7 answers
Megan
Student
Los Lunas, New Mexico
1
Question
Asked
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How do I find the right college for me?
How do I find the right college for me? I am not too sure what college I want to go to. I want to stay local, but I'm not sure if staying local would be the best thing for my future.
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7 answers
Aisha Taylor
Mortgage Closing Specialist
454
Answers
Detroit, Michigan
Updated
Aisha’s Answer
Hello,
At the start of your journey, gather around with your parents, guardians, or a trusted figure like your school guidance counselor to craft a list of colleges that pique your interest. This list could encompass both public and private institutions, whether they're close to home or in another state.
Before settling on a final choice, it's important to weigh up a range of experiences and potential outcomes. Ideally, your list should feature 10-15 colleges, each providing majors that resonate with your passions and career aspirations.
High school is a pivotal period to lay the groundwork for your college education. Here are 11 practical steps to equip you academically and personally for your upcoming college journey:
1. Kickstart Your College Planning Now!
2. Opt for High School Classes that Match College Prerequisites
3. Participate in Extracurricular Activities
4. Keep a Log of Your Extracurricular Engagements
5. Build a Rapport with Your High School Guidance Counselor
6. Foster Relationships with Mentors
7. Hone Vital Life Skills for College Preparedness
8. Organize and Carry Out Visits to College Campuses
9. Prepare for College Entrance Exams
10. Create an Effective Organizational System
11. Move Forward with College Applications, Financial Aid, and Scholarships
High school is a precious time to learn, discover, mature, and visualize your future. As you step into your freshman year, you may not have a definitive idea of your preferred college or your major. However, there are proactive measures you can adopt to ensure you're equipped to select, apply, and secure a place at your dream college. Being ready for the hurdles that accompany the commencement of your college education is crucial.
At the start of your journey, gather around with your parents, guardians, or a trusted figure like your school guidance counselor to craft a list of colleges that pique your interest. This list could encompass both public and private institutions, whether they're close to home or in another state.
Before settling on a final choice, it's important to weigh up a range of experiences and potential outcomes. Ideally, your list should feature 10-15 colleges, each providing majors that resonate with your passions and career aspirations.
High school is a pivotal period to lay the groundwork for your college education. Here are 11 practical steps to equip you academically and personally for your upcoming college journey:
1. Kickstart Your College Planning Now!
2. Opt for High School Classes that Match College Prerequisites
3. Participate in Extracurricular Activities
4. Keep a Log of Your Extracurricular Engagements
5. Build a Rapport with Your High School Guidance Counselor
6. Foster Relationships with Mentors
7. Hone Vital Life Skills for College Preparedness
8. Organize and Carry Out Visits to College Campuses
9. Prepare for College Entrance Exams
10. Create an Effective Organizational System
11. Move Forward with College Applications, Financial Aid, and Scholarships
High school is a precious time to learn, discover, mature, and visualize your future. As you step into your freshman year, you may not have a definitive idea of your preferred college or your major. However, there are proactive measures you can adopt to ensure you're equipped to select, apply, and secure a place at your dream college. Being ready for the hurdles that accompany the commencement of your college education is crucial.
David Hulme
Director of Sales Engineers
19
Answers
Dallas, Texas
Updated
David’s Answer
Megan, this is a great question. It takes a lot of digging to figure this out because everyone's journey is unique, what is right for someone else could be the worst choice for you. My advice to you is to flip your question around a little, college is not a destination, it's a vehicle.
Step one is to figure out what kind of career you want to start out with. That's a tough one too, it's not just about what you want to do, it includes things like, what does it pay, are there any of those jobs around in the area that you want to live.? You're going to decide what are the must-haves for you when you're working, is it making a living in a certain location, is it making a certain amount of money, is it doing (or not doing) something specific, like having to deal with people? Only you can make that list.
Once you have some kind of boundaries around what you want to do, then you'll have an idea of what kind of education or training is needed. There's a slow shift happening at employers away from requiring college degress for all of the entry level jobs, so you might get to your dream first-job without college. Before you finalize your choices, make the time to reach out to employers in that industry and see if you can have a conversation by phone or over email to see what they look for.
After you have an idea around the kind of education you need, then you can start to look at colleges (assuming that's part of the plan).
It's important to remember that there needs to be a *mutual* interview/vetting process. The college is going to be looking at your grades and your test scores (probably) and your after-school activities and work history. All of that tedious college application stuff. *You* need to be interviewing *them* too. How supportive is the school for their students? Some schools are up front that they are trying to reduce the numbers of some majors like engineering or business. Some schools are more supportive. Some schools have multiple hoops to go through to get some of their degrees even after you start attending, so you need to understand if you need approvals in the future to get the classes you want. How many students per instructor are there in the classes? What's the 4 year graduation rate for the students? Does the school have internship programs and if so, how do they integrate with the degree programs?
