By Demosthenes Gakidis, Class of 2010

You’ve decided that you want to go to college. Congratulations! That’s a big step. Wherever you are in your journey, you’re probably asking yourself the same question: how do I know which college is right for me? 

There’s no easy answer to that question. In fact, I’m not sure we can really answer that question for you. It depends on what your wants and needs are. What we can do, however, is to help you think about what factors are going into your decision-making process. We can explain some of the nitty-gritty behind choosing the right college. We can even give you some advice on our own college experiences. That’s why we made TOWN – to connect with you and give you a little bit of wisdom we’ve learned on our journeys. 

So, we’ve got 5 questions to ask in your search:

Where do you see yourself living your best life?

Location is important. There are many different paths to choose from. If you’re looking to live in a more urban area, you’d probably want to search for colleges in major cities like New York, Boston, and DC. If that’s not your vibe, look for colleges in more rural areas like parts of New England such as Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Maine. Sick of the winter? Head west. Or south. Both are great options. Maybe you see yourself at a college by the ocean. There are plenty in Rhode Island. The West Coast as well. Wherever the location, be sure it’s a place that excites and interests you.

Beyond location, the size of your college or university is important as well. Larger universities will have more opportunities such as more people to meet, more ways to feel anonymous, more resources, or more events on campus. But, those large universities can be overwhelming. If that’s not what you’re looking for, you can look for a smaller college. Small colleges have the benefits of feeling cozier, more familiar, or more close-knit. You’ll be sure to see the same people more often than not. The downside to smaller colleges is that they may lack resources or may be in more secluded and rural areas. But, not always. 

So, why are location and size important? Well, you’re going to live there for at least a few years, so you’d want to live somewhere where you’re happy and comfortable. But, those qualities are also important in figuring out the answer to the next question. 

What type of school are you looking for? 

There are different forms of higher education (education after high school) in America. Here is a handy breakdown of the specific terminology. 

Essentially:

• a community college is where you can go for two years and earn an associate’s degree

• a four year university/liberal arts college is where you can earn a bachelor's degree after 120 credits (typically takes four years) 

• Public means the university is funded by the government 

• Private means it is not funded by the government 

• In-state means the college/university is located within your specific state - there can be lowered price of tuition associated with that

• Out-of-state means the college/university is located outside of your place of residence -  there can be higher tuition rates associated with that

What is your price range?

Cost is going to be a huge factor in your decision-making process. Arguably even the most important. The type of school you’re looking to attend will surely affect that cost, too. A private school education may cost more than a public school education. With scholarships, it may cost less, even. That’s a possibility. You may decide to go to a community college for two years before transferring to a four year university. Maybe you want to stay in-state for the less expensive cost. You can even commute to your college while living at home. There are tons of options, but this is not a decision to make lightly. Talk to your parents, teachers, guidance counselors, or even alumni to figure out which option works best for you and your needs.

What do you want to study?

Knowing what you want to study can change how you look at colleges. If you know what you want to study right away, great! You can search for “Best Schools for X” which will probably yield search results of the top colleges in America. With a little bit of more digging, you can probably narrow down that list more (Hint: ask yourself the previous questions – they still apply). If you’re looking to major in the arts, obviously look for art schools. If you’re more science-minded, research universities are the way to go. Smaller liberal arts colleges can be great for liberal arts, but larger universities may also have the resources you’re looking for. 

To help your search out even more, you can look at the professors who teach at those universities. Looking through their faculty pages, you can find out what each professor individually studies. You can decide if those topics are interesting for you. You can also look at the type of classes offered. Imagine yourself taking those classes. Do they seem interesting? If you can’t imagine yourself enjoying those classes, then that university might not be the one for you. 

If you don’t know what you want to study, that’s okay, too! Most people have one idea of what they want to study when they enter college and change halfway through anyway. Some go in “undecided” and figure out their major after the first two years of taking general education and liberal arts courses. You don’t need to have everything figured out right away. 

That being said – do your research! TOWN can help. You can read through our stories to see what degree programs or schools our alumni graduated from and where their journeys have taken them. Ask friends, teachers, or parents. One thing that can help is an “Informational Interview.” Essentially, you reach out to someone who has studied what you’re looking to study or went to the school you’re looking to attend and you ask them for a bit of their time to discuss what their experiences were like. People may be willing to tell you what worked for them and what they might recommend you do.

What kind of student life are you looking for?

Now this question is a little bit more fun to answer. Every college is going to be different; each has its own vibe. The only way to really know the answer to this question is to check out the colleges for yourself. Schedule a visit. Tour the campus. See if you can picture yourself making friends there, hanging out there, or living your best life there. Try and figure out if it’s a more studious environment, a party environment, or maybe a little bit of both. Do the students look happy? What are social groups like? Is everyone in a rush to go study in the library or are people hanging out in the quad? 

Sometimes you might not be able to visit a college before applying. That’s okay – it happens. You can still do your best to find out what the environment is like. Look at what clubs are offered. Look at what events the schools hold. Look at how the schools are marketing themselves on websites and social media. Follow them on Instagram. What kind of content are they posting? Are those things that make you excited? If you can, reach out to people who went to those colleges. They’ll tell you what the tour guides and information sessions won’t: where to study, where everyone hangs out, or what are popular school attitudes. 

If you’re interested in talking to one of our alumni about a specific college, let us know! We’ll try to connect you with someone who has all the insider information.

Of course, there are more questions you can ask yourself, but this is a great place to start. Refer back to this post as you make your way through the decision-making process. It may seem overwhelming or might make you nervous, but those feelings are normal. Be excited! The rest of your life is about to begin. Good luck on your search! 

Alumni, do you have any advice to add? Please comment below!