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Other than if a college has your desired major, what should be a big deciding factor?

I'm overwhelmed with all the possible colleges I could go to and I'm not sure what's the most important factor to look at. Obviously it's necessary that the college has your desired major, but is there anything else that's very important that soon-to-be freshman aren't aware of yet? #college #decidingoncollege

decidingoncollege
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Ken’s Answer

It really does not matter what school you attend, as the most important factors are how well you do with the school work, which is an indication to an employer about what kind of employee you will be, and the effort that you put forth in your networking to set up networking connections that will help you throughout your education/career journey. Here is an important video for you to watch: ## http://www.ted.com/talks/julie_lythcott_haims_how_to_raise_successful_kids_without_over_parenting?utm_campaign=social&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_content=talk&utm_term=education ##


Cost should be a factor, as too many people spend way too much money on an education and end up with needlessly high debt. Here are some tips on how to reduce the costs of college:

 http://www.educationplanner.org/students/paying-for-school/ways-to-pay/reduce-college-costs.shtml

Ken recommends the following next steps:

The most important thing to determine is how to get to know yourself better to determine a career path and how to complete that education in as economical manner as possible. Getting to know yourself and how your personality traits relate to people involved in various career opportunities is very important in your decision making process. During my many years in Human Resources and College Recruiting, I ran across too many students who had skipped this very important step and ended up in a job situation which for which they were not well suited. Selecting a career area is like buying a pair of shoes. First you have to be properly fitted for the correct size, and then you need to try on and walk in the various shoe options to determine which is fits the best and is most comfortable for you to wear. Following are some important steps which I developed during my career which have been helpful to many .
The first step is to take an interest and aptitude test and have it interpreted by your school counselor to see if you share the personality traits necessary to enter the field. You might want to do this again upon entry into college, as the interpretation might differ slightly due to the course offering of the school. However, do not wait until entering college, as the information from the test will help to determine the courses that you take in high school. Too many students, due to poor planning, end up paying for courses in college which they could have taken for free in high school.
Next, when you have the results of the testing, talk to the person at your high school and college who tracks and works with graduates to arrange to talk to, visit, and possibly shadow people doing what you think that you might want to do, so that you can get know what they are doing and how they got there. Here are some tips: ## http://www.wikihow.com/Network ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/nonawkward-ways-to-start-and-end-networking-conversations ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/4-questions-to-ask-your-network-besides-can-you-get-me-a-job?ref=carousel-slide-1 ##
Locate and attend meetings of professional associations to which people who are doing what you think that you want to do belong, so that you can get their advice. These associations may offer or know of intern, coop, shadowing, and scholarship opportunities. These associations are the means whereby the professionals keep abreast of their career area following college and advance in their career. You can locate them by asking your school academic advisor, favorite teachers, and the reference librarian at your local library. Here are some tips: ## https://www.careeronestop.org/BusinessCenter/Toolkit/find-professional-associations.aspx?&frd=true ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/9-tips-for-navigating-your-first-networking-event ##
It is very important to express your appreciation to those who help you along the way to be able to continue to receive helpful information and to create important networking contacts along the way. Here are some good tips: ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-informational-interview-thank-you-note-smart-people-know-to-send?ref=recently-published-2 ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/3-tips-for-writing-a-thank-you-note-thatll-make-you-look-like-the-best-candidate-alive?bsft_eid=7e230cba-a92f-4ec7-8ca3-2f50c8fc9c3c&bsft_pid=d08b95c2-bc8f-4eae-8618-d0826841a284&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_20171020&utm_source=blueshift&utm_content=daily_20171020&bsft_clkid=edfe52ae-9e40-4d90-8e6a-e0bb76116570&bsft_uid=54658fa1-0090-41fd-b88c-20a86c513a6c&bsft_mid=214115cb-cca2-4aec-aa86-92a31d371185&bsft_pp=2 ##
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Christine’s Answer

Hi Faith,


Excellent question to consider when deciding on colleges. I think there are several factors to consider, some which may be more important to you than others. I will detail them here, not in any particular order. First, think about geographic location. Do you like smaller towns or big cities? Maybe you like hot climates or prefer variation in seasons? This could really help narrow down what part of the country you'd like to study in (this goes for the USA or anywhere around the world). Second, as you already mentioned, does this school offer your major? What kind of support do they offer for this -- think internships, foreign languages, work experiences, study abroad, campus resources, varied classes, etc. Third, will you need financial aid? For many students, this may be a huge part of deciding where to go. Does the school tend to offer generous financial aid packages to incoming students? Scholarships, grants, work study programs, etc.? Or do most students tend to take out student loans? Digging around for this information on the college website is definitely worth it. Also, don't be discouraged if you think you'd can't afford a certain college at first glance. When applying, some admissions offices waive application fees. Sometimes you won't know what the financial situation will look like until after you're accepted and can take a look at what financial aid packages are offered to you. Fourth, this kind of goes in hand with geographic location. Think about the campus size. Would you be more interested in a smaller setting with several thousand students or a big campus, with more than 20,000? Visiting campuses is one way to get the "feel" for it, as well as the college culture. Finally, think about what matters to you most as a person. What do you enjoy doing now? Maybe you love cultural events, concerts, etc., and a bigger city would offer all of those, so choosing a college in a big city (or access to one) would be great. Maybe a public library is all you need. Or, maybe you need to be near nature, beaches, trails, and want easy access. Writing down things you love to do on a regularly basis can provide some insight as to the ideal college for you.

Christine recommends the following next steps:

Geography - what is your favorite season(s)? Do you like big or small towns? Do you love being outdoors or don't really care? This can help narrow down colleges that are right for you.
Major - does the school offer your major? What about support, like a lot of classes to choose from, campus and off-campus opportunities, resources? Sometimes, majors are squished under other departments and offer fewer resources.
Financial Aid - this may be very important for you. Look at the tuition, how most students pay, and what the school usually offers. Check out department resources (on your major's website) too. Sometimes you simply won't get a realistic look at the financial aid package you're awarded until *after* you've been accepted.
Campus Size - do you prefer smaller, intimate campuses where you an walk everywhere and maybe not need a car? Or, do you like the bustle of big campuses that are like mini cities? Visit ones near you, even if you don't plan to attend those.
What's important to you? Simply take out a sheet of paper, and write down what you love to do, what makes you smile, and what you'd love to do. These clues provide great insight into what kind of lifestyle you'd enjoy while in college. If you are an outdoorsy person that needs to be near a beach, going to college in the middle of Texas will probably not be ideal.
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