Choosing the Perfect College
By: Kayleigh Mincer
For seniors, the entire year seems to be based on ‘‘where are you going to school?’’ Senior year is when we begin applying and deciding which college is best for us to attend. Choosing the perfect college is one of the hardest decisions a teenager will ever make. You will face so much pressure from family, friends, and teachers and you are probably stressed about the prospect. If you’re like me and applied to over 20 schools, chances are you have a gargantuan decision to make.
When choosing the perfect school for you, you have to “feel” it. In visiting schools, if the moment you step on campus, everything feels just right, definitely put that school at the top of your list. In choosing Auburn University, one of the biggest deciding factors for me was the feeling of home I was overcome with the second I stepped on campus for the first time. If you went to a high school like mine, which was very small, it’s easy to decide on wanting a big university and nothing else. My advice would be to definitely schedule visits to both large universities as well as smaller ones and debate the pros and cons of both sides. If you’re the kind of student who needs more one-on-one time with a teacher in order to grasp the curriculum, looking into a smaller university should be a major factor.
One of the things I enjoyed most after choosing my school was the Facebook group I was put in with other incoming freshmen. Talking to other perspective students really warmed me up to the idea of who my fellow classmates would be and made me realize I was just like them! Finally, the two most important aspects in deciding where to go to college is to not let others opinions influence you and to, ultimately, pick a school that makes you want to be a better person. College life isn’t about pleasing your family or friends; it’s about working toward your future career and opening doors to your future. If you take your time to weigh the options and think through the process, the college decision-making can become clearer and easier with time and thought. It may be stressful now, and trust me, it will be. But soon enough the decision will be made, and you’ll be headed to the best four years of your entire life.
Sit back and relax. Take a breath. Enjoy the world around you as senior year comes to a quick close, because in the blink of an eye, you’ll be the one guiding those tours.