How do I know a school is right for me?

Hi Lydia,
The best way to know if Ohio State is a good fit is to visit. Barring that, try talking to some alumni or current students who might live in your area. While the stuff admissions sends out contains some good information, it's also important to remember that they are trying to market the college and will present everything in the best light possible. To get a more holistic view of things, current students, faculty and alumni are the best sources of information. I would also recommend looking at the mission statement of the university--is it something you agree with and can live under for four years? And the most important question--could you see yourself living there for four years (a question that my college counselor asked me to consider when I was applying to colleges). If the answer is no, then no, it's not a good fit. If it's a maybe, then you might want to consider elsewhere. If it's a yes, then the only question is whether or not there are other colleges where you would be more happy at, and that will require a bit more digging. Hope this helps and good luck!

Practical considerations

How does the location of the school, cost or difficulty of travelling to and from the school, and public transport options affect you?

School-specific factors

How big is the school? How many students are enrolled there?
What facilities does the school have to support your learning – playgrounds, library, home language support, music programs, clubs and sporting teams?
What are the school’s previous academic results or performance in other areas like the arts, sport or community engagement?
How well does the school support students with special needs, if there's disability, developmental delay, autism spectrum disorder or other need?

School communication and connections

What opportunities are there for parent and family involvement with the school, and how is communication between home and the school managed?
Does the school have a connection with the local community?

Hi Lydia,

As previously mentioned, a school visit would be a great way to get a feel for the campus and to get connected with individuals who can answer your questions. The size of the school and your major also make a big difference when you are choosing a school. OSU is the largest college in Ohio so you should make sure that's something you're comfortable with. This can be an advantage in some ways - large alumni network, more on campus extracurricular activities, and opportunities to meet a lot of people. Or, it can be a disadvantage if you are looking for a more personal touch to college where you can walk to all your classes and see familiar faces more often.

If you're feeling a bit like you want to go to OSU because everyone else is telling you to, I think that's a great sign that you should take a step back and see what you really want. It might be really helpful to pick a couple colleges that you are interested and then rate them based on the qualities you are looking for. Some areas to compare could be: size, major you're interested in, distance from home, cost, living options, campus type (college town, city, etc.). Think of all the things that are important to you when you think about what you'd like to get out of your college experience and see how OSU stacks up.

Good luck and congratulations on starting the search to find a college that's a good fit for you!

Hi Lydia!

You asked a very important question. Here some tips that might be helpful.
https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/find-colleges/how-find-your-college-fit
http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/slideshows/10-steps-to-picking-the-right-school

Best of luck! Please keep me informed. I would like to follow your progress!