by Wendy R.

Created on: September 04, 2009

Deciding which college is right for you can be an overwhelming experience. For some students it will be difficult to leave all that is comfortable. In order to decide if a school is right for you a potential college student has to look at many different aspects of each college. First and foremost, the college needs to have the major you are looking for, and should have similar majors which may become possibilities.

In addition to majors, the location of the school is also important. Do you want to move far away from home, or live close? Sometimes the thought of moving away from parents is exciting. On the other hand, homesickness from clear across the country is not.

Campus life is also important and having a place to live on campus is easier than having to find a place to live, especially if you are a new student and have other things to get used to. Before you decide on a college, check out your possibilities and see if you can check out the living quarters while visiting campus.

Also of importance is the cost of the college. If you don't have a decent scholarship offer, or financial aid that is need based, you can probably eliminate colleges right away. At the very least, this should help you eliminate a few choices that you were considering.

To some students, athletics is very important, so if you plan on playing a varsity sport then this is something you need to check on also.

School size and therefore class size is also important. Some students like the small class sizes at a private school and the personal attention they receive. They like it when the professors know them by name. Other students are not comfortable with this. This is another thing to research when looking for the "right" school.

While your grades are very important for getting into college, you also have to think about the whole picture. What do you have to offer a particular college? If what you have to offer a college helps get you into a particular college, than that college is a better choice for you. Looking beyond grades and into the complete person will make a particular college a better fit for you. For example; it is important for the student to fit into a college's sense of community. How do your interests and abilities compare to what the college is looking for? It's really important to focus on what you have rather than what you lack (an A here and there), and if you do this, the colleges you get in to, will be more right for you.

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