Bad College Search Choices
Poor criteria for choosing a college or university
As you narrow your college search, make sure you're making decisions for the right reasons. Here's a list of poor reasons for choosing a college.
Choosing a college is an important decision. As you narrow your college search, there are serious questions to ask yourself about financial aid, scholarships, student loans, college tuition costs, college majors, and the quality of academics and social life. Unfortunately, students sometimes use criteria to narrow their college search that are not very important, and choose colleges for the wrong reasons.
Here's a list of criteria some students use to choose a college. These might not be the best criteria. Now, this doesn't mean you shouldn't ask these questions at all. However, don't make your choice solely on these criteria, or you risk making a poor college choice.
- I like this college because my friends want to go here. You need to pick a college that meets your needs, not your friends. Having old friends around can make your transition to college easier, but this can make it harder for you to learn to be independent.
- I like this college because my boyfriend/girlfriend wants to go here. Don't let your romantic relationships define your college choice. Unfortunately, many high school relationships don't survive the transition to college, even if both of you go to the same school. If you do plan to go to the same school as a boyfriend or girlfriend, ask yourself serious questions about how certain you are of this relationship's permanence.
- I like this college because it looks like a great place to meet guys/girls. Focus on finding the right college, not the right meat market. Yeah, college is a great way to meet someone, but there are other ways to meet people that don't potentially compromise your education. Besides, if you find a place that's a great fit for you, there's a good chance you'll find like-minded people and potential romantic partners.
- I like this college because I don't have to take math. Or replace "math" with whatever class you're trying to avoid. Come on, one scary class isn't worth sacrificing the opportunity to attend a school that's potentially a great fit.
- I like this school because it has great sports teams. This is more of an "icing on the cake" question that shouldn't be too high on your list of criteria. Besides, even great sports teams can have lousy seasons, and then you're stuck with a lousy team and a college experience that might not be best for you.
- I like this school because it's close to home. This question is important. There's nothing wrong with wanting to be close to home. But if there's a school that's a much better fit elsewhere, don't rule it out. It might be worth the sacrifice of being away from home for four years, and it might give you an important opportunity to be more independent.
- I like this school because it's a party school. There's nothing wrong with having fun in college. However, college is too important a decision for this to be your main criteria.
- I like this school because it's close to the mountains/beach. Again, there's nothing wrong with having fun, but don't let this be your main criteria for making a decision. Besides, too many ski or surf distractions can hurt your GPA.
- I like this school because my parents went here. Continuing this tradition is sweet, and also makes you eligible for alumni scholarships. But you're the one going to college, not your parents, so attend their Alma Mater only if it suits you as well.
Do you have any questions or suggestions about choosing a college? Please join the discussion!
