How do you know you chose the right college?

Alvin, I was right there with you! With all the choices out there, how can you decide?

I narrowed it down first by location. I knew I wanted to have some sense of independence, but not be far away from home in case my family needed help. So I narrowed my schools down from there, and then looked at what I thought I would want to major in (I had an inkling of what I wanted to major in, but was between 2 things), and see which had the best programs for that major and also looked at the on campus activities/clubs that were available. From there, I made my campus visits, and picked a few schools to apply to. I know my high school required us to apply to at least 5 schools. I knew I wanted to get into the school I went to (Rider University in NJ), so I applied to 4 other schools if I didn't get accepted into Rider.

Don't worry about the the prestige of the school as much as what you want to do. My father always told me that a degree just proves to a company you can be trained. I know many people at my current company, Verizon, that have come from a variety of schools.

You won't know you chose the right college until you're there! Don't spend too much time worrying about the "what ifs". The most important thing you can do now, before making a decision, is to focus in on what it is you want to get out of going to college. Once you have a clear understanding of that, you'll be able to select the best college for you and your specifications.

Here are some things to consider:

1. What is your dream job?! The BEST thing you can do is attend a school that has a program with a great reputation for that specific industry/field. The more you know about what you want to do after school, the better decision you'll be able to make about where to go.
2. School size. Big or small? It matters! Read this: https://blog.prepscholar.com/should-i-go-to-a-big-or-small-college
3. School location. Do you want to stay in state or venture out to experience living somewhere new? Consider the benefits to being close to family vs. being a plane ride away
4. School cost. Does this matter? Figuring out how much tuition is and whether or not you can afford to attend will play a huge role in what college you end up attending!

For me, the school size and location were super important because I didn't know what I wanted to do after school. I attended the University of Oregon and after taking a bunch of pre requisite classes my freshman year figured out that I was best suited to pursue a BA. Shortly after I declared as a journalism and communications major.

At the end of the day, there will be days you LOVE the college you chose to attend and there will be days you wonder what it would be like had you chosen differently. That's life:) Be confident in the decision you make, make the most of the experience, and if you end up really regretting it you can ALWAYS transfer!!