How Do I Know This College Is Right for Me?

The pressure involved in choosing the right college is astounding. After all, the idea is that you pick one then remain there for years! People rarely get a second chance to pick a college. And when anyone does get a second chance to do so, it’s usually not under great circumstances.

Here are some of the things you must keep in mind when picking your college.

You don’t have to go to an Ivy League school

Of course, people know you don’t have to go to an Ivy League school. In fact, that’s the problem that most prospective students are facing. They want to go to an Ivy League school!

What I mean when I say you don’t have to go is this. Attendance of an Ivy League school isn’t necessary if you want respect or esteem in your future career. To the extent that employers pay attention to the school you went to, they’re not going to look down on you for having not attended an Ivy League college. They know full well that graduates from Harvard, Yale and the like are a minority. They know those colleges cost prohibitive prices. And remember: good marks at one college will trump middling marks at an Ivy League college!

There are colleges tailored to your needs

People who have specialist requirements of some kind often feel a little stuck when it comes to choosing their college. What those special requirements are, of course, will vary from person to person. Somebody who wants to study computer science may want to go to a college that’s heavily invested in specialist technology. Parents who wish for their children to be raised a certain way may make them go to a Christian college. Women who don’t feel comfortable going to a multi-sex institution may want to go to a women’s college.

There are so many different types of colleges. Don’t go into this thinking that you’re restricted! You may just find something to suit whatever makes you feel comfortable.

Go with what feels right

So much is said about this college and that that it can makes people feel pressured to go with particular options. It can feel like the choice isn’t actually yours. Maybe all your friends are looking at a particular college and you’re feeling pressured into going along with them if you can. Or perhaps the pressure is coming from your parent or guardian(s) to go somewhere they went to.

It’s true that you should research each option carefully. You need to be pragmatic about this choice, after all. Choosing a college because of the parties you hear about, even though its average graduate results aren’t good, may not be a smart choice. But in the end the choice is yours. This is the place in which you’re going to be spending several years. It’s also what’s going to be costing you a lot of money! So it’s important that you go with the college that you feel will make you the happiest. If you put too much effort into trying to please others, you may not emerge with the results you wanted.