11 answers
CareerVillage Office Hours
Student
Palo Alto, California
354
Questions
Asked
696 views
What things should be considered in choosing the college or university you are going into?
Office Hours #4: AMA (Ask Me Anything) with Mark Eagle
This question was posed by a question during one of our most recent "CareerVillage Office Hours" sessions. During Office Hours sessions, we invite students to pose questions related to a specific topic. In this case, the topic was preparing for life after high school. If you answer this question, we will reach out to the students who attended this office hours session to inform them of your response, and all students on CareerVillage will benefit. If you would be interested in hosting an office hours session on a particular topic, please reach out to our staff!
#college-applications #choosing-a-college #applying #college-search #college
Login to comment
11 answers
Doc Frick
Career Coach and Mentor
1345
Answers
California, CA
Updated
Doc’s Answer
DEGREES – First on the list of differences between community colleges and universities is the type of degrees and programs offered. Community colleges are sometimes referred to as '2-year colleges' and mostly offer associate's degree programs that you can typically complete in two years or less, depending on enrollment status (full or part time). Associate's degrees can prepare you for transfer to a university or be used on their own for jobs that require a 2-year degree. Most community colleges also offer short-term certificate and diploma programs that train you for a specific career. On the other hand, universities generally offer programs that result in bachelor's, degrees and take longer to complete (4+ years). Both community colleges and universities offer a variety of programs of study, but universities typically have a much larger range of options.
COST – Alongside degree programs, cost is probably the biggest difference between community colleges and universities – and one of the main factors when it comes to choosing a school. That said, community colleges are much cheaper than universities; the average annual cost in a public community college is about $3,400 for in-district students annually. However, the average yearly cost for a public four-year course is about $9,400 for in-state learners and about $24,000 for out-of-state students. The differences are crazy, aren't they. Due to these huge price differences, many students choose to complete a two-year degree program at their local community college and then transfer to a university to complete their studies and earn a higher degree. Just remember that if you're thinking of doing this, always check to make sure your credits and degree will transfer when the time comes.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS – Community colleges typically have much less strict admission requirements than universities. In fact, many have open admission policies, meaning any person who graduates high school and applies gets accepted. However, certain community college programs may have stricter admission requirements, such as those in nursing, law enforcement, allied health and engineering technology. Universities tend to be much pickier when it comes to admissions, which means you better be ready to do more than just submit an application.
COST – Alongside degree programs, cost is probably the biggest difference between community colleges and universities – and one of the main factors when it comes to choosing a school. That said, community colleges are much cheaper than universities; the average annual cost in a public community college is about $3,400 for in-district students annually. However, the average yearly cost for a public four-year course is about $9,400 for in-state learners and about $24,000 for out-of-state students. The differences are crazy, aren't they. Due to these huge price differences, many students choose to complete a two-year degree program at their local community college and then transfer to a university to complete their studies and earn a higher degree. Just remember that if you're thinking of doing this, always check to make sure your credits and degree will transfer when the time comes.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS – Community colleges typically have much less strict admission requirements than universities. In fact, many have open admission policies, meaning any person who graduates high school and applies gets accepted. However, certain community college programs may have stricter admission requirements, such as those in nursing, law enforcement, allied health and engineering technology. Universities tend to be much pickier when it comes to admissions, which means you better be ready to do more than just submit an application.
Thank You Keith. Alone, we can do so little; together we can do so much.
Doc Frick
Keith Rodgers
Sales Director
108
Answers
Phoenix, Arizona
Updated
Keith’s Answer
What things should be considered in choosing the college or university you are going into?
Cost is #1. Not all colleges are created equal but the achievement of getting a degree IS the same. Don't fully depress your growth by insurmountable student loan debt. If you can get grants, scholarships or other programs to reduce the obligation - take advantage of those.
Proximity. Having support through the experience is helpful. The intangibles of a home-cooked meal and familiar smelling laundry soap can help you get through the experience, but if you have the means and wherewithal to be successful in another place - go.
2 - year vs. 4 year. The college experience is awesome but not worth limiting your financial future. Community college is a great solution for many people. Don't ignore the opportunity to obtain your full education through a combination of programs.
