meet faculty members and check out different kinds of activities. Many colleges have pre-admit weekends (special days for newly admitted students). If you can, attend these special events.
If making college visits is not within your family's financial circumstances, then call the colleges to see if they have funds to help you make the trips. Any number of colleges provide this kind of assistance.
Fourth, as you get ready to make your final decision, try to do it in a systematic way. For each top choice college to which you've been admitted, make a list of pros and cons and also rate each school on a scale from 1 to 10 (1 not interested at all, 10 totally love the school). Certain colleges will emerge as you go through this exercise.
Finally, if you continue to be undecided, go with your heart, not your head.
Which of the schools on your list is the one that makes you feel good? Which college offers you the most of what you want? Where can you see yourself happy and involved for the next four years of your life? Which school offers a student body that feels like you, a faculty that seem accessible and friendly, a nearby town or community that will be good to live near and a campus that makes you smile?
You should know that regardless of whether they end up at their top choice school or not, most students end up having a wonderful college experience, wherever they decide to go to college.