Applying to colleges is one thing, but waiting to find out which ones you got into and making a final decision is definitely the hardest part. If you want to make sure you end up at the school that will help you the most in achieving your life goals, here are some common mistakes to avoid when choosing a college.
- Taking on too much student debt.
A lot of people will go to colleges that have very impressive names and reputations, but oftentimes they don’t have enough money saved up to pay for the school, and they don’t qualify for enough grants or scholarships. If this is your case, you could end up spending the rest of your adult life paying off student loans, unless the degree you earn lands you a job that is sufficiently lucrative enough to pay them off quickly.
- Prioritizing proximity to friends.
Some people will choose their college based on where their friends are going, or because their significant other decides to go there. Unfortunately, most friendships and relationships do not last long enough for you to justify making your college choice, and thusly, your life’s path in accordance with the lives of others. If your relationships are strong enough, then you should know that you would stay connected with those people no matter how far away your schools are from one another.
- Performing inadequate research.
If you don’t do a hefty amount of research on the college that you choose, you might find that you’re not satisfied with the curriculum and programming that they provide for your major. If you already know what field you would like to study, it’s imperative that you find the colleges with the programs that are most intriguing and reputable and get your applications out to those schools first.
- Choosing the wrong sized program.
It’s important to know how large you would prefer your school and your classes to be. A large college can be alluring for those who are not quite certain what they want to study and they just want to be sure that there are many options available to them once they’re finished with their general education units. However, a small school can be preferable for those who know exactly what they want to study and want to develop strong one-on-one connections with their professors and contemporaries.
- Enrolling in a school without proper accreditation.
Some people choose schools because they want to be in a particular part of the country, but they don’t really look into the reputation or accreditation of the school that they choose. In the end, you may find yourself with a diploma, but it could be very difficult to find a job once you graduate if your program is not properly accredited. If you need to stay close to home, but want to study with a highly reputable college, you may want to study online. For example, the Rutgers online social work masters program is top notch, and you can complete the program from your own home.