Choosing a College: Underclassmen Edition
Picture from Pexels by Ekrulila
Ella Hutton
To start this off, let me stress that it’s perfectly okay if you’re in high school right now and have no clue what you want to do with your life. Deciding where to go to school, what to major in, where to live, what job to have, etc. are huge decisions and you shouldn’t expect yourself to have every answer by the age of 16. Once you’re ready to start thinking about your life after high school, it can be overwhelming. Lots of people don’t know where to start and what to consider. There are so many factors that can go into deciding where you want to go to school, but here are just a few coming from a senior who just applied for college.
Location
Want hot and sunny beaches? Want to stay close to your family? Need to be as far away from here as possible? Want to live near your extended family? Location is an obvious one, but it’s so important. What I found helpful was to think about what environment I wanted to live in and how comfortable I felt being away from home. These can help narrow down specific areas in the country/state, and give you options for schools there. Don’t feel intimidated by long distances, but don’t push yourself to go somewhere out of your comfort zone. Where you go to school can make or break your college experience, so make sure you put a lot of thought into this.
Cost
Unless you’re lucky enough to have received a full-ride scholarship to your dream school, you’re going to be stuck paying for college, and I mean paying A LOT. College is expensive, and specific areas can cost more than others. Be aware of things like the Midwest Exchange Program, a reciprocity program that discounts your tuition among many states in the midwest. This can let you go out of state for school without completely breaking the bank. A lot of states have reciprocity agreements with their surrounding states that pretty much allow you to pay to instate tuition somewhere other than Wisconsin. However, a lot of this may only apply to public institutions, so any private school (regardless of in-state or not, honestly) will cost you more.
Campus Life
Even though you’re going there to get an education, campus life plays a big role in your school experience. Everyone knows that college students love to party, but some more than others. Research schools that are known for the party scene, but that life might not be for everyone. If you’d rather make friends and socialize in calmer environments, huge party schools might not be for you. Don’t let this be a deciding factor, though. Touring schools and talking to current students can help you get a read on how the campus feels. Also, think about the general location of your school. Is it in the middle of your state's capital or surrounded by farmland? Don’t go to a school in the city if you hate being in cities (and vice versa with schools in the middle of nowhere).
Majors and minors offered
Once you’ve got to a point where you know what you want to major in, you begin to notice not every school offers what you want to do. Research what majors your school offers before you begin your application process. Speaking from experience, you don’t want to be halfway through filling out the CommonApp to find that one of the schools you’re applying to doesn’t offer your major. If what you’re doing isn’t very popular, this can be frustrating. You can always apply with a major that covers a very broad topic and take specific courses. This can all be done by talking to college advisors or guidance counselors. But remember one thing, you can always change your major. Don’t worry about whether you think you’re going to hate it, or if it’s going to be super hard and stressful. There is always time to switch majors and you shouldn’t feel ashamed for changing your mind.
Prerequisites
I do know some high schools require two years of a language or some form of arts to graduate, but not all do. If you’re a freshman or sophomore and think you’re taking the easy route through high school by not taking language classes, this might come to haunt you in the future. A lot of colleges want to see two years of language classes, along with other things. So before it’s too late, take a brief look at some schools you’re interested in and get your gauge of what they require. For Hamilton High School, only 3 credits of math and science are required, so hypothetically, you don’t need to take math or science your senior year. While this is true, a lot of colleges like to see consistent effort throughout high school and especially high schools. This doesn’t mean you need to be talking pre-calc or AP Physics when you want an easy senior year. There are easier options than others, and some of these classes may help you out in the long run.
Programs offered
It’s obvious some schools focus their attention more on specific majors than others, so figuring out which schools offer the best education is helpful. Even if you only have a general idea of what you want to do in college, look up schools that have good programs for those majors. They’ll most likely offer more and possibly better resources, professors, and even job opportunities after college. This shouldn’t necessarily be the deciding factor of where to go, but keep it in the back of your mind if one school has a better program than another.
Greek life
Want to join a fraternity or sorority? These can offer so many opportunities and experiences, along with life-long friendships. If you know that you’re going to thrive in a sorority or frat, don’t look at schools with little to no Greek life participation. Don’t look at schools with huge Greek life involvement if you want to stay away from that life. It isn’t necessarily for everyone, but it’s not a bad thing to be involved with these groups. This factor shouldn’t be super important to your college decision-making process, but keep it in mind when looking for schools if you have a very polarized opinion.
Campus size
The size and geography of the campus can heavily influence how your day-to-day life goes in college. If you’re okay walking over 10 minutes to get to class, bigger schools will work for you. If you’d rather have all your classes close to you, look at smaller campuses. The worst feeling can be walking 20+ minutes back to your dorm in the cold weather, rain, or when you’re tired. Along with that, consider this: "It's easy to make a big campus feel small than make a small campus feel big." This was something I heard on a campus tour at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Smaller campuses attract only so many people, while bigger schools offer more diversity. Also, geography is super important to look at. This can be done easier during a tour, but there are plenty of resources online that explain the terrain of the school. Some schools are built on hills or through nature, which may not work for everyone. Not every school is 100% comfortably accessible to every student, so talking to current students and touring schools is going to help.
Despite the fact there are only eight factors listed here, there are so many more things to think about when deciding where to go. Counselors can help you narrow down your choices if you’re stuck between a few, but don’t let other people decide for you. This is your future and your life, and I know how scary that sounds, but these are big decisions that should be made by you. Don’t go somewhere just because all your friends are going there. Don’t go to the most popular school just for the reputation that will end up drowning you in debt, when there are other options that offer the same education for half the price. You are in charge of your future, but don’t feel pressured to start it with everyone else. Taking gap years and majoring as undecided doesn’t mean you’re behind or lazy. Chances are, you’ve only been in high school for one or two years, so don’t pressure yourself to have everything figured out and every question answered. In my experience, I didn’t know what I wanted to do until the summer before my senior year. I wish everyone who reads this good luck in deciding where to go to college, it’s a stressful process, but will pay off in the end.
