It’s that time of year when seniors start to finalize their college commitment decisions and the stress over which college to go to slowly begins to move behind us. I made my college decision this past fall (my process being different and earlier since I am an athlete) and still question whether I made the right decision. These worries made me think, what is it that I wish people would have told me to consider when making my college decision?

• Ignore Status

Everyone says to ignore status and choose the college “that fits you” but yet so many people ignore this advice. However, this step could not be more vital. I have heard countless stories of people going to colleges based on their names, and very rarely does it work out. The main reason these stories continue to occur is because of people’s desire to go to a well-known school to receive validation. By making a college decision based on a motivator such as validation, you are increasing your chances of disliking your college experience. College is about having a fresh start, therefore if you have to start college pretending to be someone you are not, you’re probably not going to enjoy it. This being said, by choosing a school in terms of status, you’re not allowing yourself to explore your true identity and see what you truly like and dislike.

• Career

This probably seems like a given, the whole point of college is to pursue your career. But I think this ties into status. Would you rather go to a prestigious school and major in something you aren’t interested in or go to a lesser-known school that specializes in your major? You have to think long-term and consider what you want your life to look like after college. I can imagine that long term you want to be doing what you love, not doing a job that you thought would make you look cool back when you were in college.  At least in my college commitment process, this was hard to find. As an athlete, I would pique interest in schools based on the name of their lacrosse program and then think about academics second. I would think things like, “Oh well they don’t have my major but maybe I could consider changing my major so I can play lacrosse there.” I very quickly realized this was a poor way of thinking. I won’t be playing lacrosse for the rest of my life, but I’ll most likely be working. Therefore long term, I’d rather be pursuing what I love.

• Comfort on campus

Being comfortable on campus can mean a lot of different things. Do you feel safe? Do you feel comfortable approaching your professors? Questions like these can help you gauge how comfortable you would be at the various schools you are looking at. However, it is important to realize that some level of discomfort will happen regardless of where you go. Being away from home or surrounded by people you don’t know is obviously an uncomfortable process. But in order to have a good college experience, you have to ask yourself these questions in order to figure out how uncomfortable you’re willing to be.  

At the end of the day, it is important to remember that you are allowed to make mistakes in this process. No one’s college experience will be perfect, even if they say it is. College is about furthering your education and learning your likes and dislikes. Most importantly, when you’re making your college decision, it is important to think about what you want long-term and not just what you want in the present moment.