Complicated College Decisions

Historically, colleges have all different deadlines for admissions, financial aid, and scholarships, but they have been a united front on May 1st as the National Decision Day deadline.  Until this year.  This year, things are complicated because of the financial aid fiasco and so many colleges not yet being able to report to students and families what the cost of attending their school will be.  This is a major problem for any student who needs to keep finances in mind when making the decision about what school will be their best fit and for where they will attend.

Colleges know that this is a problem and many of them have extended their deadlines to May 15 or June 1.  But not all have.  Which creates a challenge for students.

I will post more soon about navigating the struggles of how to handle your college decisions if you haven't received your financial aid package, but there is still a lot that seniors need to be thinking about now as you try to finalize your decision about where you will attend for college next year.

Remember, there is no right or wrong choice - it is all about what is the best fit for YOU!  As you start thinking about your different schools, it is essential to determine what you really want in a school and what is most important to you in a college.

As you are considering your options, you can go back and look at the same factors you considered when picking which schools you wanted to apply to and try to get really picky about the different factors that played into your choice. Perhaps creating a chart can help you clarify how important each factor is to you and how each school compares in that category. For example, think about the location of the school. How important is that issue to you in picking a college? The schools are likely within your comfort zone of a location from home, but when looking at two colleges consider how far or close they are from your family. What does it mean to you if the school is 10 minutes away, 4 hours away, or a flight away? How important is it to you to be able to come home for an evening, a weekend, or a holiday? You can also look at the size of the school. Consider the advantages and disadvantages of the different sizes of schools. For example, the larger school might provide additional choices and the smaller school may provide better teacher/ student ratios. What is more important to you? And if both are important to you then you will need to consider what you will do to adapt to make sure that the school will meet your needs. Consider the social life and activities on and around the campus. Is it what you picture for your college years? Most importantly, you need to figure out what categories and issues are critical to you and compare the schools on those aspects.

If your school comparison charts are similar and you still can’t decide – try to go visit the schools again. Sit in on the classes and, if possible, arrange for an overnight visit (yes, you are running out of time for overnight visits). People watch and consider your interactions with the students on campus. Are the students friendlier at one school over the other? What about the professors that you talk to? Are they engaging and whose classes are you most interested in attending? How was school safety? What strategies are in place to help keep students safe? Which campus support staff (admissions, financial aid, etc.) is friendlier and more helpful? (While this is not necessarily a key factor it can give you an image of the school and a glimpse at their culture and values as an academic institution.)

And of course, a harder factor to compare at this point is how do the schools compare regarding the costs?  What will the difference in costs mean to you over the long haul?  Ask yourself if the school will meet your academic needs, if you will have the social life you desire, and if you and your family can make the investment. As you are progressing through your decision making process, remember not to be shy about asking questions and getting them answered because you are entitled to feel confident in your decision. This is your choice. You are not a victim in this process – you are the key active participant so as those offers of financial aid start coming in, look at them closely to see how they will influence your decision. 

Remember that if you want to stop in and talk about your college decision I am always here for you, but know that I can’t make this decision for you – just like your family and friends can’t make this choice for you.