Do you have Boba Tea on Campus? (Factors in Choosing a College)
A commonly seen strategy among parents and students when drafting their college list is to google for “top colleges for XX major.” I’m not saying this relatively random search strategy is what everyone does. There are students who have decided to only apply to a certain category of schools, or schools within a certain geographical perimeter, or they pick colleges based on whatever other factors their situations require them to take into consideration.
There’s nothing wrong with the heuristic of simply googling for “top 50” or “best schools" or in fact, any other strategy. A multi-pronged research method is better than no research. Strategies for college search is not the focus of this blog post today. What I do want to point out here is that there are some practical things one should really consider that may impact your quality of life in those 4 years of college. Ignore those factors, one may even end up having to transfer out or take a long break from college.
Location, location, location. A lady I once worked with on a school fund-raiser event told me how her daughter had decided to take a break from college because she couldn’t stand the winter on campus. That break ended up lasting 3 years before she decided to enroll in a local state college to finish up her degree. Growing up in sunny California, the daughter hated the dark and long winters in upstate NY. Used to unlimited choices of Asian restaurants and Boba milk-tea places, she found herself unsatisfied with the “unauthentic, westernized” versions of these comfort food. After her sophomore year, she decided that enough is enough.
Where a college is located is not just about the weather or the food. Most universities have provisions for a fulfilling and fun undergrad student life outside of academics. But, a student’s lifestyle preferences should definitely be factored in when choosing where to spend 4 years of one’s (undergrad) life. Are you the type that would like the campus sprawled out in a vibrant city or confined within its own perimeter surrounded by rural farmlands? Do you prefer a small student population with a cozy feel or a large pool of friends/strangers for you to make unlimited contacts or perhaps you simply do not care as you know how to hold on to small group relationships anyways? How is the public transportation system outside of campus? Will you need a car to get to places you’d want to get to, and if so, will you have a driver’s license and access to a car? Are there security issues with the neighborhoods where you may choose to live when you move out of the dorm?
When advising families on drafting the school list, the fit and strength of an academic program understandably sit on top of the list of considerations. I always emphasize the need to research this part carefully, so no student would end up trying to study, say, “construction management” in a college that does not have that department (yes, students have listed schools they wanted which did not offer their choice of majors). By “strength of an academic program,” I also refer to not only the curriculum and quality of the faculty but also opportunities for research or internships and career prep support/advising. Whether their GPA would allow them a chance of admissions is a close second, if not a tie, as another top factor for consideration.
After this initial stage, I always emphasize to my students that they should form a list of priorities. Everyone has a different set of preferences. When choosing which college you want to go to, other than academic considerations, ask yourself what are the things absolutely important for your quality of life/lifestyle, that you’d not compromise. Then, ask yourself what are things you are willing to be flexible with. Think through all these carefully. Don’t plunge into a school just because it has one or two things that attract you (such as ONLY the ranking of a school). I highly encourage campus tours of schools one is seriously considering and actually has a good chance of being offered admission to.
Although the primary goal of going to college is for an education and ultimately/hopefully a degree that will be a bridge to a career path, my belief is that a happy undergraduate experience forms a big part of life. Additionally, the people you meet and share those 4 years can have a more long-lasting influence on your life than you, as a high-schooler, can imagine right now. At the very least, your alma mater days can be a wonderful memory to have when you reminisce your days of youth many years later. So, choose wisely.
P.S. I had avoided writing about costs of college because to me, that is a very personal and sensitive issue that students and their families need to sort out for themselves. With some families, they have discussions with their child early on in the college search process to not apply (or accept an offer without merit) to colleges with tuition above their budget. Some families, however, only care about admission offers and would be willing to re-finance their homes, or do whatever it takes to let their children go to their college of choice. Whatever the families choose, I would say, do consider the costs of the 4 years of college education, and for some, do factor in graduate school as well.
