5 Tips to Find Out What College Is Right For You
By Rachel Benson, Launch Academy Tutor Extraordinaire, Professional Writer, and Tulsa’s Premiere English Tutor
I don’t know about you, but here’s how I felt when I was graduating high school—
AAAAAAAHHHH!!!!
Life is changing drastically! There are too many tests! And how on Earth am I supposed to choose a college that will totally decide my fate and my entire future career!!
The good news—you don’t have to panic. Everybody feels this way about choosing a college. It’s stressful, it’s a pain, especially when choosing between thousands of options available in and out of state. But don’t worry, just breathe in, and breathe out, and narrow down your options through these easy steps:
- Pick your location – Deciding whether you want to stay close to home, in your state, or hundreds of miles away will really help narrow down your options. If you want to try for an Ivy League school, go for it. If you want something closer to home, same deal. Just figure out whether you want to look in-state or out-of-state for most of your college choices. A great place to check out is Big Future. They have tons of information on this and other areas of college searching!
- Have an idea of your future major – If you look for schools that are well-known for your major, you’ll be much more likely to find well-financed programs that will really invest into your degree. Equipment, scholarships, and even professors are likely to be top-notch, and you’ll likely have a whole lot more fun learning besides. It will also look more impressive after graduating college as future employers will be more likely to recognize your university. Look at Super College for more info.
- Find out about program scholarships and study abroad opportunities – A lot of times, universities have program-specific scholarships available to new students. Call the department you’re interested in and ask for possible scholarship opportunities. If you’re interested in study abroad, it would also be a good chance to check into what programs they have available for it.
- Know the social life and activities – If you’re the sort of person who loves to socialize, find out what kinds of communities are available on and off campus. If you love to swing dance, play intramural sports, buy tons of ethnic foods, or just hang out and have a party, look into what’s available in each college area. College life and college study are both important, so be sure to find a place that fits both of your needs.
- Find out what kind of campus you’d like – Do you want a campus in the city or out? Do you want a room with other roommates or none? Does a variety of food at the cafeteria matter or not? Odd as it sounds, these things do make a difference when you’re living there every day. Location, housing, food, all are important parts of a college to think about. Consider the small parts of the colleges you narrowed down and decide what aspects of college life are most important to you. US News is a great place to see some more ideas about this topic.
Once you narrow down your location, choose your likely major, pick colleges with good major programs, and find out about social life and what kind of campus you’d want, you will be well on your way to finding the college that is absolutely perfect for you and your interests! Hope it goes well, and remember, you have totally got this!
If you are interested in professional assistance, Launch Academy has a team of experts who can help! Call us today to set up a free consultation!
In honor of Leonard Nimoy, “Live well, and prosper!”
-Rachel Benson
Leonard Nimoy
1931-2015
