How to Choose a College
Choosing your college is a big decision. Not only is it a giant financial decision, but it can shape your future, who you meet, and where you go in life. Granted, not everyone chooses to go to college, and I get that. Honestly, if you know that college is not for you, save a couple thousands of dollars and make your own way. However, for those of you who are looking to move up to higher education, I decided to write out a couple of ways I narrowed out my college search, and how I eventually chose the University of Pittsburgh.
To me, location was one of the most important factors in considering which school I wanted to attend. Ever since I can remember, I have wanted to go to an urban campus. I love cities and I thrive in a hustle and bustle kind of environment. Along with all of that, I knew that Pittsburgh was ideal for me because of all the start up agencies and businesses. Getting a foot in the door here does not feel impossible. There is also a very prevalent art scene here including an entire theater district, and multiple art museums.
However, I totally understand that Pittsburgh and cities in general, are not for everyone. I will be the first to admit that sometimes the city atmosphere can make you feel more lonely and lost. If a more college town campus is right for you then check that out! Both of my parents when to Penn State, arguably one of the most well known college towns, and loved it! College towns and more rural schools offer a lot more outdoor activities and green space to roam around in. If you like rolling fields and vast forests, Pittsburgh or NYC may not be for you. Quite honestly, sometimes cities come at a disadvantage when it comes to how much you will be forking out in tuition. Which brings me to my next point. . .
This is a big one that can decide why one student decides to live at home and go local as opposed to traveling cross country. College is expensive. Everyone knows that, and sadly, it is a fact that will not change any time soon. If I am going to be completely honest, I probably would have gone to a bigger city like Boston or New York City if I could have afforded it. I just decided that I didn't want to be in debt for the rest of my life... only half of my life. But for real, college loans stay with you for a while. Sometime scholarships cover some of it (and PLEASE apply for more scholarships than you can name, even the $50 ones are better than nothing), and sometimes you can get financial aid. In general, private universities are more expensive, but offer more money. State schools tend to have lower tuition, but do not usually contribute as much money. Look at your budget, and your aid offers, and definitely take that into account. That being said, if your heart is set on one place, and you know in your heart it is the best place you could go to, take a chance! How you do in college is key, and if you're miserable, you probably will not do as well.
1. Location
To me, location was one of the most important factors in considering which school I wanted to attend. Ever since I can remember, I have wanted to go to an urban campus. I love cities and I thrive in a hustle and bustle kind of environment. Along with all of that, I knew that Pittsburgh was ideal for me because of all the start up agencies and businesses. Getting a foot in the door here does not feel impossible. There is also a very prevalent art scene here including an entire theater district, and multiple art museums.However, I totally understand that Pittsburgh and cities in general, are not for everyone. I will be the first to admit that sometimes the city atmosphere can make you feel more lonely and lost. If a more college town campus is right for you then check that out! Both of my parents when to Penn State, arguably one of the most well known college towns, and loved it! College towns and more rural schools offer a lot more outdoor activities and green space to roam around in. If you like rolling fields and vast forests, Pittsburgh or NYC may not be for you. Quite honestly, sometimes cities come at a disadvantage when it comes to how much you will be forking out in tuition. Which brings me to my next point. . .
2. Price
This is a big one that can decide why one student decides to live at home and go local as opposed to traveling cross country. College is expensive. Everyone knows that, and sadly, it is a fact that will not change any time soon. If I am going to be completely honest, I probably would have gone to a bigger city like Boston or New York City if I could have afforded it. I just decided that I didn't want to be in debt for the rest of my life... only half of my life. But for real, college loans stay with you for a while. Sometime scholarships cover some of it (and PLEASE apply for more scholarships than you can name, even the $50 ones are better than nothing), and sometimes you can get financial aid. In general, private universities are more expensive, but offer more money. State schools tend to have lower tuition, but do not usually contribute as much money. Look at your budget, and your aid offers, and definitely take that into account. That being said, if your heart is set on one place, and you know in your heart it is the best place you could go to, take a chance! How you do in college is key, and if you're miserable, you probably will not do as well. 3. Ranking
Ranking of the school wasn't of the highest importance to me, but it certainly helped me narrow down my options. Pitt is a very good school, as is other local state options like PSU and Temple. Actually, for the most part Pennsylvania has pretty solid state schools. I knew that I wanted into a school that had around a 45-50% acceptance rate. Personally, I really believe that the name and rank of a university does help get jobs in the future, and the more selective a school is, the better it looks.
There are a lot of variables in this though. Some schools with higher acceptance rates have certain majors they specialize in that make them more desirable to those looking to go in to those programs. In that case, ranking of the school overall does not necessarily matter. For example, some of the local schools in my hometown have really good physician assistant, or engineering programs that differ from the notoriety of the university as a whole. In fact, Pitt is mostly known for its pre-med and philosophy programs, with communications and theater (my majors) being relatively low on its rankings list. So with all that being said, I would not personally make ranking my top priority when it comes to choosing a school.
4. Size
This one is going to be a pretty small paragraph, but it maintains importance. There are lots of different sized universities ranging from 40,000 plus students down to 2,000 or less students. The size of a school affects a lot of things, with one of the main ones being class size. Pitt has around 18,000 undergrad students and while it sounds like a lot, it feels a ton smaller once you are actually on campus. Three out of my five classes have less than 30 students, so teacher-student interactions are pretty prevalent. Even in my lectures, I never feel like one in a crowd. The teachers are all very open and willing to help. That is just me though. I have friends who did not feel the same here, and decided to go to a smaller school. Whatever works best for you, honestly, just keep in mind that your interactions and studies are definitely affected by the size of your school.
All of this is just little tips that I used to help decide to come to Pitt. Use it as your may, and keep your mind open. When I first started thinking about schools, I refused to even consider coming to Pitt because my brother studies here as well. Once I actually visited I fell in love with the campus, and looking at the numbers, I realized it was an affordable city option that checked a lot of boxes on my must have list. College is always going to be a big change no matter where you go, but choosing the best school for you can help minimize the shock. I did not write this to sway anybody towards Pitt (mostly). I just want to help all my high school friends make educated and heartfelt options when it comes to college.
With love,
Sam Rose
Comments
Post a Comment