Finding the Best Fit: Erinn Miller’s advice for a student’s college search
BY ERINN MILLER
Junior and senior year of high school can be extremely stressful. Besides balancing schoolwork, extracurriculars, and social life, students also have to think about their future. Choosing which path to take after graduating can be especially daunting for students wanting to pursue a degree because there are so many schools to choose from it can become overwhelming trying to find the perfect fit.
This fall, I will be attending my dream school, Saint Louis University (SLU). Here’s how I navigated the complex process of finding my home, and my advice for students going into their junior and senior year.
- Find a major
Do this before you look at any schools. Keep a list of any majors that interest you. Brainstorm some possible jobs you would like to have and what majors these would require. Think about what classes you like, what hobbies you have, and what things you are passionate about. Think about how these things could become a career. Narrow your choices down to your top 3 or 4. If nothing sounds interesting look into “undecided” as your major, or look into taking a path towards a two-year university where you can complete gen-ed’s. Keep in mind, about 80-percent of college students change their major!
- Research schools
Start with a Google search. It’s as easy as typing “best universities for *insert your major*”. Keep a list of schools that have all or most of the majors on your list, and any that sound even a little bit interesting to you. Take college match quizzes (like the one on College Board Big Future), which asks questions about what you are looking for in a school and shows schools matching that criteria. Browse school websites and look for general information like location, cost, reputation, student resources, admission requirements, and available scholarships. Don’t forget to sign up for their email list!
- Talk to your family about money
College can be very costly, and taking on massive amounts of debt is not a good idea. Have an open conversation with family members about who is paying for your education and how. Do you have savings, and how much? What could you realistically take on in loans (especially considering your future career)? Would it be smarter to focus on community colleges or schools with in-state tuition? How much would a school cost to be able for you to afford it? Don’t let finances be the only factor in your decision. However, understanding what you are working with financially could help narrow your search or motivate you to apply for scholarships. In my experience, the choice was between SLU or Illinois State University until my scholarships came through right before the decision deadline and I found out I was able to afford the school I loved.
- Visit
By the spring of junior year, pick a handful of schools you are most interested in and visit them. Try to visit schools that have different environments so you can expose yourself to a variety of schools. The way to choose your future home is recognizing the feeling you get when you are on campus, not statistics posted on the website. Can you see yourself on this campus? Talk to current students on your visit. Ask about their experience and some things they really like or don’t like about their school. By the end of the first or second visit, you should have a better idea about what it is you are looking for.
- Brainstorm
After completing most of your visits, around the fall of senior year, pick out what you really liked or didn’t like about each school. Think about what the ideal school would look like for you. Create a list of the factors that are most important to you for a college to have. Think about location, distance from home, housing, campus, student life, school size, clubs, student resources, academic reputation, and any other personal determinants.
- Apply
Finally, by October-November of senior year, you will hopefully have a better idea about what schools to apply to. Applications can sometimes be expensive, so be conscious about where you are applying to. Don’t just apply to a school because you visited it. I personally applied to four schools: two private schools (my top choice and one very similar one in case it was cheaper), a public school I really liked, and one more public school that was okay just in case my top three didn’t work out. Definitely apply to your favorite schools, but also have one in your back pocket just in case the favorites don’t work out.
- Scholarships
Don’t forget to also turn in scholarship applications for each of the colleges you applied for, which are typically due around November-December. Apply for everything you qualify for. After Christmas break of senior year, spend the rest of the year applying to outside scholarships. Search online for lists of scholarships to apply for. Websites like JLV College Counseling post monthly scholarship lists. Listen to morning announcements or talk to the guidance counselor about scholarship opportunities.
Scholarships do take a lot of time and effort, but they really add up. If you apply to lots of scholarships, you are bound to win a few. Think about it this way: I spent about 30 hours total applying for scholarships and won several thousand dollars. If I had simply got a job and worked for 30 hours I definitely would not have thousands of dollars, I would probably only have a few hundred dollars. Scholarships are well worth your time.
The college process can be very intimidating, but there are so many people to help navigate it. Talk to your classmates who are all going through the same thing. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from others because chances are there are plenty around you who have gone through the process before. Finally, work hard and work smart because you can and will achieve your dreams.
