As a student enters their senior year of high school, they are faced with many new decisions to be made.  Teachers, guidance counselors, parents, and the students themselves are often concerned with the next step: college.  Making the best college decision can begin by learning the mistakes to be cautious of whilst choosing your future school.  Following friends or family to a college they are attending seems beneficial on a social comfort level. However, at this point in a student’s life, they must learn independence and to make decisions for themselves.  Many parents encourage their son or daughter to attend the college they graduated from. Students should follow their own dreams and find a college that suits their own personality. A schools reputation as a “party school” or “highly-ranked” school should not be an overall decision maker for a student. The college experience is different for every student; therefore, making a decision based on other people’s opinion of the school often leads to students not enjoying their years at a college.  

While there are many factors on what reasons a student should not choose a college, there are many reasons to choose a college.  Admission and graduation rates are something to look at carefully.  If a student has a higher GPA and test scores, a school with lower acceptance rates is an option.  On the other hand, if a students academic history is not top of the class, a college with high acceptance rates is a more reasonable option.  Looking at graduation rates sets off the point of applying to a particular school. If many students do not graduate, many more may not as well.  If campus and class size are an important factor to a student, learning about a schools staff-to-student ratio is important to getting the proper education.  A student’s course of study goals are also important to deciding on a college. Many colleges have specifications to majors and programs, such as medical schools and business schools.  On-campus living, transportation, and cost also make up the big picture of a schools overall appearance. Students that live on campus prefer to feel at home and to be comfortable where they spend almost all of their time.  Many schools do not allow freshmen to have their car on campus, which leads to a possibility of navigating issues for the students. Finally, the cost to live on campus, meal plans, and education fees are all important factors.  Every students needs and wants are different from other students and these decision factors may make it easier to make that “big decision” in high school.