Decision Day is right around the corner, and figuring out where to go to college — and where to even apply, for that matter — is no easy feat. Sure, you can check university ratings online and scroll through TikTok videos from people on campus, but when it comes to deciding to spend the next four years of your life on specific college campus, there’s no better source of truth than the students who go there. On April 15, 2026, Her Campus Media and Top Tier Admissions hosted College Unfiltered: What It’s Like At Today’s Hottest Campuses, a virtual panel where five current college students and Her Campus community members pulled back the curtain on what life is actually like at the schools at the top of prospective students’ lists.
The students in the panel five women from the Her Campus community represented a massive range of experiences — from SEC and Big 10 spirit to the Ivy League and metropolitan campuses — but regardless of location or college size, the students all agreed on one thing: you have to choose your school for you, and where you see yourself growing in the next four years. Bhavya Bansal, a student in Case Western Reserve University’s BS/MD program, said, “Trying to figure out what schools and what programs support [your] specific ambitions and endeavors is going to really serve you well.” University of Southern California senior Emily Fernandez agreed, saying, “USC has always been my dream school, but what really drew me into the school was the Business of Cinematic Arts program. “Since I aspire to work in marketing for an entertainment company, I felt like Los Angeles would be the perfect hub to go explore those opportunities.”
For Kamil Ignacio, a sophomore studying neuroscience and behavior at Barnard College of Columbia University, specific programs were definitely important, but connections outside the classroom were key. When choosing Barnard, Ignacio asked herself, “What’s my relationship going to be with my professors?” She continued, “Because Barnard an all-women’s college, I’d be able to have this more accessible connection with my college professors, but within the broader scope of Columbia and New York City, and the location was also really important for me.”
If you don’t have a major or program in mind as you’re applying to college, though, don’t worry. ZoĂ« Tsoukalas, a Texas A&M student getting her master’s degree in audit accounting, told attendees, “You don’t really have to have everything figured out when you’re applying. It’s more about finding a place where you can grow and actually see yourself living day-to-day, not just what looks good on paper. ” And if you’re still unsure, apply anyway. “I didn’t think that I would get into Cornell, but I didn’t let that limit me, so I think it’s really important that you put yourself out there,” Simran Duggi, an engineering major at Cornell University, said. “Don’t say no to yourself before like a school says no to you.”
Watch the full College Unfiltered: What It’s Like At Today’s Hottest Campuses virtual panel below to hear directly from our Her Campus community members across the country about campus life, academics, applying to college, and everything in between.