Cost is #1. Not all colleges are created equal but the achievement of getting a degree IS the same. Don't fully depress your growth by insurmountable student loan debt. If you can get grants, scholarships or other programs to reduce the obligation - take advantage of those.
Proximity. Having support through the experience is helpful. The intangibles of a home-cooked meal and familiar smelling laundry soap can help you get through the experience, but if you have the means and wherewithal to be successful in another place - go.
2 - year vs. 4 year. The college experience is awesome but not worth limiting your financial future. Community college is a great solution for many people. Don't ignore the opportunity to obtain your full education through a combination of programs.
Simeon Snow
Risk Assurance
1792
Answers
Houston, Texas
Updated
Simeon’s Answer
I'd highly recommend making affordability your highest priority. That doesn't mean going to the cheapest college per se. Instead, apply to the major scholarships for the universities that you're most interested in. That way, you have a better idea of what your options are financially. I'd recommend researching the faculty that you'll be learning from. See if you notice any professors you'd like to learn from or be mentored by. I wouldn't worry that much about a specific university's prestige. Prestige doesn't really translate to value for you as a student; it's more of a selling point for the university to convince you to come that never materializes into substance.
Yasemin G.
Aspiring physician
635
Answers
Updated
Yasemin’s Answer
Hello! I would first consider, location and tuition if you want to stay in state that will narrow down choices more and if you would like to go out of state you must decide where. Tuition is also important, it can vary based on state vs. private colleges/universities, dorming, and in state or out of state. While it shouldn't eliminate your options, having a good idea of how much you would like to pay, the funds you will receive and how much debt you may be in at the end, is a good indicator of college choice. Another one is connections, if you have a specific major in mind or a career choice see the connections in the school; make sure there are helpful advisers and opportunities to make connections and networks during and beyond graduation. Last is being comfortable on campus! My teacher in high school told me if you aren't happy with the campus then it's not the right choice. You should feel happy and comfortable when you are on campus so be sure to get tours in to see how you may fit in. Do you like very large campuses with large class sizes or do your prefer something smaller? I think these options can give you a good start!
Best of luck!
Best of luck!
Haven Dang
College Student
14
Answers
Renton, Washington
Updated
Haven’s Answer
When considering college, students should look at location, campus/cost, field of study, ability to transfer credits, and being an environment that you know you'll enjoy.
- Location: Do you want to be close to home so you can visit your family often? Is the city where the college located safe to live at? Or have fun things to do when you want to leave campus for the weekend?
- Size and Cost: How much does the school cost? Does the college offer scholarships and how much is the offer? Some schools will offer more scholarships than others. In addition, private schools are often more expensive than college public schools. Also, do you want to be at a big campus or small campus? Big campuses usually leads to larger classes and thus harder ability to build relationships between professors and students.
- Transferring credits: If you know you might transfer into another school, or out of another school, you should look at whether you have the ability to transfer credits and how much credits you'll get out of it.
- Environment: Is it a school that emphasis education or sports? Is it a school that emphasis inclusion and community? Is it a school that you want to build relationships with professors? Is it a school that you can live, take advantages of opportunities, and have fun will doing it?
There are a lot more factors to consider, but think what you want out of college, and do research on colleges that have those things that you want! In doing so, you'll get the best college experience out of it.
- Location: Do you want to be close to home so you can visit your family often? Is the city where the college located safe to live at? Or have fun things to do when you want to leave campus for the weekend?
- Size and Cost: How much does the school cost? Does the college offer scholarships and how much is the offer? Some schools will offer more scholarships than others. In addition, private schools are often more expensive than college public schools. Also, do you want to be at a big campus or small campus? Big campuses usually leads to larger classes and thus harder ability to build relationships between professors and students.
- Transferring credits: If you know you might transfer into another school, or out of another school, you should look at whether you have the ability to transfer credits and how much credits you'll get out of it.
- Environment: Is it a school that emphasis education or sports? Is it a school that emphasis inclusion and community? Is it a school that you want to build relationships with professors? Is it a school that you can live, take advantages of opportunities, and have fun will doing it?
