There are many important aspects to consider when prioritizing and making decisions about which college to attend. By breaking down this process into four actionable items it can help to simplify the decision-making steps.
1. Identify Target Schools
When it comes to creating a list of schools, it’s recommended to group them into categories: safety, target, and reach schools. Safety schools are ones that you have an 80% or higher chance of being accepted based on your credentials. Target schools are ones that fall in between the two other categories but may have a decent chance of being accepted. Reach schools are ones that you may have a difficult time getting into. However, you should still be mindset and realistic in selecting these schools. Creating a curated list of schools allows for a less stressful application process because the list is very balanced, as opposed to a random list.
2. Conduct Relevant Research
The next step after deciding on which schools are appropriate for you is to conduct relevant research on the schools on your list. This means reading up on the school’s history, academics, admissions process, and other information that may be helpful. You can organize your findings in a spreadsheet, which will be easy to refer back to. Setting up campus tours is very helpful to see the schools in person. After extensive researching or visiting the campus, you may find that the school isn’t the right fit for you, which is completely okay and part of the process.
3. Consider Possible Consequences
Every decision has consequences, so you must be prepared to determine how your decision will affect other parts of your life. For example, if you choose to attend a college in your hometown, you may want to consider living at home to cut down on costs or live on campus for that “college experience” or if you choose one across the country, you may need to plan for bigger changes, like weather or homesickness.
4. Make a Decision
Lastly, you will ultimately need to make a decision out of your acceptance. This should come pretty easily after following the steps to complete the process. You need to ensure that this decision aligns with your fit, costs, location, campus life, and other factors that could enhance your college experience.
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