It’s April.
And millions of College-bound Seniors have a decision to make:
The College they will call home for the next 4 or 5 years!
I thought it would be appropriate to share from my podcast, the overriding reason why tens of College Alumni picked their college.
Needless to say that deciding on a college to accept is not a simple one.
Reconciling conflicting factors is challenging for all of us.
Now, add the fact that we are talking about 17-18 year olds, it becomes a bunch harder.
I have classified the reasons into 6 different buckets.
Fit - as they saw it
Top College - they got into
Best College - in their area of Interest
Freedom to Explore
Location
Financial Aid
Now let’s go through each one of them.
1.Fit - as they saw it
The alumni felt that their college pick was the best match for their values, personality, and college expectations.
Clare Overmann - On Choosing Georgetown University
“I kind of narrowed it down to just a general education quality and size for sure. And then kind of just that X factor of that general feeling.
So I grew up in a household where just understanding that Jesuit education was of very high quality. And so I had a lot of respect for just Jesuit schools in general. I didn't go out seeking only Jesuit schools, but I knew of course Georgetown's name, just it's a great brand name.
I really liked their, their morals, their values I also really enjoyed the fact that Georgetown had this perfect combination of both being in Washington DC metropolis as well as having a traditional campus experience.”
2.Top College - They got into
The Alumni believed that this was the Top College they were admitted to, using ranking or brand as parameters.
Sibi Venkatesan - On Choosing Berkeley
“So the criterion is really simple. I think for a lot of people in India, it's a little unfortunate sometimes, but it's a rat race for the best named engineering school. So yeah, using a ranking as an as a criterion for choosing is pretty common and that was what I looked at.
I applied to the top programs for computer science and electrical engineering it came down to Berkeley and CMU. At that point not just the ranking, rankings I think for CS they were the same but Berkeley pipped it for an overall school.”
3.Best College - in their Area of Interest
The Alumni who had a passion or interest in a specific field, picked the college best known for it.
Cleo Handler - On Choosing Yale University
“I wanted to go somewhere where I could really pursue you know theater and making things and Yale has an unbelievable Drama Department obviously they're famous for it in their grad school but the undergrad community is incredible and I wanted somewhere that was well balanced and also super academic because I didn't want to just go to a conservatory and again only have that option.”
4.Freedom to Explore
The Alumni who were unsure of what they wanted to study in college & wanted to be in a college that allowed and encouraged them to explore and experiment.
Priya Chandrasekaran - On Choosing the University of Pittsburgh
“And in terms of applying to the school, what I really liked about Pitt [University of Pittsburgh] was that it was a school that really allowed a lot of different programs, in terms of the majors and the courses of study. And the programs are really structured in a way where you could really get a feel for different classes and courses, without feeling stuck in a single major.”
5.Location
The Alumni picked a College that was located close to the alumni’s home, or away, or were driven by weather considerations.
Ajan Subramanian on Choosing the University of California Irvine
“I was looking at schools that were good at both, you know, their drama curriculum and the engineering curriculum. In the end, I was able to narrow it down to three schools with [UC] Irvine, UC Davis and Boston University.
I had to kind of scratched Boston out because just because coming from India where the temperatures are constant 80 degrees F, I didn't want to give up on that, that lifestyle. I didn't want to have to put many layers on during the winter. So that was a kind of a, you know, no, no for me. So I had to pass on Boston, although I'm really grateful that they offered me the admission.
So I wanted to stay in California. And compared to Irvine and Davis, or again, like very good schools. Yeah. But I was kind of favoring Irvine because it had like a beach nearby, it had connection to like San Diego and LA, maybe I could drive over the weekends. And also had a very good acting school. So kind of all these factors sort of push me towards going to Irvine.
6.Financial Aid
The College that offered the Alumni, the best Financial package, all other things being equal.
Andrew Maguire on Choosing Vanderbilt University
“Vanderbilt by far gave me the most financial aid. Story that you'll hear time and again, Vanderbilt students have an incredibly robust financial aid program that meets 100% of the financial needs of families. So this was not merit-based this is need-based.
And it was an offer I couldn't turn down. So that was why I said Yes.”
Next: How To Make Your Decision
I hope you these alumni vignettes provide you some guidance as you make your own choice by May 1.
As you mull over your college decision, here’s a way to go about it:
What’s the “One Thing” you are looking for in a college?
Of the options you have, which one meets that criterion?
Is there any reason that the one will not work for you?
If so, pick the next best option that meets your one criterion.
For more alumni vignettes on this, here’s the entire episode “Why I picked My College!”:
All the Best.
Have a Great Week.
Venkat