There are a lot more factors to consider, but think what you want out of college, and do research on colleges that have those things that you want! In doing so, you'll get the best college experience out of it.
Jason Criddle
Sales Manager
63
Answers
Boise, Idaho
Updated
Jason’s Answer
There have been some great responses to this question already that I wholeheartedly agree with so I will tackle the subject from a different direction. When it comes to considering a what college or university to attend its a good idea to first challenge pre-conceived notions and get to the root question of "Why?" Why go to to college at all in your case? In our society almost everyone coming out of high school has been indoctrinated to believe that in order to be successful in life the next step is college. In some cases this is true, but not every case. Statistically only 27% of college graduates end up working in a field or profession that is closely aligned with their degree (https://madisoncommons.org/2019/11/12/more-college-grads-land-jobs-outside-their-majors-and-thats-a-good-thing-experts-say/) and 41% or recent college graduates work in a job that does not even require a degree. Some would argue that the college experience itself is worth the price of admission. While that may make sense for those where money is not a factor, but the exorbitant cost of higher education should give the rest of us pause. Consider for a moment that the average student loan debt per borrower is $32,731 and even scarier some studies have indicated that "Taking into account lost income and loan interest, the ultimate price of the average bachelor’s degree may be as high as $400,793." (https://educationdata.org/average-cost-of-college). A person should have a pretty awesome "experience" on something that costs $400K.
For the record I am not anti-college at all, I just strongly believe that everyone who intends to go to College/University should know ahead of time why they are going and what they want to get out of it. When we understand our "why" and how college fits into our goals it makes college attendance far more meaningful and purpose driven and outcomes are then in line with expectations. For most people that equates to a career objective, for some its about social engagements, for others it is about pure learning with no expectation of job opportunities at all - and none of these are necessarily right or wrong reasons to go. The question is; Is purpose the right reason for you to attend and does it justify the time and expense. If the answer is "yes" - then go! There has been some great advise about what to look for and consider. Just be sure to do it with an understanding of why you are going in the first place.
For the record I am not anti-college at all, I just strongly believe that everyone who intends to go to College/University should know ahead of time why they are going and what they want to get out of it. When we understand our "why" and how college fits into our goals it makes college attendance far more meaningful and purpose driven and outcomes are then in line with expectations. For most people that equates to a career objective, for some its about social engagements, for others it is about pure learning with no expectation of job opportunities at all - and none of these are necessarily right or wrong reasons to go. The question is; Is purpose the right reason for you to attend and does it justify the time and expense. If the answer is "yes" - then go! There has been some great advise about what to look for and consider. Just be sure to do it with an understanding of why you are going in the first place.
Isha Rihal
2
Answers
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Updated
Isha’s Answer
All of these answers are great, cost, degree, and proximity are all incredibly important things to consider when going to university. One thing I'd also consider is the city the university is in: are there job/volunteering opportunities in the area related to your job interests? are there alumni in the area you can connect with? The opportunities that might be available to you after you graduate are a great bonus to consider!
Landon Fitts
Enterprise Architect
2
Answers
Wake Forest
Updated
Landon’s Answer
There are many things to consider in deciding on the college or university you may attend. My son recently graduated from a University with a BS Degree in Computer Engineering, and is now happily employed with a great company and position that he loves.
Below are some of the things my son and I considered in making his decision, not necessarily in this order.
Fields of Study and Accreditation:
It is important that the college or university you will possibly attend has accreditations in the fields of study you are interested in as well as related areas or other areas of study you may want to minor in. This is important because you want to have a degree from a college or university that is accredited as employers do consider this moreso than the school being a well-known Ivy League school. Also many first year college students change majors from the one they originally were accepted into. So to avoid having to transfer schools, you can transfer majors within the school you are already attending because they offer many of the fields of study you were interested in during your research. This can make your field of study transition much smoother and less stressful. As an example my son was interested in both Computer Engineering and Computer Science which do have some related courses. The school that he choose had a Computer Engineering major and several different Computer Science majors (AI, Robotics, and Gaming; Bioinformatics; Cybersecurity; Data Science; Information Technology; Web and Mobile Applications; Software, Systems, and Network Concentration). So although my son’s major was Computer Engineering, he was able to take courses in some of the Computer Science fields, which helps you to have a more well-rounded degree which looks good to employers.
