Choose the Perfect College for You

If you are about to start the college admissions process, you will probably ask yourself “how do I choose a college?” There are so many different reasons why students pick colleges. Sometimes it is a reason of necessity, some just want to get away from home, others have specific academic goals they want to achieve, or it can be as trivial as a college’s party scene. Whatever your personal priorities, motivations, emotions and justifications are, it is never easy to choose the right college. But with this advice, you’ll be able to make a better choice.


The List of Priorities
When choosing a college, you should make three choices. One should be the top choice but the hardest to get into, the next one should be not as good but easier to get into, and the third should your safety net school.

Get Personal Recommendations
The best way to start researching potential colleges to apply to is with the help of your friends, peers, family, and teachers. Most of these people will have plenty of advice to give. Your teachers probably know you better than you might think and this makes them great at recommending which options would be best for you.

Academic and Social Goals
The college you choose should reflect your academic goals. If you want the best education for your subject, find which departments have the best reputations. If you want specific training for a future line of work, look for the most suitable departments with high post-graduation employment rates. It helps to clarify what you want from your education and then to seek out the most appropriate college for you. Social considerations are also important so choose a college in the right type of town for you.

Look at “How to Choose College” Directories
There are many books and websites that profile and review colleges. They can provide a wealth of useful information, especially in terms of culture, campus life, and the surrounding areas. Never rely on guides that are not impartial like college brochures.

How to Choose a College the Smart Way
Most students simply look at university rankings to determine how good a college is but this isn’t completely reliable. There is no need to rely solely on ranking information when you can determine actual evidence for yourself. The following list of factors will help you do just that: