By Michelle Gomez and Marielis Aguiar

As students begin to get accepted to some colleges that they have been accepted in, the moment begins where students must decide what college they want to attend. Making a college decision is important because students have to decide where they will be spending the next four years in.

Something that students must consider when choosing a college is whether or not they can actually afford to attend to this college. For some it may be difficult since they have no money. Students must check their financial aid award and make a decision based on how much money they receive or how much debt they want to take on. Students need to consider how much debt they will have if they take loans by the end of the four years because they will have to continue paying it off even when they are no longer going to college.

Students must also consider the distance from their home to the college because then students will have to decide whether or not they want to live on campus. They must then see if they have enough financial aid to be able to live on campus. Some students choose to live at home with their parents while in college to save more money. Others decide to live off campus. When students go to college, they need to decide if they want to live far away from their parents or if they want to become more independent.

Furthermore, another thing students must consider is the size of the campus and the majors the school offers them. Some colleges have better opportunities for students with specific majors.For example some are known for their engineering  Students might also consider that faculty ratio in case they want to feel more comfortable asking for help from their professor. If the classes are bigger then the professor might not be able to help each individual student. It all comes to personal preference because everybody is different and has their own way of learning.

In addition, the graduation rate should be taken into consideration because students need to make sure that the school they decide to go to will help them graduate in time. Some schools might have a lower graduation rate while other schools have a much higher rate. Students must decide if they want to go to a school that they know will help them graduate in time or if they want to go to a school that is more of a party school.                              

Students should also consider whether or not they feel comfortable attending a certain college. It is important for students to feel comfortable in a school that they are going to be attending for four years. Many students consider the fact of whether or not they see themselves going to a certain school. This can affect a student’s decision to attend a certain school based  on whether a student feels comfortable in the school that they decide to attend. For instance, if the student feels more comfortable living in an urban place the he/she may decide to  choose a university in an urban place. However, some students decide to go to other places to explore new things. They want to see how it’s like living in another place. Others look at the student life and look for schools that are known for the parties they hold.

In addition, some students should consider the school’s demographics before deciding where they want to attend. For some students, this could be something important to consider because students are not used to attending a racially diverse school. Some students might not feel comfortable in a diverse school because they are not used to it. Other students might want to attend a well diversed school in order to experience new things. Also students might consider if a school is religious or not. Some students might want to attend a private religious school while other students might not want to attend a religious school. Not only is religion important for students but also gender. Students who come from a high school that was all girls or all boys might consider a university that is also all girls and all boys.

Another thing students must consider is the transportation. They have to consider learning how to drive if they want to save money. Others decide to use buses and trains but it makes it more difficult for them to travel from one place to another easily.

Students also should consider the safety in the school they choose to attend. It is important to consider the safety of the campus because in some colleges sexual assault and many other cases have affected students that attend there. If a school is known to be safe, then students must decide if they want to attend a school that is safe. Also some parents might be considered with where their children decide to attend because they want to know that their children are safe.

In regards to clubs, students need to look at the clubs that each college offers. For example, some schools might offer only soccer and not basketball or vise versa. Some schools might offer all of them but are strong in certain sports. Not only are clubs good opportunities for students in college but also study abroad opportunities. Many students decide on their college based on the opportunities they receive when they go to that school.