How to Find the Right College for You

Zinkerz
Zinkerz
Aug 25, 2017 · 3 min read
An aerial view of Dartmouth’s campus

When it comes to deciding where to apply to college, the same questions go through most of our heads first: Can I afford it? Are my grades and test scores good enough? While these are crucial questions, they shouldn’t be the only ones informing your search. Here are some decision factors that go beyond the numbers and put the choice in your hands.

ACADEMICS

Let’s look past worrying about having a worthy GPA for a moment. Dig deeper: think about your personal learning style. The following two questions highlight the importance of school size, and should also help you decide if you would learn better at a research university or a liberal arts college.

  • Are you more of a solo studier who’s fine with lots of independent reading, supplemented by the occasional lecture? Or do you thrive if you have plenty of access to and personal engagement with professors?
  • Consider whether you are more interested in ample opportunities for research, or a low student-faculty ratio.

Finally, don’t forget to check if a college offers the majors you are considering!

SOCIAL SCENE

Which of these scenarios sounds more appealing:

  • Being part of a tight-knit community where everyone is connected to each other, or the anonymity of joining a large campus where you’re always meeting new people?

Once again, size is a crucial factor, but certainly not the only one when it comes to social life.

Ask yourself what you value about a college’s student body:

  • Are you satisfied with its diversity statistics, or does it leave something to be desired? This could be anything from gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic background, to choices of major and states of origin.
  • Look up the school’s list of student organizations to see if any of them seem like something you’d want to participate in. This is an important time to evaluate your feelings on fraternities, sororities, and sports teams, as they are bound to influence the campus social scene!

LOCATION

  • Consider the place where you grew up and whether you want more of what you’re familiar with or a new experience.

If you’re a city kid, it may be refreshing to spend your college years close to nature. Alternatively, it may drive you crazy!

  • Would you like to be able to visit home easily, or have a more independent experience?

Being within comfortable driving distance from home would, for example, help a small town student adapt to a new urban college more easily. Meanwhile, a California city kid would be taking a leap of faith flying to a rural East Coast school.

On a similar note, geography should be an essential factor in your decision.

  • Will you be seeing snow for the first time or adjusting to hot weather? What is the regional culture like?

A community in New England will likely have a different culture than one in the South — and this may also affect the social scene. Many southern schools, for example, have vibrant greek cultures totally incomparable to those at most northern schools.

Ultimately, in the midst of all the admissions chaos, it’s easy to forget to think about where you want to go, not just where you can go. Keep these questions in mind to find a college where you’ll truly thrive!

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    Written by

    Zinkerz

    Every student should have access to the highest quality of education & exam prep. We’re working to make this a reality through apps at http://www.zinkerz.com/.

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