Decisions Decisions...

August 28, 2007, 7:27 PM

So, what are the biggest deciding factors when it came down to picking your colleges or universities? Scholarships, price, dorms, party schools, location, campus, academic excellences, degrees, etc. Why did you pick that particular school?

I'm not currently going to school at the moment, but when I do go back to school, it will be in a community college first. I'm not sure yet if I want to get in to a Uni - I have to consider the prices and how much damage that would cost us financially. Price is something I would definitely consider. It has to be affordable. Frankly, I don't like loans. I don't wanna live the rest of my life knowing I owe this much amount of money and stressing out about it. Location is important too. It has to be close to home. I'll try and narrow down the schools and hopefully get an idea from there.

Um, a beautiful campus would be nice too.

August 28, 2007, 8:18 PM

Since I'm a senior and am going to go college hopefully by next year, I would have to say the cost. After all, what good is applying to a school that you can't afford to attend. Board and books and all those other miscellaneous costs are what kills it 'cause it's not strictly academic but it's the one factor that helps you survive independently. xD

Also, grants and school location is a must. I don't want to live in a rural community although there are some schools that are pretty beautiful in the country. Some are just plain. I prefer the big city, large/medium size campuses though.

As for grants, if they can help me get through college with maximum support, there's a likely chance I'll apply/go to that particular campus.

August 28, 2007, 8:21 PM

Hmmm, when I was deciding what schools to go to...the most important thing to me (after the academic programs of course

) was the atmosphere. If it was a lovely campus and all the students generally seemed happy and friendly, it made the school much more attractive to me. I visited one school near where I live, and everyone looked so miserable that I didn't even get out of the car. I knew immediately that I didn't want to go there. Another thing that was pretty important to me was proximity to a town/city. I really didn't want to go to a college in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do. Also....I feel so shallow for saying this, but dorms were also a factor. After all, it'll be a home to me, so it's reasonably important. I looked at Boston College, and while it was a great school...the dorms were so unbelievably tiny! I felt like I was in a closet, not a room where *two* people were supposed to live!

Honestly, I'm very spoiled in that my parents pay for my college. I turned down a $10,000 a year scholarship from one school (I think my dad almost cried because of it). I felt really bad in doing so x_x

At my parents' insistence, I also applied to a few prestigious schools just because of their names, like Harvard (I got deferred). Honestly though, those ivy league schools aren't really better than other smaller schools. You get taught by teaching assistants and rarely have access to the professors. It seems like the only thing you get after four years of schooling at an ivy school is bragging rights. Feh. Meanwhile, the smaller liberal arts college I attend now has small class sizes, and the teachers are always very friendly and available to help students. I think that's a hell of a lot more important than bragging rights

Although...I do admit....when my school made Newsweek's 25 New Ivies list....a lot of people at school were bragging...and making derogatory comments about Yale....heh heh....

September 27, 2007, 6:13 AM

The biggest deciding factors for me where price, whether or not the university I wanted to finish at would accept all of the credit from the Jr. College and finally, the type of degrees available.

Before I went to a full university, I went to the community college for two years knocking out all of my general education courses as well as all my non-credit courses (saving a lot of money). The university I chose was based mostly on the availability of the degree and as said above, the acceptance of my Jr. College credits and not so much price (all were fairly the same per course/credit hour).

August 31, 2008, 2:58 PM

Many months later...I'm still not in school yet. =[ I must now say though that my main deciding factor for picking out a college is the state. It absolutely has to be in California, and when we move back, I'll definitely narrow my searches then. The atmosphere and the campus wouldn't matter anymore since I have no room to be really picky...

August 31, 2008, 7:15 PM

When I was looking to go to university, price was definitely a huge factor as, during my summer stint at community college, I was accepted to a private school first; however, that would have cost much more than going to a public school so I waited to see if I would be accepted to the state's largest university, which I was. And also location, location, location! There are a couple colleges I could have chosen out of this one (plus I was wanting to state close enough to home that I could still see my mom, but be far enough away that I was on my own), but I did NOT want to go to school in the boondocks, and it was either the city or the sticks. Plus, most of the colleges that are out in the middle of nowhere were known for being party schools--something I sure as hell wasn't looking for because I'm not that kind of person. The school I chose is in downtown, the biggest college in the state and a commuter school so the atmosphere is a little different.

Also, the campus is really beautiful as well, especially in the fall and winter (if it snows, that is). Overall I'm just very glad I decided to go here because they offered exactly what I wanted at a reasonable price (for a university, anyway).

September 1, 2008, 6:02 PM

In my case, price was never a factor because I live in Holland, where you get money to go to most schools. Like a scholarship.
The whole schoolsystem in the Netherlands is different offcourse. I chose this college because I could major in Japanese. And I got in fairly easy because there are entrance exams for people older than 21 who don't have the right high school diploma. (which I had to take).
Anything else wasn't really a factor aswel, because this is the only school that teaches Japanese at College level. Unfortunatly its in Maastricht, wich is in the far South of the country, and I come from a place near Amsterdam, which is in the North-West (for all you people that dont own a map of the netherlands). So I live in a student-house thing now, in Belgium (just across the border) because its cheaper that way. 20 minutes to school by bike. Don't take the bus, cause they suck.
And I am very happy with this school. Its very hard, cause lets face it, Japanese is not the easiest language in the world, but it is very much fun.

September 1, 2008, 6:14 PM

I can't really say what I'm going to be looking for in a Uni since I've only just started college but when I do start Uni I'll have to be picky since I'll be there for around 5/6 years x_x

But when it comes to college I wasn't that picky either, it had all the courses I needed, it is somewhat modern and bits have only just been developed...I know a lot of people who are going there, the teachers and the atmosphere were great on preview day.

Plus it has has around a 97-98% pass rate and is the closest college to me that has all I need.