Which school is right for me?

Where you attend college is probably the first significant controllable decision you’ll make as a young adult. To find a college that best suits you and your unique needs, it’s important that you consider a number of factors.

Decisions, decisions.

There are many ways to select a college. You could choose one based on the availability of financial aid, for example, or the reputation of the school’s academics. Maybe you plan to attend the same school your parents did. ACT, the not-for-profit organization best known for its national college admission and placement (SAT) exam, lists Important Factors in Choosing a College. Some things to think about are the degree programs, the learning environment, campus life, school location (and distance from home), the type of college, student body demographics, cost, and your overall gut impression.

Size matters.

The “gene” that determines the characteristics of most of these factors is school size. Needless to say, a tiny liberal arts school and a huge state university will give you two very different college experiences. University Director Tina Moncada provides a good snapshot of how the size of the school can affect your decision criteria:

The big school: pros

- Wide variety of academic programs and courses;
- Well-resourced libraries, facilities, and well-funded sports programs;
- Variety of housing and social opportunities;
- Distinguished or famous faculty.

The big school: cons

- Larger class sizes;
- Professors focus on research; many courses taught by teaching assistants;
- Students must take the initiative to cut through the “red tape”;
- Potential of getting lost in the crowd.

The small school: pros

- Smaller class sizes;
- Professors, not graduate students, teach most courses;
- Advisors know students very well;
- Strong sense of community.

The small school: cons

- Fewer majors to choose from;
- Limited housing and social opportunities;
- Smaller libraries, fewer physical resources;
- Less emphasis on sports programs.

Of course, not all factors are equally important. In the Young Person’s Guide to Wisdom, Power, and Life Success (shameless plug, we know), you’ll find some nifty templates to help you weigh the criteria and arrive at a final decision. In the long run, does your choice of alma mater really matter? Not as much as people think. What matters most is connecting with professors who care and your overall happiness with the learning experience (see: Don’t cry for me Princeton!).

The Feds weigh in.

The perceived prestige of the school is always a major influence. In 2013, however, President Obama argued that annual college rankings (best known is U.S. News and World Report’s) incentivize colleges to “game the numbers and in some cases, [get rewarded] for raising costs.” He pledged to change the way colleges are ranked by shifting the focus from institutional prestige to students’ actual academic outcomes and experience.

In his September 12, 2015 weekly address, President Obama announced the launch of a new College Scorecard, meant to help students and parents identify which schools provide the biggest bang for their buck. Simply type in the name of the school and the Scorecard provides access to extensive, comparable federal data on the student-debt and attendance-cost data for more than 7,000 U.S. higher-ed institutions. Although economists point to some serious flaws, the numbers still offer precious data for students who want to know which college to go to, and why.