Here's another biggie: what is it going to cost? It's critically important to realize that attending for college at a fundamental level is like buying stock in a company for the purposes of making money. You're going to fork over a lot of money, and after 4-5 years, you're going to *start* getting *some* of the money back. That math *must* make sense. A lot of people over the last 25 years forgot to do that, or they made an emotional purchase after doing the math and not liking the answer, and ended up borrowing money to go to school that turned into really, really bad investments. Borrowing $75-100k to chase a job that pays $60k/year is an obvious bad choice, but it's one that literally millions of people have made. Being under massive debt is like living in a prison that you built yourself. The college you pick needs to be one that gives a shot at a good wage to start, and you need to get to that where the annual payment is no more 8% of that annual salary (and that's on the high end, in the $60k/year example I used earlier that works out to a little less than $5k/year). And realize two things: 1) the money spent on loan payments can't be spent on saving for a big purchase, or that cool vacation you want, or a million other things, and 2) that you're putting your future self on the hook for those payments and they can't get out from under them. The math has to work.
That may sound impossible, but it's not. Take those steps one little bit at a time, you can do this. Ask for help from the people around you, there are a lot that want to pitch in.
Good luck!
Step one is to figure out what kind of career you want to start out with. That's a tough one too, it's not just about what you want to do, it includes things like, what does it pay, are there any of those jobs around in the area that you want to live.? You're going to decide what are the must-haves for you when you're working, is it making a living in a certain location, is it making a certain amount of money, is it doing (or not doing) something specific, like having to deal with people? Only you can make that list.
Once you have some kind of boundaries around what you want to do, then you'll have an idea of what kind of education or training is needed. There's a slow shift happening at employers away from requiring college degress for all of the entry level jobs, so you might get to your dream first-job without college. Before you finalize your choices, make the time to reach out to employers in that industry and see if you can have a conversation by phone or over email to see what they look for.
After you have an idea around the kind of education you need, then you can start to look at colleges (assuming that's part of the plan).
It's important to remember that there needs to be a *mutual* interview/vetting process. The college is going to be looking at your grades and your test scores (probably) and your after-school activities and work history. All of that tedious college application stuff. *You* need to be interviewing *them* too. How supportive is the school for their students? Some schools are up front that they are trying to reduce the numbers of some majors like engineering or business. Some schools are more supportive. Some schools have multiple hoops to go through to get some of their degrees even after you start attending, so you need to understand if you need approvals in the future to get the classes you want. How many students per instructor are there in the classes? What's the 4 year graduation rate for the students? Does the school have internship programs and if so, how do they integrate with the degree programs?
Here's another biggie: what is it going to cost? It's critically important to realize that attending for college at a fundamental level is like buying stock in a company for the purposes of making money. You're going to fork over a lot of money, and after 4-5 years, you're going to *start* getting *some* of the money back. That math *must* make sense. A lot of people over the last 25 years forgot to do that, or they made an emotional purchase after doing the math and not liking the answer, and ended up borrowing money to go to school that turned into really, really bad investments. Borrowing $75-100k to chase a job that pays $60k/year is an obvious bad choice, but it's one that literally millions of people have made. Being under massive debt is like living in a prison that you built yourself. The college you pick needs to be one that gives a shot at a good wage to start, and you need to get to that where the annual payment is no more 8% of that annual salary (and that's on the high end, in the $60k/year example I used earlier that works out to a little less than $5k/year). And realize two things: 1) the money spent on loan payments can't be spent on saving for a big purchase, or that cool vacation you want, or a million other things, and 2) that you're putting your future self on the hook for those payments and they can't get out from under them. The math has to work.
That may sound impossible, but it's not. Take those steps one little bit at a time, you can do this. Ask for help from the people around you, there are a lot that want to pitch in.
Good luck!
Fernando Iriarte
Freelance Writer & Editor
150
Answers
Puerto Rico
Updated
Fernando’s Answer
The search for college starts by asking yourself what it is that you want to study? Once you've narrowed it down it's all about research. Start with colleges that are close to where you live. Later you can expand your search to colleges that are out of state. Don't worry if you don't have the budget to attend college in another state, as there online programs available. If you find yourself with multiple good options and can't decide remember to call up the college. You can always talk with a college representative to clear up all doubts you have.
Diane Gibson
Underwriter
58
Answers
Frankenmuth, Michigan
Updated
Diane’s Answer
Hi Megan, first step is to make sure the college(s) you are interested in offer the degree you are interested in. Once that is determine make sure to visit the college(s) and take a tour, meet with folks in the admissions office and talk with other students that attend there and ask questions. Make sure any college offers what you need academically, socially and you feel safe. Don't be afraid to look at community colleges to get your pre-requisites out of the way before transferring over to a 4 yr college/university. This route will save you money and allow you to gain some footing as you enter college life. College is a huge transition so you want to set yourself up to be successful. Best of luck!
Joseph Ford
168
Answers
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Updated
Joseph’s Answer
This is actually easy. Define your interest, write them down. Do some research. Visit local Colleges and Universities speaking with advisors. You can also do this online. You can also attend college without a Major and simply take a series of classes of interest. College is meant to be fun and a growing experience. Many students don't find their way until they actually attend.
