Choosing your college: Tips for making the right choice about your future
by Ethan Zuidmulder
As the school year begins to wind down, each year, the Junior class begins to take the first steps towards one of the biggest, most exciting phases of their lives so far. College Decisions! While deciding what college to attend can be stressful, there are a set of steps I followed that can make the process that little bit easier. As a Senior who has already applied and been accepted to a college (Go Blugolds!) I’ve been through this process, and I’m here now to share the things I wish I knew with anyone who may be beginning their college journey soon!
What do you want from your school?
My first tip is to make a list of what you are looking for in a college. Do you prefer the big city lifestyle, or would you rather be in a small town? Are you looking for a certain sport or extracurricular offering? Maybe you just need to have a Target within walking distance (same). Some other suggestions I have include campus location, number of students, major cities nearby, and what different schools are known for. For me, I knew that growing up in a medium-sized city like Green Bay, I didn’t want to go to any city smaller than around 50k, since I love my urban amenities. I also knew that I wanted to stay in Wisconsin, which also helped me pare down my list. There are a LOT of colleges out there, and this is a great first step to help narrow it down.
Majors and Minors
Once you have decided what is important to you in a school, the next step I’d suggest taking is to look at the degrees offered at each of your choices. If you already have your major in mind, this will be a super easy step. I knew going into the process that I was planning on majoring in Political Science, so all I had to do was check for that major on the course list. If you are undecided, don’t worry! I’d suggest taking a look through the majors anyways, and noting which ones stand out to you as something you’d be interested in. As long as a school has a few majors you could see yourself going for, keep it on your list. The followup to this step is to browse the course catalog, and look through the classes you’d be taking for your program of choice. Note any that you are especially interested in.
Once you have done these steps, your choices for college should be considerably narrowed down. While there is no correct number of choices, I ended this process with 4, down from the 6 I was initially considering. Regardless of how many are on your list, I would recommend picking 3 or 4 top choices, because the next step to take can be overwhelming with too many options on the table.
Visiting Campuses
If you ask me, this is where the fun part really begins. College Tours! Work with a parent or guardian to determine if and when you would be able to tour your various choices for schools. If your interests are primarily local, this is a much easier process, but don’t be afraid to ask about a more lengthy trip. After all, this is your future, and you should try your hardest to know everything you can going in. Another tip, if you have a friend interested in the same school, see if you can sign up for the same tour date and carpool. Not only will you save some gas money, you’ll have a lot of fun with your friend too. If physically touring a school is not an option for you, most schools now offer a virtual tour, where you can browse through photos of the school, hear from students and staff, and get a better sense of the school.
If you are able to physically visit the campuses, you’ll want to bring your family along with you. While not everyone may want a younger sibling tagging along, it is super beneficial for them to see the college experience in advance, and my younger sister has already decided she wants to go to UW Eau Claire after our tour there. If your whole family can’t make it, no big deal, just go with whoever can and wants to go. Campus tours are usually between 1-2 hours, depending on the physical size of the campus. You’ll be led by 1 or 2 students, and this provides a great opportunity to ask any questions you may have. Some of the most important questions I asked at my tours include: “Where is the best place to eat on campus, and in town?”, “What do you do for fun on campus?” and “Is this campus haunted?” You’ll almost always get a fun answer to that last one, especially at an older school.
Final Thoughts
Upon touring my 4 colleges of choice, I had my choices down to 2. UW- La Crosse was a nice campus, but the overall campus vibe was a little more ‘sporty’ and a little less ‘outdoorsy’ than Eau Claire, which I found to be a super beautiful campus. I especially loved the beautiful Putnam Park nature trail. I went into my UW Milwaukee tour expecting it to be my top choice, since I love the big city, but I ended up not feeling the same connection I had to Eau Claire and Madison. This is why it is so important to be open minded and adaptable with college decisions, because what you expect might not always end up true. Additionally, although it is a bummer, you might not end up getting into every school you love, which was the case for me.
Touring the campuses was important for my college journey, as I knew that even though I didn’t get accepted to UW-Madison, I loved Eau Claire just as much, if not more. Also, please remember that just because one school is more ‘elite’ than another, every college is someone’s perfect fit. I know that my friends attending Madison are incredibly excited, and I am too, because we have each found our ideal school.