Choosing the right college to attend can feel pretty monumental, so it's completely normal to feel a bit overwhelmed.
This post is inspired by a session called "Commitment Issues: Helping Your Student Decide On Their College Choice", (that’s the video linked above) and aims to guide you through the key factors you should consider as you make this important decision.
Below, we’ll talk through key factors to consider when you’re trying to decide which college to attend.
Let’s dive in.
How to choose a college: Key tips for students
While the original video session offered tips for parents, these can be adapted to guide your own thinking:
Congratulate yourself for getting this far! Having multiple college options is a good position to be in.
Have honest financial conversations and understand support. Be realistic about what you and your family can afford. In particular, research things like average student loan debt for graduates—student loans are frequently more of a burden than students expect.
Resource: For more on how to pay for college, check out these modules
If possible, visit campuses. Experiencing the environment firsthand can be invaluable. If in-person visits aren't possible, explore virtual tours. Resources like the Fiske Guide or Colleges Worth Your Money can also provide insights.
Prepare for your independence! College is a time of significant personal growth. Spend some time reflecting on the human being you want to be in five years. How does college help you on that path?
Don’t rush your decision. Take your time to weigh the factors below.
And maybe the biggest, which we’ll dive into below:
Think about best fit qualities, not simply prestige. Focus on what truly matters to you in a college experience. (College ranking systems like those of US News or Niche can be fairly poor indicators here, since many of the things that go into those rankings may not actually line up with what matters to you specifically.)
The "Six F's" of college fit—factors for choosing a college to attend
Susan Tree introduced six key "F's" to consider when determining college fit:
Focus: What are your academic and non-academic priorities? What are your "must-haves"?
Explore department websites at each college and look at faculty bios to see if there are experts in your specific areas of interest.
Read course guidebooks and find course syllabi to understand the curriculum.
Dabble in data! Look at four-to-six-year graduation rates, information on impacted majors, and professor accessibility. Consider the strength of academics in your intended major.
Think about other special programs like cross-registration, study abroad, co-ops, and honors programs.
Don't forget non-academic aspects like sports, food, dorms, location, and weather.
And keep in mind: something like 80% of students change majors at least once in college.
Fellowship: Who do you want to share your college experience with?
Consider if diversity and affinity are important to you. Do you want to be surrounded by similar voices, or different voices? Is there enough affirmation of your belief system or community? And conversely, is there enough challenge to your belief system and world view? (Since being challenged is an important part of college.)
Look at student reviews (with a critical eye!) on platforms like Niche and Unigo.
Engage with admitted student programming, whether face-to-face or virtual.
Explore social media and consider experiencing versus perceiving different college environments.
Talk to actual humans! Reach out to admission webpages, yield resources, department websites, Instagram/TikTok DMs, and alumni from your high school (this can be very insightful!).
Financial: Not all loans are created equal.
Be aware of federal student loan limits. For example, the freshman year limit is $5,500.
Tread very lightly with private loans and Parent PLUS loans, as they can be dangerous, may not be subject to deferment, and cannot be discharged in bankruptcy.
If you must take out private or parent loans, carefully evaluate if you are extending beyond your means.
Remember that prestige is relative; debt is not.
Utilize resources like College Essay Guy's Paying for College Guide, or if you prefer audio, podcasts about understanding financial aid packages.
Important note regarding financial fit: We’d highly recommend filling out Amanda Miller’s Award Letter Analyzer (go to that link, click “File” → “Make a copy”) to calculate the bottom line for your first year at each school you’re considering. Then multiply by four (because you’ll be graduating in four years, right?).
Is there a considerable difference?
If yes, you’ll have to weigh for yourself the benefits of choosing a more expensive school against the reality of likely living with less for longer after you graduate. Ask a counselor, parent, college financial aid officer, or other trusted adult to help make real how much of a difference $10,000 (for example) in debt will make to your life after college. And if you’re planning to attend graduate school, then you will want to look even more closely at how much you want to spend on your undergraduate education.
Future: How successful is the college in supporting students' aspirations?
Consider the programming and advising available. Who will coach you?
Recognize that your student context and community will influence how you perceive the impact of your choice.
Explore the college's alumni network and what they do. Use tools like LinkedIn's Alumni Tool.
Look at college alumni reports and see if there are alumni Facebook groups or messaging boards. What types of issues and dialogues are happening? Are they in alignment with your values?
Accreditation: Be sure the college is an accredited institution, since this impacts the validity of your degree.
Family: Is anything happening in your family that takes priority at this time?
Consider the distance from home and how it intersects with cultural priorities or family issues.
Think about family circumstances like aging, ailing, or special needs family members.
Are there any logistics you need to figure out? How will you get back and forth to campus on breaks, especially if there are multiple students in college at the same time?
Consider the choice of an institution with a religious affiliation (or not), the choice of an HBCU school because of family preference, tradition, or ROI, proximity so family can attend events, and any legacy connections that are important to your family.
Feeling: These are questions to ask yourself directly:
How do you feel on campus? Excited? Safe? Explorative?
Do you have a magnetic pull?
Are these your people?
Is there a gut feeling that this place is right or wrong?