Gabriel Hennsssey
Financial Aid Administrator
69
Answers
Chicago, Illinois
Updated
Gabriel’s Answer
Hi, Megan! Please take what I say with a grain of salt. I’ve worked in financial aid in higher education for over twenty years. More apropos to your question are some of my own…decisions I made when I went to college originally. I hope you make better decisions than I did...hence me being here.
In the search for the right college…is there a specific program/career-path you are drawn to? There is no law that says what you major in will dictate your future. (I foolishly thought it mattered and took “a semester off” because I didn’t know better.) If there is a specific program you wish to pursue that might influence where you look…some schools have specific programs that are more well-known for a specific thing. And faculty may have connections/relationships with people currently working in that industry…and likely are currently working in that industry.
As for staying local…from a financial-standpoint, if you can live at home and go to school the money you’ll save on housing costs can be a lot. Many colleges require students to live in the dorms for the first two years – but they typically offer exemptions for kids who want to commute…usually based on how many miles away you live. If you go to a city, state or community college you can save a lot of money in the long run. You just need to make sure that the hours are transferable should you need…and check who the accrediting agent is. (Almost all are accredited and transferable…the only time it can get sticky is changing regions. So if Maryland’s agency doesn’t accept certain things from NM you potentially could have to repeat a class. That is RARELY the case for basic degree requirements.)
You can live in a dorm to get the college experience and usually still stay relatively-local. If you have a parental support system, PLEASE talk to them about it. My mistake when I left college early was that I thought I could do it all on my own. I don’t want anyone to repeat my foolish mistakes…and my ten year old is probably sick of me telling her about it.
Just remember the major does not define you or your future. Just get the degree. If you are more likely to be successful by staying local there is nothing wrong with that. The college I work at has kids leaving after one term because they’re basically home-sick. Maybe unprepared, maybe the drastic change from high school…hard to gauge. But it happens at every school. You get points for asking questions now and I respect you for that. Talk to fam, talk to school counselors, talk to friends…just ask while you still can. If you have any teachers that you respect/get along with (mine was my Spanish teacher) ask them.
Hope I was able to help a little. If you’re a senior – the 24-25 FAFSA opens on December 31, 2023. That’s my P.S.A.
Remember – your question mentioned the best thing for your future. Your future isn’t set in stone. You got this!
In the search for the right college…is there a specific program/career-path you are drawn to? There is no law that says what you major in will dictate your future. (I foolishly thought it mattered and took “a semester off” because I didn’t know better.) If there is a specific program you wish to pursue that might influence where you look…some schools have specific programs that are more well-known for a specific thing. And faculty may have connections/relationships with people currently working in that industry…and likely are currently working in that industry.
As for staying local…from a financial-standpoint, if you can live at home and go to school the money you’ll save on housing costs can be a lot. Many colleges require students to live in the dorms for the first two years – but they typically offer exemptions for kids who want to commute…usually based on how many miles away you live. If you go to a city, state or community college you can save a lot of money in the long run. You just need to make sure that the hours are transferable should you need…and check who the accrediting agent is. (Almost all are accredited and transferable…the only time it can get sticky is changing regions. So if Maryland’s agency doesn’t accept certain things from NM you potentially could have to repeat a class. That is RARELY the case for basic degree requirements.)
You can live in a dorm to get the college experience and usually still stay relatively-local. If you have a parental support system, PLEASE talk to them about it. My mistake when I left college early was that I thought I could do it all on my own. I don’t want anyone to repeat my foolish mistakes…and my ten year old is probably sick of me telling her about it.
Just remember the major does not define you or your future. Just get the degree. If you are more likely to be successful by staying local there is nothing wrong with that. The college I work at has kids leaving after one term because they’re basically home-sick. Maybe unprepared, maybe the drastic change from high school…hard to gauge. But it happens at every school. You get points for asking questions now and I respect you for that. Talk to fam, talk to school counselors, talk to friends…just ask while you still can. If you have any teachers that you respect/get along with (mine was my Spanish teacher) ask them.
Hope I was able to help a little. If you’re a senior – the 24-25 FAFSA opens on December 31, 2023. That’s my P.S.A.
Remember – your question mentioned the best thing for your future. Your future isn’t set in stone. You got this!
Harrison Liu
Consulting
6
Answers
Los Angeles, California
Updated
Harrison’s Answer
Hey Megan! Remember, you're not alone in this journey of finding the right college. It's all about exploring your preferences and dreams in various areas like academics, personal growth, and future career paths. Plus, as you've pointed out, the location of the college could be a crucial factor too. The key here is to identify what truly matters to you, your ambitions, and which college provides the best opportunities to chase those dreams. Don't hesitate to visit several colleges and interact with friends, family, and recent college graduates. Their insights could be invaluable in shaping your final decision. Remember, the perfect college for you is one that resonates with your unique needs and aspirations. So, take your time and choose wisely!