It’s that time of year again! With college application season now over and Senioritis slowly taking over, another wave of stress has hit. College acceptance letters arrived in post boxes anywhere from February to early April, and it is up to the receiver to declare which college they want to attend. For many, the answer is simple; they already had their mind set on one particular school that they fell in love with the moment they stepped foot on campus. For others, several factors go into choosing the right school and just thinking about college causes a lot of stress.

Campus life is one of the biggest factors of choosing the right college. For instance, I like smaller communities because it allows me to connect with my peers and teachers. Private universities tend to have a smaller student body size, as well as a lower student to faculty to ratio­, or how many students there are for every faculty member, than public universities. Based on your personal preference, you can gauge if you would like bigger class sizes or smaller class sizes. But beware! Most general education classes are usually significantly bigger than more exclusive classes pertaining to your major, so the numbers may be misleading. Bigger student body sizes could also mean more clubs, activities, and sports to do on campus. If you plan to join a fraternity or sorority, it is crucial to make sure Greek life is prominent at the college you plan to attend. Websites like collegefactual.com/tools/college-combat are great ways to help compare schools in terms of class size, academics, and other statistics.

 Touring the campus is a great way to figure out whether the college is right for you. Guided tours allow you to ask questions you might have about the college to a current student, to get a feel of what campus life is like, and, most importantly, to try the food. Location is important; some campuses are away from civilization and surrounded with nature, while other campuses are part of college towns. You may want to fly across the United States to the east coast to get away from family, or you may want to stay near home. Antonio Chairez said, “Choosing where you’re going to go for college is major decision, so even though you might have an idea of how the campus is, visiting one can help you decide where to go. Maybe during a visit you’ll just feel it is right; it’ll stick and call out to you.” Even if you cannot go visit the campus, virtual tours are available on most college websites.

Some colleges have better programs than others pertaining to your major and some may not have your major at all. “Especially for science, you should pick a university that has a well- developed program and school for your major,” said Eo Hanabusa. However, Hanabusa says to be weary of the college’s programs because some schools that have good technology and research projects restrict freshmen and sophomores from participating or have odd lab hours for underclassmen. On the other hand, many schools have opportunities for research and internships that could lead you further down your career path.

The most crucial factor of choosing a college is the cost of attendance. Sometimes, the dream school is too costly to afford. However, cheaper schools may have as many benefits as the more expensive schools. Hanabusa recommends keeping in mind who will be paying, how that person is paying, and whether you are willing to take on debt if necessary. Additionally, remember that scholarships can soften the financial blow. Applications are always available online on Schoolloop or in the College and Career Center.

With all this in mind, making a decision for college is still a complicated process. External pressure from friends, family, and even society weighs a lot of seniors down when deciding which college to attend. In the end, it is your choice, and you should be happy with your decision. Best of luck, seniors!