So its sophomore or junior year and the pressure is on, what college will I go to in the next upcoming years?
There is confusion over grades, SATs, SAT IIs, and what the hell is FAFSA?
There are so many things to do and plan I already feel like I'm drowning and I am not the only one. Everyone is trying to take the hardest classes, balance that work with being in about a dozen or so clubs, volunteer work, and juggling sports because we need all these things to into college.
So many of us want to go to Harvard, Yale, or Princeton and our parents want us to get into them. But we barely actually know anything about the school and if it is a right match for me. I wanted to go these schools but finally I am looking away to other schools that also have great academic standards but are more into my intrests. It is more important to do this then to go apply to these school without even knowing if they are right for you.
So what factors go into making a good college choice?
All of the following should be considered:
1. Location: Do you want to be close to home, stay home, or go far far away
2. Majors: What majors does the school offer and what major do you want to study?
3. Requirments: Sometimes you just have to be honest with yourself, can you get into these school, do you have the grades and all the other things they look for?
4. Size: Is a smaller college better for you, or is a large busy campus better for you?
There are many other things you need to consider but one thing that I dont think should ever be a factor is cost. This is because there is so many scholarships and fincial aid it is almost impossible not to get some. Let's say that you don't get all that you need you can always take out students loans that wont have to be paid back until your out of college, true you may be paying off loans for a while but that is something you need to think about.
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Cost isn't always a bad factor to consider. I'd much rather go to a small state college and be in zero debt than a small private university where I'll graduate with some $30,000 in loans, all other things considered. Especially since I'll be going on to medical school where I'll be over $100,000, perhaps even $200,000 in debt when I graduate.
~C
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Start brushing up on learning about the financial aid process early. It's a total pain, especially if you know zilch about it and your financial aid department at your chosen school is as crappy as is mine.
"We don't receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us." -Marcel Proust
I can definitely relate to this post. You're totally right about not being the only one drowning in the pool they like to call "your future goals."
As a senior all the deadlines are creeping up on me, and even though I've been searching for colleges since 8th grade, my mind has changed so many times about what I want to do. I'm just scared of investing all my money into a college and then realizing that it's not what I want to do.
I wish you luck!
I know that's right. I honestly have no clue about what I want to do as far as career or even a major. And my first college choice is a small private university not half an hour from my home. I think it will be good as it relates to location (far enough so I'm away, close enough to come home when needed). It really does seem to have everything I want. But that cost.