Nov. 18, 2023
By Keso Mumladze
Staff Writer
Every college-bound high school student wondering which colleges and universities to apply to will find themselves considering these questions:
- What is the school’s ranking?
- Where is the school located?
- How does the campus look?
- What is the climate where the school is located?
- What types of study abroad programs are available?
- What does the school charge in tuition and fees?
- What types of scholarships and grants are available?
- What is a typical class size?
- What are the credentials of the faculty?
- Who are some accomplished graduates of the school?
- How successful is the school in placing its students in jobs after graduation?
- What do current students and alumni as well as their families say about the school?
This is not a complete list because each person has their own considerations, interests and values when it comes to their education. Therefore, it is important to know exactly what you want and what you expect from your learning experience.
Undoubtedly, seniors have to make some difficult decisions, but if they ask themselves the right questions and are determined to find the answers, they can rest assured they will wind up in a school where they can thrive.
Before anything else, I thought about the profession and major I intend to pursue.
I can say from experience that the process of researching colleges and universities is stressful. In my case, I moved to the United States from the country of Georgia last November. The United States is 141 times bigger than Georgia. Accordingly, there are many more options when it comes to colleges and universities. This makes the decision of which schools to apply to more difficult for me.
Before anything else, I thought about the profession and major I intend to pursue. That helped me identify a shortlist of schools after which I considered the aforementioned set of questions, eventually visiting the campuses of the schools that were my top choices.
You will be spending the next four years of your life at the institution you select, so it should feel like home. For instance, some colleges and universities such as Boston University in Massachusetts and Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. appeal to me because they are in urban areas with beautiful parks and refined architecture. Furthermore, both Boston and Washington, D.C. have a lot of academic institutions, which means there is a large population of students in the area. I also like their climates because they both have cool temperatures during most months of the academic year.
It is important to get feedback from your family and people you meet when you are visiting college and university campuses. Ultimately, the decision you make should be your own and based on a combination of objective factors and gut feeling.
I wish my fellow seniors success as they move ahead in their college application journeys.
