I'm thinking about a few colleges that I want to attend, but I'm not sure how to pick between different colleges. What things should I be looking for in a college?

Choosing which college to attend can seem like a daunting task. On paper, they all seem great! But there are several different things you should consider before choosing a college or university that's right for you.

1. Visit the college, if possible: If you can swing it, try to arrange a visit to the college's campus. You can glean a lot of info from a quick visit! What do the other students look like? Is the college diverse? What kind of programs and facilities do they offer? Are there special spaces dedicated for students to study? What kind of support and tutoring services are available?
2. Cost: Ask lots of detailed questions about financial aid and scholarships. Do research on the college's website for tuition costs and financial aid resources. You might be able to find a college with a similar program that's half the cost!
3. Check out the college's accreditation: Most students skip this step because they don't know what "accreditation" means or why it's so important. Colleges and universities MUST be either regionally or nationally accredited to offer degree programs. Make sure the college you're looking at is REGIONALLY ACCREDITED. I know "national" sounds better, but it's not.
4. Pick whichever one feels right for you: The bottom line is that most colleges and universities in the United States will offer you a stellar education. Just be sure to pick the one that feels right for you, your personality, your career goals, and your living situation.

There are several things to think about when trying to decide what college to attend. First, what are you wanting to major in? There are colleges that specialize in certain degrees and if you have picked something specific, you may want to find a college that specializes in that degree. Second, how are you going to finance your education? The reason this is important is that in state colleges are not as expensive as out of state colleges in most cases. The last thing is how comfortable are you to be away from home? This may not seem like a big deal but it really can be. If you are close enough to at least come home once in a while to deal with the fact that you are home sick, it can help you to get through that especially during the first year, which is always the hardest.

Choosing a college is hard! When I went through the process, I made a list of all of the things that were most important to me. Examples include:

1. Proximity to home
2. Quality of the program in the major I was interested in
3. Socialization- is the school known for fun?
4. Will I know anyone else going there?
5. Does the price fit within my budget?

Once you have your criteria of what you want in a college experience, you can then start to measure the schools you are interested in against that criteria.

Also, an in person visit to the school which includes time spent off the official campus tour will help you get a real feel for the campus and the atmosphere.

Good luck! Exciting times ahead.