College Decisions

I’m a Junior in high school this year, so I’ve been thinking a lot about college. The decision process can be stressful and overwhelming, especially since there are so many options. In this post, I want to walk you through some of the questions and thought processes that I’ve been using to narrow down my list.  

What kind of college do I want to attend? 

First of all, some people may not even want to attend college. But, for now, let’s assume you do. One of the first things to consider is what kind of college you want to attend. Would you rather go to a public or private college? A big or small university? Maybe you want to start at a community college. One of the big factors I’ve considered is whether a college is Christian or not. I really want to attend a small, private Christian college (which you can read about in college tour posts here). On the note of Christian colleges, it’s important to consider how the affiliation is going to affect your decision as well. Maybe they’re a really strong Christian college, but they can be pushy about joining their denomination and you just don’t quite agree with them. Or maybe you just want to attend a public university. Are there ministry organizations where you can find strong Christian friends who share your beliefs? Another factor is how far away the college is from where you live now. Are you willing to move? 

Is cost going to affect my decision?
For most of us, the price of a college is going to affect our decisions in some way or another. Maybe you completely rule a college out simply because of cost. But never forget to look for scholarships. There are some great ones that are awarded for academic or athletic success, and if you qualify for them, it can be a big deciding factor between whether you go to college A or B. Sometimes large scholarships are given at expensive, private schools that make them equivalent to a public university. Maybe school A will offer you a couple extra thousand dollars more for the same GPA and test scores compared to school B. There are also outside scholarships that aren’t dependent on academic or athletic factors, which can help cut down on the cost of college and take away some of the effect of price on your decision. 

Do you want to play sports? 

If you want to play a sport in college, whether the college offers that sport is definitely going to be a deciding factor. But it’s also good to consider whether the sport is worth being a factor. For instance, maybe you really like a certain college because it has good Christian values, and it’s exactly the size you want. It has amazing scholarships. But they don’t offer your sport. Does that take it off the list? Or maybe they have a club or intramural team. Would that be a substitute, or do you really want to be part of an NCAA sport? 

Do they have the programs you want? 

Of course, this is a major factor in your decision. If you want to be a business major but the school is stronger in its ministry majors, it may not be the school for you. Another factor that I’ve investigated is whether the college offers an honors program. I would really like to attend a college where I could be part of the honors college or program, so the strength of that has been a consideration for me.  

What does student life look like? 

If you’re not planning on attending a Christian college, a big factor for you could be whether the college has Christian groups you could get plugged into. Even if you are attending a Christian college, something to look into would be whether there is a good small group or Bible study for your denomination. Also, what are the professors like? Do they pray before classes? Are they going to be involved in your life, or will they be distant? Finally, another consideration is room and board. Is there special housing for honors students? Are freshmen required to live on campus? It’s important to know whether you want to live on campus or not and how the college is going to deal with your decision. And what are meal plans like? Especially if you’re an athlete, you’ll want to know how many swipes you can get per day and how it changes if you’re on versus off campus.  

 

Choosing a college is a big decision and it can be really overwhelming at times. I haven’t reached a decision yet and I’m still turning all these questions over in my mind. But hopefully, this post has given you an idea of where to start and how to begin considering colleges.