Are you stressed out deciding what college to go to? If so, you’re not alone. It can be overwhelming. You want to pick the perfect school, but what if you end up hating the school you picked? What if the classes are too hard? What if the school loans are too much to pay back?
Stop right there.
There are a million different ‘what if’ scenarios that might be racing your head, but don’t let them get the better of you! Those ‘what ifs’ are only going to drive you crazy.
Instead, take a deep breath, and let me guide you through a checklist that will help you pick the right college.
The Checklist
This checklist will walk you through 7 steps. The goal is to help you find the school that will give you the most opportunities to be successful. And, spoiler alert, you are the only one that can define what success looks like in your life.
Before we dive in, I truly believe there is no wrong or right choice as long as you’re being honest with yourself. It’s easy to be influenced by your friends, parents, teachers, or even random people you follow on social media. Let them guide you and inspire you, but at the end of the day, the decision needs to be yours.
The career path that you’ll stick with (and enjoy) is one that builds the life you want to live. Only once you have an idea of what that ideal life and career looks like can we start talking about schools. And when I say ‘idea’, I really just mean an idea. You don’t need to have all the answers today. You can adjust your career path plans as your priorities in life change and as you change.
As an aerospace engineer, I’ve based this checklist on my own educational experiences. However, this checklist may also be useful to you if you’re considering other career paths, or even completely different programs like associate degrees, vocational-technical schools, and other continuing education programs. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to go the “traditional” college route to have a successful, fulfilling life (check out Mike Rowe’s foundation, that guy is awesome).
Step 1: Review the basic requirements
Let’s start with the obvious to get it out of the way. You need to pick a college that offers the degree you want. And, of course, you need to get accepted into their program (I know, easier said than done!). Skip this step if you’ve already been accepted into a few programs and are trying to finalize your choice. For those of you debating between multiple engineering degrees, also check out this page.
- Does the school offer the degree program(s) that support your desired career path?
- Do you meet all the prerequisites (GPA, test scores, etc.)?
Step 2: Maximize your career path opportunities
This step is all about finding a school that will give you the most opportunities to get that dream job. Use these questions as guidelines. Simply cross off the ones that aren’t important to you.
- Does the degree program have the areas of focus you’re interested in?
- In other words, what sub-topics interest you, and does that school offer classes on those topics? For example, if you’re looking at aerospace engineering programs, are you more interested in aeronautics or astronautics? If you’re really interested in orbital mechanics, is there a class (or classes) dedicated to orbital mechanics?
- If you’re not sure, find a program that offers several options so you have some flexibility later on. That flexibility is also beneficial as your interests change. My interests definitely shifted as I learned more about myself and the world of aerospace!
- Is the school accredited?
- Is the degree program accredited?
- Does the program in that institution also need to be accredited? That can be a harder question to answer and may depend on what career path you choose. Consider looking at various job postings and see if they require additional accreditations. Let’s walk through an engineering example. The university you’re looking at is nationally accredited (listed here), and most of its engineering programs are also accredited through ABET (a very good sign for an engineering college). But, maybe they may have a new engineering program that you’re interested in that hasn’t been accredited through ABET yet. Ask the school what their plans are for ABET accreditation. Do they have a good plan and schedule in place to get accredited? Also, look at how close your curriculum will be to other degrees that are currently ABET-accredited. If the curriculum is almost the same, except for a few classes, that ABET curriculum may be a good backup plan if an ABET-accredited degree ends up being important to your career (it may not be).
- Does the school have the right industry connections?
- Does the school bring in professionals to talk periodically? For example, many engineering schools have a general lecture course that will introduce you to professionals in various engineering industries. Clubs and other organizations at the school may also bring in guest speakers from industry for special events or club meetings.
- Does the school host any career fairs in the industry you want to work in? Career fairs are a great place to learn about different companies and to network with company representatives. This is a great opportunity to share your resume. Some companies will even schedule interviews that same week for internships, co-ops, and full-time positions. Though, don’t forget to also follow your favorite companies on social media or regularly check out their websites so you don’t miss job announcements or other opportunities.
- Alternatively, ask yourself what companies you could see yourself working for. What schools do those companies recruit from the most?
