Relax

You’ll probably be more stressed when you get into every college you’ve applied to, and have to make a decision. It is going to be okay! Students have to remember that at the end of the day it isn’t the college that makes you, but what you make out of the college. The college is the resource, and it is up to you to decide what you do with these resources. If the different institutions are comparable, then you will most likely be okay at either or.

Think About Environment

Again, it does come down to what you make out of your institution, but environment is very important. Choose a college/university with an environment that is going to benefit you the most, rather than choosing somewhere that makes you feel uncomfortable. Make it easy and visit the school, do a campus tour! The one that feels more like home should be your go to, rather than the one that gives you anxiety while thinking about staying there for the next four years.

Classmates Matter

You will be surrounded by, an spending a lot of time with the students at your institution. Get a sense of who you will be spending most of your time with. You can figure out what students at the school are like, what they do, and if this is a group you can find a lifelong friend out of.

Academic Environment

So unfortunately you are not going to be going to school just to party, academics are your priority. We continue to stress that yes, it is up to you to make the best of your education with the resources your given. This does mean you have to be comfortable with the faculty and staff, they matter too. When looking at this area, check out what you want to study. Take a look at the faculty, and how they interact with you or other students in the department. Check out the department, the resources they provide, the availability of these resources to you.

The list doesn’t stop here! There are other factors to keep into consideration as well such as: admission rate, graduation rate, school size, class size, course availability, quality of resources, price, accreditation, meal plans, extracurricular, cost, financial aid, spirituality, demographics, transportation, fees. What we listed were the more major factors between comparable offers after getting down to the nitty gritty. Remember what you make out of it is up to you, decide what will put you in the best position to do so. Good luck!

Article written by GUADS member Breanna, with contributions from forbes.com