Open Season: How to Choose the Right School

It's admission season! Now, the choice is yours; how do you finally decide which school you want to go to? You wrote the essays, filled in the applications, got your letters of recommendation and transcripts; you visited, toured, interviewed and researched. And now it's the big moment; you have to choose just one school.

So how do you know? Well, first of all, this is a big decision - but it's not the kind of big decision that's totally irreversible. If you do end up choosing a school that isn't a fit, you can always transfer later. While transferring isn't ideal, it's also not the end of the world; thousands of students do it every year. So do your best to make a good choice, but don't stress too hard about it.

Second, remember that this isn't a fairy tale; you'll probably do just great at whichever school you choose! There isn't a one-and-only right choice here; you probably have a bunch of right choices, and wherever you go, you're looking at four years of fun and education. To some extent, it's hard to go wrong!

A third idea to help you choose is to think about which campus you liked best while you were there, and why. If you haven't visited yet, try to make it happen before you sign! If you can't, try checking out websites like College Confidential, or books like The Insider's Guide to the Colleges to get a good feel for the school and its atmosphere. Remember, you're not just looking at hard numbers like SAT scores or average GPA; you also want to pick a school with a community that works for you. Consider your hobbies, interests and values; things like your academic passions, sports or activities you do, your hobbies, your political views, religious views, and other things that make you who you are. You'll probably be happiest at a school that has people and programs that fit well with your beliefs and interests. There isn't a right or wrong type of school; just the type that will work out well for you.

Fourth, fall in love. Just like a job, college shouldn't be a burden; it should be a joy. You probably applied to a whole bunch of schools, some of which you liked more than others. Try to think about why - and don't go to a "fallback" school just because it's "better than not going at all". Plenty of people take a gap year, and then try again - this time aiming only for schools they're really passionate about attending. College is a demanding and intense four years, so loving where you are and what you're doing is really important for keeping your motivation up. If you're not excited about a school, don't go there. You can spend a year working, traveling, volunteering, or any number of other self-developing pursuits, then re-apply and go for a school you can really get excited about.

Fifth, don't take it personally where you did or didn't get in - and don't even start comparing yourself to others. The college admissions process is long, complicated, and far from perfect. If you didn't get into your dream school, don't feel like you failed somehow. Plenty of people get rejected every year, lots of them for unclear reasons. If you want to, you can always re-apply or transfer later. So don't let your results get you down, or give you a big head! This is all about you, and not about anyone else.

Congratulations, have fun, and good luck!