What is the vibe, and does it match you?
What if I have to choose which college to attend quickly?
How quickly?
Ideally, you’re giving yourself a good chunk of time (like, at least a few weeks?) to work through the six factors above (and their sub-factors) to assess both
Their relative importance to you, and
Their “scores” for each college you’ve been accepted to.
But if you’re pressed for time, here are three approaches you can use, depending on how pressed you are.
All three of these exercises are designed to help you tap into feelings you maybe didn’t know you had.
1. (One Day)
Imagine for the next 24 hrs you’re going to attend School A. If you have a sweatshirt or hat for that school, wear it. See how it feels. Repeat with School B, then C, etc (You do not have to buy hats for each school, just say to yourself, “I’m going to [name the school]” a few times throughout the day). You can also do this with several schools over the course of one day.
2. (One Hour)
Create a good old-fashioned pros and cons list. Ask: What’s my true intention in going to college (i.e., what do I value most)?
Gainful employment? Research the colleges’ post-graduation placement rates and take a look at the college’s office of career services website.
Fulfilling student life experience? Find out what activities thrive on each campus and what portion of students study abroad, play sports or create art/music/theater through the student life office. Basically: will you get to do the stuff you love?
Building a professional network? Find out through the career services office what industries recent alumni are involved in and how accessible they are to students.
Enriching academic experiences? Look up faculty for departments you’re interested in on RateMyProfessor.com. Compare course offerings in the major(s)/department(s) you're interested in. How do they measure up to other schools’?
If you wanna’ get fancy, rate each priority from 1-10 based on how important it is to you, then add up the points for each college. That’ll give each college a numerical score. Once you do this, ask yourself, “How do I feel now?” You may be surprised that the highest “score” school isn’t actually the one you wanted—in which case you have your decision.
3. (One Minute)
Flip a coin.
Heads you go to one school, tails you go to another.
Catch the coin and hide the result. Ask yourself “Which was I hoping would/wouldn’t come up?” Then look at the coin and pay attention to how you feel. Repeat, as needed. This is actually how Ethan made his grad school decision and it helped him decide.
Once you’ve done the work to evaluate your financial priorities and (this is important) you’ve talked to your parents and heard theirs, trust your gut. Then go all in—celebrate and get ready for this exciting next step.
Additional Points for First-Generation and/or Low-Income Students
If you are a first-generation or low-income student, keep these additional points in mind:
If you can't visit campus, remember that many colleges have virtual admitted student day programming.
If affordability is the main criteria, make it a central focus of your decision. Look at the total cost of attendance and aim to keep loans to a minimum. Understand long-term financial commitments.
Don't be afraid to ask questions about quality of life, diversity, safety, affinity, and support services.
Connect with affinity groups in April.
Look at average earnings for graduates in your major.
Explore resources like Forbes' "How to Calculate the ROI of Your College Choice" Guide and Washington Monthly's college rankings (based on social mobility).
Side note: If you’re a first gen and/or low-income student and you’re finding this post earlier in the college journey, we have resources on our FG/LI Resource Center that can help you understand the application process. (Though also note that the resources there are useful for any student in the process—they’re just built with an FG/LI lens primarily in mind.)
Final Steps
As you near your decision, consider these final steps:
Create a pros and cons list. Make a list of your priorities and give each school a 1-5 rating on each of the Six Fit Dimensions.
Look at the schools with the highest ratings. But remember, you don't have to pick number one. Don't discount your likely schools.
Forget about waitlisted schools and do not factor them into your decision.
Be sure to emphasize the non-negotiables when rating.
Make a decision by the college's deadline.
Choosing a college is a personal journey.
By considering these factors and reflecting on what truly matters to you, you'll be well-equipped to make an informed decision and find the college that's the best fit for your future.
Andrew Simpson, CEG’s Editorial Director, has worked as an educator, consultant, and curriculum writer for the past 20 years, and earned degrees from Stanford in Political Science and Drama. He feels most at home on mountain tops and in oceans.
Top Values: Insight/Growth | Truth | Integrity
Tom Campbell (he/him) is an eternally extra Gemini who has spent the past seven years helping students and families navigate the college admissions process—one alliterative/assonant aphorism at a time. Prior to joining College Essay Guy, he worked as a college counselor at Lakeside School and an admissions officer at Pomona College and College of the Holy Cross (his alma mater). He stans em dashes and semicolons, Kacey Musgraves (all eras, not just star crossed and Golden Hour), superior breakfast burritos, and complaining about space tourism.
Top Values: Authenticity | Fun | Vulnerability
Renee Ferrerio
With 30+ years of experience as a school and college counselor, including having been a Director of College Counseling at an independent school and the Department Chair of Counseling at a public school, Renee possesses a wealth of college admission knowledge. She has assisted hundreds of students in pursuing colleges that best fit their goals and aspirations while remaining actively engaged in the field through regional and national professional organizations. Having visited 220 colleges in person, Renee approaches the art of guiding students with a blend of humor and meticulous research, exploring the expansive possibilities in the arena of post-secondary education. As a first-generation college graduate, Renee intimately understands the challenges that students face in navigating the intricate landscape of college admission.
