Choosing A College To Attend

When choosing a college there are many aspects that you might consider.

When I chose my college, I had a pretty good idea where I wanted to go because the particular school I was interested in had the business program that I wanted to enrol in so my decision was pretty straight forward.

Finding your ideal university might not be so easy so here are some factors to consider when choosing one:

The School Itself: Maybe you have a specific school in mind or perhaps you're open to considering your options. Some people settle on one school that they really want to attend and don't want to seriously consider any other options.

Your Chosen Program: Some schools are obviously known for certain programs and faculties. If you have an idea what school you want to go to it might be because of the school's reputation in a particular discipline.

Large Or Small: Choosing a small school might be for you if you prefer the same sort of small town feeling you had in high school. Or you might be ok with a larger school where you often feel like you're just a number along with the thousands of other students. My university had around 30,000 students so it wasn't a small one.

Statistics: Two ratios that are often considered are Student/Faculty Ratio and Average Class Size. In my first year of college, my classes ranged in size from around 60 people to one class held in an auditorium that held over 500 students!

The Location: Geography can have a very important impact on what college you choose especially with regards to economics (ie. can you afford to live away from home), choosing a hot or cold location, living in a rural or urban area, as well as considering the actual city/town/state itself that the school is located in. Which leads us to…

Campus Life: Some schools are noted for having more exciting campus lives than others. Certainly the city your chosen school is located in can have a big impact as can the size of the school and the extra curricular activities offered.

This is just a short list of things you might be considering when choosing your school.

Visiting the campuses you're interested in will really give you a good idea as to whether or not this is a place you want to be for the next few years of your life.

Speaking with past graduates or recent grads can also help you form a realistic opinion of each school.

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