The Search for the Perfect School - Finding The College That's Right For You

Deciding where to go to college can be difficult for some. For me, it was fairly simple because I knew beforehand exactly what I wanted in a school. This is the key to finding the perfect school for you: knowing exactly what you want. Yes, it's possible that you might visit and change your mind. I did, and many others do as well. If you know ahead of time what things you'd like in a school, though, it can make your decision much, much easier. Here are a few elements to keep in mind before choosing the perfect school for you.

Tuition

A big factor for many is cost. How much a school costs can make or break a student's plans for enrolling there. When I discovered that Macalester College in St. Paul, MN, one of the schools I was considering, was $40,000 a year, I immediately said no. Find a school that's in your price range, and never turn down a school because it's "too cheap". There are some excellent colleges and universities that will provide you with a high-quality education without the hefty price tag. More expensive does not mean better when it comes to schools.

Location

Do you want to stay close to home or get as far away as possible? This is something you must consider before you make a decision. If you are very close to your family and friends back home, you may want to consider a school nearby. I knew when I was searching for a school that I wanted to stay in my home state of Minnesota. Some people, though, want to get far away from home and start anew.

Big city, little town

Are you a small town person or a big city person? If you prefer the quiet life of a rural town, you might not want to go to school in New York City. If you grew up in a rural town like me and want to move to the big city, you should look at schools in the city and take them into consideration as well. This is largely what helped me to decide between Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN and the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis: I wanted to get away from the small town life I'd always known and try living in the city. You may discover that city living is right for you, or you might discover that you don't like it. Personally, I love it, but I know it's not the right thing for everyone. Don't be afraid to try a new environment because if you don't like it you can always transfer to someplace else!

What do you want to study?

When searching for a college, I narrowed down my selection rather easily because of what I wanted to study. I wanted to stay in Minnesota and I wanted to continue to study Japanese. That narrowed me down to three schools. Needless to say, the selection process was much easier this way. If you want to study something specific, look for schools that have programs in that subject. If you have no idea what you want to study, try going to a larger school with numerous areas of study available so you can try things before you decide.

Big or small school

What's more appealing to you: knowing everyone on campus, or being anonymous? For me, I wanted the security of anonymity, so I chose a school with over 50,000 students on the nation's second largest campus. I have a friend from high school who chose a small liberal arts school of about 500 students and she loves it there. Again, this is entirely up to personal preference and you may decide after you've tried a big school that you'd prefer a smaller one or vise versa.

If you don't like it, you can always transfer!

If you're unhappy after a semester or two, transferring to another school is always an option. Credit transfers can be a little complicated but it usually works out okay. Many students will choose to transfer to a different school after a semester, two, three, or even two or three years at a school. You aren't 100% locked into any school for four years. You can always make the decision to move on if you feel that's right for you.