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Stuck Between Two Schools
If you're stuck between two schools, this advice is just for you.
By Annie Louden
March 09, 2009
It’s almost spring and you’ve got a lot on your mind as a senior in high school. Plenty of reports and projects are due, Prom may be coming up and you’re beginning to realize that you’ll be leaving your friends in a few short months. On top of all that, colleges are asking for deposits for enrollment. Your problem is you don’t know which school to pick. Two colleges seem so similar, and you just can’t decide.
Sound familiar? There are several important factors involved in deciding which college is best for you. This is where you’ll spend the next four years, and you don’t want to make the wrong decision. Location is important. Perhaps your two choices are similar but one is a good day’s drive and one is much closer to home. You need to decide how often you’ll want to come home and whether or not you’ll be comfortable living very far away. Also, you may want to look at the area around the college. You might want to live near a big city with lots of action and activity, or maybe you prefer a quiet, more rural area.
The size of the campus and the student body is another consideration. A larger college may have more social and academic choices, but the campus may be so big that student/teacher relationships aren’t as developed. You need to decide whether you want to “get lost” on campus or have more intimate surroundings.
If the two colleges you’re looking at are very similar in size, location, academics and opportunities, you’ll have to look a bit deeper. Visit both colleges and even stay overnight, if you can. See if one student body is friendlier than the other. Talk to the professors and determine whose classes you’d rather be sitting in. The more you visit, the better the feel you’ll get for the campus and that can really help in the decision process.
Finally, see which college is most helpful. Are their mailings prompt with all info included? Did they thank you for visiting the college? Have they called and asked if you have any questions?
Looking at these various aspects and comparing them between colleges should help. There really is a “fit” when you find the right college, and the more you visit and look into everything available, the more apparent the “fit” becomes. Then hopefully, you’ll be sure to spend the next four years in the perfect place for you.
This article originally appeared on Making It Count.
Coleman_Drew
25 days ago
I guess it's better to go somewhere that makes you feel wanted, instead of somewhere that makes you want them.
jrackley12
about 1 month ago
Hola ! yo nombre es jhanhhh robertos. yo es muy comido y peligroso. Yo cama es muy largo. donde esta disney land?
NullN494726
about 1 month ago
My student is going to be a Music Ed major. The license is the same from all schools. We go from $19000 out of pocket to $13000 out of pocket per year. We will take advantage of Sub and Unsub loans. Two of the schools $19000 and $16000 have a great reputation for a MU ED degree. The $13000 is gaining a reputation and in a rich cultural area for music. With a salary of approx $30,000 if he gets a full-time job after graduation,plus looking at a master's degree to follow, is it wise to be over $30,000 in debt for a bachelor's degree knowing you are going for a Master's, or do you go with reputation and risk the huge financial debt?
NullN494726
about 1 month ago
My student is going to be a Music Ed major. The license is the same from all schools. We go from $19000 out of pocket to $13000 out of pocket per year. We will take advantage of Sub and Unsub loans. Two of the schools $19000 and $16000 have a great reputation for a MU ED degree. The $13000 is gaining a reputation and in a rich cultural area for music. With a salary of approx $30,000 if he gets a full-time job after graduation,plus looking at a master's degree to follow, is it wise to be over $30,000 in debt for a bachelor's degree knowing you are going for a Master's, or do you go with reputation and risk the huge financial debt?
heatheryfeathery
about 1 month ago
I am having a really hard time choosing between St Mary's College of Ca and U of Portland. St Mary's has been my 1st choice for like 3 years, and I am really interested in the integral program, however it would cost me like $7000/yr more to go there than UP. St. Mary's is only like 2 hours from my house and I would be able to come home whenever I want. UP has an amazing PoliSci program and I think the student body is more to my type. It would be farther away from home, also, which might be good for me to depend more on myself. I really love both places. My mom wants me to be closer to home, but I really want to make the decision my own. I know I would have an amazing education at either place.Any thoughts?
glopezrodriguez
about 1 month ago
I am torn between 3 schools but if I had to narrow it down to the two biggest ones I am torn between the University of Incarnate Word and Hollins University. I live in Texas so UIW is right here and Hollins is all the way in Virginia, and although it is very far and an all women's school they are offering me a lot more scholarship money than UIW and I believe their tuition is even less than UIW. I have wanted to go the University of Incarnate Word ever since a trip in middle school, but I feel completely torn. I know I like smaller classes and closer bonds with the professors and even students and I know that happens more at Hollins and I do not remember much about the classroom settings at UIW. It's just a tough choice to make.
itsmarygrace
about 1 month ago
@sely330: Both are beautiful and great schools! What are you majoring in?
ineedmusic12
about 1 month ago
I'm stuck between SUNY Binghamton, SUNY New Paltz and Hunter College.
