How to Choose a College: 15 Easy Steps!

This post will teach you how to choose a college in 15 easy steps!

Are you having a hard time trying to decide which college to choose? If so, don’t worry! This post will show you how to choose a college in a super-easy way.

Although choosing a college can be stressful, it is also super exciting because the college you pick will provide you with so many new opportunities to grow as a person.

It’s also important to remember nothing is ever permanent. If you end up choosing a college that you later decide isn’t the right school for you, you can always transfer!

Here are the top 15 things to do and think about when choosing the perfect school for you!

These 15 steps are super easy and will make your decision so much easier!

Keep reading for a FREE College Decision List printable that you will not want to miss out on! I made one for myself when I was trying to decide on a college, and it was the most helpful thing I ever did!

1. College Decision List! This helped me so much 🙂

This list is my biggest tip when it comes to choosing a college and is actually in my free resource library. It is part of the how to choose a college guide that you can download for free here!

In the resource library, you can download a free google sheets version that you can edit to make your own, a blank PDF version that you can print out, or a PDF version with the categories already written in.

Directions: Next to “Categories” write in any categories that are important to you about college. Next to “Idea Situation” write what your ideal situation for each of the categories would be. Underneath “Idea Situation” write all of the college/universities you’re deciding between. Put a check mark or x to indicate if each college meets your ideal situation (what you’re looking for) or not. This is a great way to compare and contrast all of the colleges you’re deciding between!

2. Think about the Major/Minors Offered:

Research the types of majors and minors the colleges you’re deciding between offers. Some colleges may offer a five-year program that you’re interested in. Do any of your schools offer a double major program or a specific minor you are looking for?

3. Size of the school:

You will definitely want to think about the size of the schools you’re deciding between. Everyone is different, and this comes down to personal preference.

For me, I knew I would be more comfortable at a smaller school that offered smaller class sizes.

It’s also helpful to research your school’s teacher to student ratio, so that you know how many students are likely to be in your classes.

4. Tour:

Most likely many of you have already toured the schools that you are deciding between. If you have, think back to the tours that you enjoyed the most. If you have not toured the schools that you’re choosing between that is okay too!

I have friends that didn’t visit their school before accepting and love where they are! A lot of websites have virtual tours that you can look at as well.

5. Location:

The location of your college is a big deal because it will become your home.

Make sure to think about where the schools that you are deciding between are and if you will be comfortable in their particular climates. Also, make sure to think about how far way your schools are from home.

The distance you feel comfortable with is entirely up to you. For me, I knew that I wanted to go to a school in a another state but that I did not want to be so far away from home that I could not come home quickly if I wanted to.

6. Shadow a student:

Before I made my decision, I shadowed a student at the school that I go to now, and it really helped me to make my decision.

Shadowing a student helps to put into perspective how it will feel to be a student at that school. I got to sit in on a class, eat in the dining hall, and become better acquainted with the campus.

7. Contact a current student (preferably in your major):

It can be helpful to talk to current students because they have been in your place before and have already experienced the college you are interested in. They can provide you with information about the school and answer any questions you have.

If you talk to a student in your major, that is extra helpful because they can answer any questions that you have about the program.

If you don’t know how to contact a current student at your prospective schools, reach out to your school’s admissions services, and they will be able to put you in contact with a student.

Also, don’t feel weird about reaching out! Talking to current students was really helped me decide which school to pick. Often, students are super proud of their schools and are more than happy to talk to prospective students!

8. Safety:

This is an obvious one but very important. It is essential that you feel safe at the school that you pick. You can look at the school’s safety and security policies on their website to learn more about the safety measures they have in place.

9. Sports, clubs, and other extracurricular activities:

This is a big one! You want to make sure that your school offers the extracurricular activities that you are interested in.

10. Community Service Opportunities:

A lot of colleges/universities have great community service opportunities that are really great to get involved with! I am so lucky to go to a school that has such a strong community service office and has taught me the importance of giving back to my community.

Volunteering is also a great way to meet people! As a freshman, you will want as many opportunities as possible to meet new people, which is why volunteering is a great idea.

11. A.P. Credit:

If you took A.P. classes in high school, you should look up your prospective universities A.P. Credit transfer list. You can usually google search “A.P. credit transfer list” along with the university’s name, and a list will come up.

It’s not a deal breaker if your college won’t accept your A.P. scores. However, I can tell you from experience that having the credits does help to fill required college credits faster which can be very helpful!

12. Housing:

If you are planning to live on campus, you will want to think about the housing situations at each school that you are thinking of.

13. Study abroad programs:

If you are interested in studying abroad, make sure to research which of your prospective colleges offers the study abroad programs that you are interested in.

14. Food:

Food is also not a deal-breaker, but it can be beneficial to think about the options for food at your prospective schools. Think about what times the dining hall opens and closes. Are there other options for food when the dining hall closes? Is there a wide variety of food?

15. Money:

This is a big one! Make sure that you think about how much the schools you are deciding between will cost. It is helpful to write down their initial costs, your financial aid, and any scholarship money that you have received.