By Stefanie Scotto '18 For seniors, the late months of school can become incredibly stressful, as they only have until May 1st to decide on what college or university they will attend in the fall. Having too many options can make decisions difficult, and having limited options causes lots of stress. Here is a guide to help decision making a little easier.
First, narrow down your top choices of schools that you have been accepted to. Having a smaller group of 3-4 schools will be much less complicated than picking out of a range of 5+ schools. For each of the schools that you have picked to be your main focus, find a few majors in each school that you can see yourself doing. If some schools have fewer options than others, it may be best to rule them out of your list, unless you are absolutely certain about your major and that they offer it. If you are going in undecided, follow the same rule of thumb: pick out a few majors from each school, and see if you can picture yourself studying that. If it has a few options, you can move onto the next step. Another important factor in deciding on a college is the amount of scholarship money that you earned, along with financial aid. You should take into account the amount of merit and financial aid awards each school gave you, and make sure that you can afford that school. Students should also apply for financial aid and extra scholarships that the school or outside programs offer. Often times, your parents’ jobs will provide benefits and programs that can provide aid in paying for tuition, so be sure to look into those options. Students should then look into the other programs that the schools offer, such as sports, clubs, work study, and sororities/fraternities. Having activities to do after classes are important to keep a good resume while enjoying your college years. Think about a few clubs or activities you would like to be involved in, and see if your schools offer those or similar programs. If you plan on dorming, you should definitely look into the size of their dorms, along with the pricing of them. Dorming is a great way to make new friends when coming into a school, but may not be for everybody. The last step to deciding on a college is taking one last look at your schools, and see where you feel most at home. If you feel comfortable in the school’s environment and can see yourself doing well there, it is a good option for you. Take one last visit to your main schools, and weigh out the pros and cons of each. Wherever you see yourself being successful and happy should be the school of your choice. Good luck to all seniors who are deciding on colleges.
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