When it comes time to choose a school that you may spend the next four years at, you want to follow a number of key rules. These rules will not only help you find the college of your dreams – it will also help you streamline and organize the selection process. Indeed, the selection process can often be the most stressful process, especially if you are inherently indecisive. When it comes down to it, though, with these rules, you can actually make the process very smooth and pleasant. Here are the top five rules for selecting a college.
- Don’t Make a Final Decision Until You Have Visited at Least Five Colleges
Many college students make the mistake of choosing one college without visiting a few other colleges first. If you are visiting Adelphi University, you may want to visit two or three other colleges in the region – or surrounding states – to make sure you are going with the one you love the most. The other option is to sign up for an online MSW degree program while you figure it out.
- Don’t Turn Down a College Just Because the Name Doesn’t Ring a Bell
There is a good chance that you have heard of Harvard or Princeton, but you would be surprised by how many colleges you may not even know about. The truth is that there are a bevy of private colleges that are obscure, but offer some really great programs – and a great education. The rule is that you should never discount a college because it doesn’t have a popular or famous name.
- Don’t Choose a College Just Because Your Girlfriend or Boyfriend is Going There
If you are in a relationship before college, you don’t want to choose your college just because your significant other is going there. If you have different interests, you may not enjoy the school – and vice versa – your partner may not have the same interests at you. You could be very unhappy if you make the decision to go to a college just because you don’t want to part from someone you love.
- Don’t Let the Cost of a Certain College Turn You Away
The truth of the matter is that college will be expensive no matter how you look at it, but that shouldn’t dissuade you from making your top choices. There are always ways to tap into various resources, like student aid or college grants. The other option is to apply for a loan, but you don’t want to get yourself into a situation where you owe too much money.
- Don’t Make a Blind Choice if You Can’t Come to a Decision
One of the most important rules for selecting a college is to not make a blind choice. If you can’t make a decision, you want to spend some more time searching. If you do make a blind choice, you could be a position where you aren’t enjoying the school you are in. In the end, it could be an even bigger headache to transfer later on.