Cost and Proximity:
For many college students, finances and location can be a major deciding factor in what college or university they attend. Each student’s financial situation is different so this can be a factor on what specific choices they have. There can be many sources of funds available to a student to pay for tuition, room and board, books, supplies, etc. Financial Aide, scholarships, student loans, and of course funding from parents and relatives are some of the ways in which students can receive funding for college. Usually college tuition is much less for students attending an in-state school (state where they currently live) versus an out of state school. Some students also may want to stay closer to home so they choose and in-state school versus a school out of state. My son applied and was accepted to both out of state schools and in-state schools, but choose to go to a great in-state school. However, the in-state school was still far enough away from where we live so that he had to stay on campus his first year, and off-campus for the remainder.
Social Environment:
The social environment at an around the school is another thing to consider in the college or university you are to attend whether you commute or stay on campus. One way to get a feel for the social environment of a school and whether it would be a place you would like attending and that I highly recommend is to schedule a school visit and talk to students and faculty that currently attend and work/teach there. This also allows you to see the campus and surrounding community. Although the academics and learning is the major reason for attending a college or university, the social environment and activities can also be a major learning and character building experience for students. So you should research things like available fraternities, clubs, sports, social events, etc that are available to you at the college or university. Students have many different areas of interests when it comes to social activities. Some may like to participate in or join a fraternity or club, others may like to attend sports events or join a team, and others may like to participate in or gather with other students interested in religious or ethnic activities. The important thing is to choose a school that offers activities that fit your liking and personality.
Although this is not an exhaustive list of criteria in considering a college or university to attend, I hope it helps during your research and journey. Good Luck!
Below are some of the things my son and I considered in making his decision, not necessarily in this order.
Fields of Study and Accreditation:
It is important that the college or university you will possibly attend has accreditations in the fields of study you are interested in as well as related areas or other areas of study you may want to minor in. This is important because you want to have a degree from a college or university that is accredited as employers do consider this moreso than the school being a well-known Ivy League school. Also many first year college students change majors from the one they originally were accepted into. So to avoid having to transfer schools, you can transfer majors within the school you are already attending because they offer many of the fields of study you were interested in during your research. This can make your field of study transition much smoother and less stressful. As an example my son was interested in both Computer Engineering and Computer Science which do have some related courses. The school that he choose had a Computer Engineering major and several different Computer Science majors (AI, Robotics, and Gaming; Bioinformatics; Cybersecurity; Data Science; Information Technology; Web and Mobile Applications; Software, Systems, and Network Concentration). So although my son’s major was Computer Engineering, he was able to take courses in some of the Computer Science fields, which helps you to have a more well-rounded degree which looks good to employers.
Cost and Proximity:
For many college students, finances and location can be a major deciding factor in what college or university they attend. Each student’s financial situation is different so this can be a factor on what specific choices they have. There can be many sources of funds available to a student to pay for tuition, room and board, books, supplies, etc. Financial Aide, scholarships, student loans, and of course funding from parents and relatives are some of the ways in which students can receive funding for college. Usually college tuition is much less for students attending an in-state school (state where they currently live) versus an out of state school. Some students also may want to stay closer to home so they choose and in-state school versus a school out of state. My son applied and was accepted to both out of state schools and in-state schools, but choose to go to a great in-state school. However, the in-state school was still far enough away from where we live so that he had to stay on campus his first year, and off-campus for the remainder.
