Get Into College

Picking a College is a Journey

Good research without bias

So, how do you start building your list of appropriate colleges? With so many choices, it seems impossible not to drown in the sea of information. Choosing the right college can be stressful to some, but it doesn't have to be if you know how.

One thing I should mention here; it is extremely easy to become biased in the process. You must always keep an open mind. It’s easy to be influenced by your peers that ABC University is much better than XY College. You must be able to discern the source of information, and its accompanying bias.

—Who said it?—

Was it a current student, or a college representative?
What was their purpose in giving you that information?

Good research skills are necessary in finding a college. You must not be judgmental before you actually took the time to learn more about the college. Like I said, it's easy to be biased and go with hearsay: "Someone told me Williams is too small, someone told me Michigan is too big," etc.

Good decisions don't work that way

You've taken science classes in high school, right? It's similar. You collect data, analyze those data, before coming to your own conclusion. Nobody tells you what the results should be; you decide for yourself.

A friend of mine was pestered by some of his other friends to apply to Northwestern until he believed that's where he wanted to be. His parents told him that since his brother was also there, he would find it a very suitable place. Everybody said, NW is the place to go, until he believed it himself.

Researching the "pluses and minuses"

When I asked my friend: “What is it about NW that makes you want to attend it so much?” He couldn't give me a straight answer. After a brief pause, he responded: “All I know is that I MUST apply there.”

Now, in his sixth month there, he tells me how he regretted not finding out more about other schools before choosing NW. The moral of this story? Keep an open mind. Explore the possibilities! Having a closed mind is the worst way to make a decision. It's similar to DUI.

Finding the right college doesn't happen overnight

No one expects you to choose within a day. Or a week. From now, till you apply, your job is to gather as much info as you can about all the colleges that fit YOU, not necessarily the ones in the top 1% of the US News rankings.

Remember, the search is all about FINDING THE MATCH.