CHOOSING THE “BEST” COLLEGE

This is the season of college acceptances. And as they begin to roll in - along with the inevitable rejections - there also come the decisions to be made as to which college will be the best for you. This is an emotional time, as it feels like this is a decision that can affect so much about your future.

I recommend keeping 2 things in mind when making this decision:

1: The “best college” must be the actual best college FOR YOU, and only you can determine what that means. You may feel pressure from inside yourself, from parents, or from friends to go to the most “prestigious” school or the one with the most widely known reputation - but if they don’t have either the academic programs that you’re interested in or the social vibe in which you’ll feel comfortable, it is likely you won’t be happy there. And if you’re not happy there, it will be hard to thrive and to be your best self there, right? If you’re unsure, visit the schools you’re interested in. Attend a few classes and, if you can, stay for a weekend to see what the social scene is like. Trust your gut - it’s pretty smart about these things…

2: This decision is not fixed in stone. If you don’t like where you are after a semester, or preferably a year of really giving it a real chance - you can make a change and transfer. Remembering this will hopefully take away some of the pressure for you and allow you to focus on the school itself (rather on the enormity of the decision, which can overwhelm).

It really does appear, in general, to work out for most students. Most students end up landing where they are meant to be - and most make it work for them. If you have a positive attitude, are open and curious about where you are, and connect with those around you, you will thrive no matter where you are.