Social Environment:
The social environment at an around the school is another thing to consider in the college or university you are to attend whether you commute or stay on campus. One way to get a feel for the social environment of a school and whether it would be a place you would like attending and that I highly recommend is to schedule a school visit and talk to students and faculty that currently attend and work/teach there. This also allows you to see the campus and surrounding community. Although the academics and learning is the major reason for attending a college or university, the social environment and activities can also be a major learning and character building experience for students. So you should research things like available fraternities, clubs, sports, social events, etc that are available to you at the college or university. Students have many different areas of interests when it comes to social activities. Some may like to participate in or join a fraternity or club, others may like to attend sports events or join a team, and others may like to participate in or gather with other students interested in religious or ethnic activities. The important thing is to choose a school that offers activities that fit your liking and personality.
Although this is not an exhaustive list of criteria in considering a college or university to attend, I hope it helps during your research and journey. Good Luck!
Connor Adams
Technology Consultant
6
Answers
Dallas, Texas
Updated
Connor’s Answer
My advice is simple but has been the most critical in my choice of college:
Be a big fish in a big pond if you want to do big things.
Find the best programs of what you want to do and try to get accepted.
My accounting degree is not anything special on paper. But my college name next to my degree and the level of intensity and cutting edge teaching that is associated is known throughout the accounting firms as being some of the best and most job preparing training out there. To this end it was extremely easy to get a job and gave me security to look at all the possibilities.
Be a big fish in a big pond if you want to do big things.
Find the best programs of what you want to do and try to get accepted.
My accounting degree is not anything special on paper. But my college name next to my degree and the level of intensity and cutting edge teaching that is associated is known throughout the accounting firms as being some of the best and most job preparing training out there. To this end it was extremely easy to get a job and gave me security to look at all the possibilities.
Cameron Diep
Clinical Research Assistant
56
Answers
Palo Alto, California
Updated
Cameron’s Answer
There are many factors to consider when choosing a college!
1. The most important thing is the academics; after all, that's why you're attending the school! Do they have your desired major or program? How large are the classes? What is the teaching style like (e.g. lecture, small-group seminars, discussions, etc.)? How easy/difficult would it be for you to change or add majors in the future?
2. The location and environment are also very important considerations. Do you want to spend 4 years in an urban city, the suburbs, or somewhere rural? What does the campus have to offer to its students? Is the campus and the surrounding area safe? What modes of transportation can you take from campus to the surrounding neighborhoods for restaurants, shopping, outdoor activities, etc.?
3. Remember that you're also going to college to make friends and have fun! What is the social life at the school like? How many students are part of Greek life, sports, and clubs? Are the students at the school warm and friendly, or more reserved and studious?
1. The most important thing is the academics; after all, that's why you're attending the school! Do they have your desired major or program? How large are the classes? What is the teaching style like (e.g. lecture, small-group seminars, discussions, etc.)? How easy/difficult would it be for you to change or add majors in the future?
2. The location and environment are also very important considerations. Do you want to spend 4 years in an urban city, the suburbs, or somewhere rural? What does the campus have to offer to its students? Is the campus and the surrounding area safe? What modes of transportation can you take from campus to the surrounding neighborhoods for restaurants, shopping, outdoor activities, etc.?
3. Remember that you're also going to college to make friends and have fun! What is the social life at the school like? How many students are part of Greek life, sports, and clubs? Are the students at the school warm and friendly, or more reserved and studious?
Chirayu Rupani
Data Analyst
295
Answers
Frisco, Texas
Updated
Chirayu’s Answer
Choosing the right college or university is an important decision that can have a significant impact on your future. Here are some factors to consider when making your choice - Make sure the college or university you choose offers the program or major you are interested in pursuing. Research the quality of the faculty, the curriculum, and the resources available to students in your field of study. Consider the location of the college or university and how it may impact your college experience. Think about things like weather, proximity to family and friends, and access to cultural and recreational opportunities. Evaluate the total cost of attendance, including tuition and fees, housing, and other expenses. Research financial aid and scholarship opportunities to see how they can help offset the cost of attending college. Investigate what the campus and surrounding community have to offer in terms of extracurricular activities, clubs, organizations, and events. Look into the campus culture and the types of students who attend the college. Consider the resources available to help you prepare for your future career, including job placement assistance, internships, and networking opportunities. Research the reputation of the college or university, including its ranking, accreditation, and history. Consider what graduates of the school have gone on to achieve and how well-respected the school is in your field of study.