If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the college application process, there’s no need to worry. Millions of collegiettes have stood in your shoes not too long ago. Just like you, they had to make difficult decisions about whether they preferred cute college towns to vibrant city campuses, public schools to private schools, and staying close to home or moving to the opposite coast. Sound familiar? Here’s why these collegiettes ultimately chose the schools they did:
Perfect Fit
“Simmons offered everything I wanted and allowed me to stay close to some of my best friends.” – Krista Evans, Her Campus Simmons Campus Correspondent, Simmons College ’12
“At first, I hardly even considered UNC because I thought I wanted to go somewhere farther away from my hometown. I applied pretty much because it’s just something you do when you’re from North Carolina. But as I worked through the decision process, I just kept coming back to UNC. It’s a great school and it had everything I wanted: size, academics, atmosphere, everything. In the end, it was clear that UNC was the perfect fit for me. It was one of the easiest decisions I’ve made!” – Laura Hoxworth, Her Campus Contributing Writer, UNC-Chapel Hill ’11
“I liked that it was near a city, so there is a lot to do. I also liked that it offered a lot of majors (since I was undecided) and it had a small school feeling within a bigger school. Also, a lot of my friends from high school were coming here. I know that shouldn’t be a good reason, but at that time I don’t think I could have handled being really far away from home and not at least had a close group of friends to at first rely on.” – Alexandra Pannoni, Her Campus Towson Campus Correspondent, Towson University ’13
“I knew I couldn’t afford to go out-of-state and that I was interested in journalism. OU has one of the top journalism programs in the nation, so I figured it would be a better fit for me than the other in-state schools.” – Rebekah Meiser, Her Campus Ohio Campus Correspondent, Ohio University ’11
“I originally went to Syracuse, but I hated it, so I transferred to Mizzou because of the journalism program, its location (it’s closer to home), and I liked the atmosphere and people more!” – Allie Duncan, Her Campus Contributing Writer, University of Missouri ’13
Finances
Let’s face it: college is expensive. For many families, finances are the deciding factor in making the college decision.
“Graduating with far fewer student loans [than I would if I had chosen a private school] was a HUGE plus. It was the best decision of my life, hands down.” – Caroline Bagby, Her Campus UMass Campus Correspondent, UMass-Amherst ’11
“I received a full scholarship.” – Lynda Lopez, Her Campus UChicago Campus Correspondent, UChicago ’14
“Le Moyne was one of my top three schools. It gave me the most financial aid.” – Omairys Rodriguez, Her Campus Le Moyne Campus Correspondent, Le Moyne College ’12
“Towson wasn’t my first, second, or even third choice. I ended up not getting into my first two, and my third choice was too expensive. Out of the schools I had left, Towson was the most affordable and the one I felt the most comfortable at.” – Alexandra Pannoni, Her Campus Towson Campus Correspondent, Towson University ’13
“I chose to attend Colorado State because it was affordable, in-state, and I received good financial assistance.” – Meagan Templeton-Lynch, former Her Campus Contributing Writer, Colorado State University ’12
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Major
Between testing out dining halls and asking your tour guides about nightlife, it can be easy to forget that you’re going to college to learn, too! If you have your heart set on a particular major, check out what the department is like at your prospective schools, like these collegiettes™ did:
“I applied to three different schools and got into all three. UMass was actually at the bottom of my list, but my cousin went there so I decided to visit and go and talk with the journalism department. When I spoke with my now-advisor she told me so many great things along with how journalism is on the smaller side for majors at UMass allowing for more one-on-one time.” – Caroline Bagby, Her Campus UMass Campus Correspondent, UMass-Amherst ’11
“I chose to attend JMU because it had a great psychology program (my major) and it was a bigger school with a small school feel.” – Rachel Petersen, Her Campus James Madison Campus Correspondent, James Madison University ’11
Location
Location can often make or break your college decision. Do you want to be close to home or as far away as possible? Do you thrive on the energy and culture an urban school provides, or would you rather spend four years by a beautiful ski mountain?
“I really wanted to go to a school that was in an urban environment and offered Broadcast Journalism as a major. Emerson had both of these features!” – Nikki Fig, Her Campus Editorial Intern and Branch Manager, Emerson College ’11
“I transferred to Kean University because it is close to home and I was able to intern in New York while still attending school full-time.” – Stephanie Musat, Her Campus Kean Campus Correspondent, Kean University ’11
“I wanted to stay in Virginia and get away from my hometown, but not be too far away to go home on the weekends if I wanted to.” – Rachel Petersen, Her Campus James Madison Campus Correspondent, James Madison University ’11
Community
“Coming from a big city (New York) I wanted to know what it was like to go to a BIG school with lots of sports and student involvement, because you get very little of that in NYC. When I first set foot on campus and saw everyone in WVU shirts with WVU bags and notebooks, I knew I had found what I was looking for.” – Kelsey Cummings, Her Campus Publicist, West Virginia University ’12
“When I visited the campus, I loved the laid-back vibe and the great town that was the exact size I was looking for!” – Meagan Templeton-Lynch, former Her Campus Contributing Writer, Colorado State University ’12
“I spent the night with my cousin, who went to UMass. I had more fun than I had ever had! I loved the people and the atmosphere.” – Caroline Bagby, Her Campus UMass Campus Correspondent, UMass-Amherst ’11