Let’s Talk About Choosing Your College

How are you supposed to know how to choose a college if you don’t even know what you want to study? Easy. Don’t choose “the” college before you choose a career path. Your mindset flip is all about starting backwards: “What do I want to do as a career?” Let that answer determine how you want to approach choosing your college. Once you have a major in mind, start to prioritize what makes your “real college fit.”

Things to Consider: 

Larger campuses mean more activities, organizations, and opportunities that are within walking distance. This includes sports and Greek life, should those interest you. Because students live on campus, it’s easier to connect with peers and develop friendships while networking on campus. These relationships can be lifelong, and valuable in the future when you’re in the workforce!

Universities are melting pots of amazing culture and diversity. People from all over the country and world attend universities and immerse themselves in campus activities. This is a great chance for you to meet someone with a different background and learn from them and their cultures, while community colleges typically enroll students who are from the town or area where the school is located.

Resources, resources, resources! Alumni love to give back to their institutions, so scholarships and funding is typically more abundant on a university campus.

Where you choose to get your education is a really important decision and shouldn’t be taken lightly. But you already know this! Prioritize your pros and cons and how they’ll ultimately affect your mental health and overall growth potential when attending the schools on your list.

Resources To Use When Researching Colleges: 

Check out www.encourageme.com and download the app to be matched with your perfect school. It’s free, easy to use, and the best college planning app in the game.

The U.S.Department of Education’s College Scorecard has reliable data on college costs, graduation rates and outcomes, and be sure to check out the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) College Navigator tool.

The key is to be real with yourself and honestly recognize the details that are most important to you for your collegiate experience. This is for you. No one else. So do your homework, take some campus tours, and try to talk with students who attend the campus to get their advice and testimonies on their experience to see if it fits in with your overall vision for your educational needs. Either way, you’ve got this – we’re cheering you on!