Making The Final Decision for College
Several years ago, my daughters and I saw the musical If/Then, starring Idina Menzel (who played the original Elphaba in Wicked). The show follows Elizabeth or “Liz” and “Beth” in two parallel lives. At first, it is confusing, as we were not sure what was going on, but eventually, we realized that the initial choice she makes in the beginning of the show takes her down a different path, and the audience gets to see what would happen “if” she followed one path or the other.
As the story unfolds, it appears that one of the choices seems like the “right” choice, but ultimately, we see that each path has great joys and great disappointments. It is not necessarily the one path that she takes, but rather, how she responds to the situation that she ultimately faces.
This same lesson can be applied to applying to and attending college. Students often feel as if there is only one path to take them down the road to success. And there are definitely colleges that are a better fit than others, but at some point, you just have to choose. You have to jump off and follow your heart, realizing that each choice will bring ups and downs.
The key to success anywhere is not where you are, but what you do when you are there. You are still that hard-working, resourceful, funny, creative, motivated person who applied to colleges, even if you did not get into your first choice.
As you grapple with your own final decision of where to attend college by May 1st, it may be helpful to think through the following issues.
Identify your needs. It’s easy to get caught up in the rankings, but instead stay focused on your needs, your interests, and which school is the best fit for you.
Focus on the reality of the school. As you revisit schools and speak with current and former students, figure out where you will be able to thrive academically and socially. Put aside your romanticized view of a school, and look at it with an open mind. Many students change their minds either because they did not get into their first choice, or because they realize that a school they initially thought of as a safety school was actually the best fit for them on all counts.
Figure out if you fit in socially. As you walk around campus do you see people with whom you will be friends? Ask students what they do for fun. Does it match your interests? Talk to as many different types of people that you can and gauge how comfortable you feel. Do you feel like you can be you? Do they get your sense of humor? How well do you mesh with the student body?
Review the curriculum. Dig deep into the curriculum and map out the classes you would take in your intended major to make sure you actually like them. Or if you are undecided, look at the requirements and see if they are things that interest you. If you are planning on majoring in architecture or engineering and you want a hands-on curriculum, see how many of the classes are hands-on versus theoretical.
Run the Numbers. Put together a spreadsheet comparing all of your offers and calculate the full cost of attendance over four years. Make sure you are looking at your net out-of-pocket for each school. Determine how much debt you would have by the end. Graduate with as little debt as possible (we recommend no more than 2/3 of your anticipated first-year income.) and you’ll be happy when you don’t have huge student loans hanging over your head!
We interviewed one of our clients who is currently a freshman at Villanova. She did not get into her ED school, which allowed her to think about she really wanted from a school to make her final decision. You can listen here.
Good luck making your final college decisions!