The first is 3 hours away, a premier research university that will probably open up a lot of opportunities for a future biology major.
The next is 1 hour away, several thousand dollars cheaper than the former and still has a lot of opportunities for a bio major but probably not as much.
The last is an hour train ride from home, a mere $7 thousand per year and the cheapest option. It's very good for bio majors but it means living with my parents for the next 4 years.
On the one hand, I would greatly enjoy leaving my parents to a large research university where I can get lab experience while still in college.
On the other hand, staying close to home will mean more money available to me for med school.
What do I do?!
fastmartin5
about 1 month ago
I'm torn between two colleges Baylor University and Syracuse University. I live in Spring, Tx so Baylor is a three hour drive. They're both good schools. The prices are about the same syracuse is just alittle more expensive when I estimated the airfare. The only downsides that I see with baylor is the community bathroom set up for the dorms and it seems like there's nothing to do around the campus. If this helps i plan on being bio/pre-med major with a minor in Italian
AmyC168
about 1 month ago
@christineskang Thank you for the advice but do you know anything about SLO's engineering program? I haven't heard much about it and I couldn't find much on their website. Anything about SLO in general would be nice like their student to teacher ratio, etc. Also, I'm concerned about attending SLO because I know it's very difficult to change majors and I'm afraid I'll have a change of mind later in the future. However, UOP doesn't offer transportation engineering, so if I decide to go to UOP, would I have to transfer later on?
christineskang
about 1 month ago
Hey guys! I read some of your dilemmas and hopefully I can help.
Note: What I've said here is largely based on my own past and present situations as well as what I've heard from other people, so just because I put up my opinion here does not mean that it is the ultimate truth.
@tubagu1: You SHOULD look at education, however you also need to take finances into consideration. Even if it will be difficult, if you can find work/win scholarships, etc. that will allow you to be able to pay for UCLA, then I would definitely encourage you to go for UCLA. If not, then Fresno State is the college for you.
You also have the option of calling the financial aid office at UCLA and see if there is any way possible that they would be able to give you more financial aid--mind you, you are not bargaining for a car or something--but if you ask really nicely, tell them that you would really like to go there to UCLA, and let them know that Fresno State has offered you full tuition, I'm sure that they would be willing to give you even a few thousand dollars more in financial aid. The worst thing that would happen is that UCLA says no...
@hilaryupn: Research their extracurricular opportunities. Since you're interested in Businesses, research what student organizations each of them have, i.e. SIFE, etc. College isn't just about what the campus looks/feels like, but also about what kinds of programs each of them have that makes them truly special, and thus better for you.
@AmyC168: What specifically do you mean by four year guarantee... like that you'll be able to graduate in four years? If that's the case, then go for SLO. Most colleges today make it possible for you to graduate from an engineering program in four years. As far as the paid internship is concerned, you can apply for internships (paid or not) wherever you go.
hilaryupn
about 1 month ago
I'm stuck between university of Illinois In urbana champaign and university of Notre dame in south bend. There are qualities that each have that the other doesn't that I love. UIUC has an amazing town filled with so much to do while south bend is ehh. But Notre dame's campus atmosphere ( and the architecture) is what I always imagined for college life. Both have amazing business programs so academics are a probably but I don't know whether I want a small student population or big. I though cost would be a deciding factor for me (with Notre dame $20000 more) but a teacher of mine who was an alumni say that they have an amazing financial aid program...
I've been going back and forth all year now and I'm still confused although decisions are needed by may
AmyC168
about 1 month ago
@tubaguy1 If UCLA is your dream school, you shouldn't worry too much financially. If you can get a job after college, you may be able to pay off any loans you'll need to take. You have to look at education over finances. Best of luck :D
I'm also torn between two schools. I want to major in civil engineering and I was accepted to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and University of the Pacific along with several other schools but those 2 are my top choices. Everyone knows SLO is known for their engineering but Pacific has a 4 year guarantee and a paid intership your junior year. I live very close to Pacific and about 5 hours from SLO. I'm not receiving much financial aid so SLO is slightly cheaper by about 6k. Any advice?
tubaguy1
about 1 month ago
I am going to be a music major and am trying to decide between Fresno State and UCLA. I have a full ride to Fresno and UCLA isn't offering much money, and my parents can't help me financially. But UCLA is my dream school: The campus is amazing, it's right in the middle of LA one of the biggest music scenes, and the professor for my instrument is the best performer for that instrument in the world.
tubaguy1
about 1 month ago
I am going to be a music major and am trying to decide between Fresno State and UCLA. I have a full ride to Fresno and UCLA isn't offering much money, and my parents can't help me financially. But UCLA is my dream school: The campus is amazing, it's right in the middle of LA one of the biggest music scenes, and the professor for my instrument is the best performer for that instrument in the world.