- Does the school offer clubs, organizations, and hands-on experiences?
- For future engineers, these experiences can be more important to employers than your GPA (assuming you meet their minimum GPA requirement if they have one). Large universities will have more clubs to choose from, but small colleges may offer more hands-on opportunities in the classroom. It depends on the school, the program you’re signing up for, what career you’re pursuing, and your own personality.
- Does the program have great educators?
- Educators can have a big impact on how successful you are.
- Do professors have an open-door policy? For on-campus classes, do they have office hours where you can stop by to ask questions? For virtual classes, do they allow emails, phone calls, or video chats outside of class? Here’s an article that discusses why office hours are important.
- Are they working on exciting research or projects?
- Do the professors or teachers have real work experience or have they been in academia their entire lives? One’s not necessarily better than the other, but it can be beneficial to have at least a few educators that have actually worked in the same career field that you’re pursuing. Some of my favorite lessons in college were from educators who worked in the industry for 10-30 years before becoming a professor or advisor.
- Does the school offer any advanced degrees that you may want to pursue?
- If you think you want to pursue a master’s or PhD, also look at the school’s graduate program. Do the graduate programs sound exciting? How many alums get accepted into their graduate programs? Are there special benefits (like not having to take the GRE or scholarships) if you decide to stay in the same school for your master’s or PhD?
- Are there research assistant or teaching assistant positions available?
- Some schools even offer accelerated programs where you can pursue a BS and an MS at the same time.
- Note: colleges that have good graduate programs can still help you out as an undergraduate. There may be opportunities to work on advanced research or take more advanced classes as an undergrad. So even if you don’t want to pursue a graduate program, it may still be worth looking into briefly.
Step 3: Will you have the right social support?
Whether you think you need it or not, having a solid social support system can make a huge difference in your success. The tricky part is figuring out what kind of social support system you need depending on your personality, your interests, your background, etc. For this step, I’ll list out questions for you to consider. For each question, evaluate if it’s important to you and if it might help you or distract you.
- How far away will you be from friends and family? Will you be able to visit on holidays or weekends?
- Maybe family time is a priority for you. Or maybe you want to put some distance between you and your parents. Whatever the case, consider if location is an important factor to you.
- How many of your friends are planning to go to the same school as you? Will those friends likely help or hurt your plans?
- Are there fun activities either at the school or near the school?
- Unlike step 2, this one is more focused on what makes you happy instead of being a resume builder. Maybe you love swing dancing, or you can’t live without rock climb every week, or you’re are a huge Jane Austen fan (you think I’m joking, but the Jane Austen Society of North America has over 80 regional offices and hosts a huge international conference every year that ends in banquet and Regency-style ball). Just because you’ll be focusing on building your new career path doesn’t mean you can’t also have other activities that bring you joy.
- Does the school or nearby town have the right spiritual support for you?
- This could be a church, temple, mosque, etc. It could be yoga, guided meditation sessions, or a quiet spot to reconnect. It could simply be a feeling of acceptance on campus. Or maybe all of the above!
- Does the school have free or low-cost gyms and workout classes?
- Does the school have supportive communities already set up?
- At Purdue, I joined EPICS for my first year. Not only was it a hands-on class, but it was also a community where I lived with other EPICS engineering women. It was an instant, ready-made support system. Learn more about my college years here.
- Do the school deans and advisors offer walk-in consultations? Would you feel comfortable going to them to talk about your degree, career path, internship advice, etc.?
- Does the school offer therapy sessions for free or for a reduced cost to students?
- This was something I never thought I’d need, but it came in use when I got super overwhelmed (and depressed) during a particularly stressful semester.
Step 4: Can you afford it?
This goes without saying – the cost of college can be outrageous. I’ve listed out my tips to minimize your student debt here, but what career path you decide to pursue and what school you choose to go to can have a big impact as well.
- What is the cost of the tuition?
- Are scholarships available, if any?
- What will your estimated living expenses be?
- Will you be living in the dorms or offsite? Or maybe you want to commute from your parent’s house to save on living expenses for a few years. There are also more and more options for distance learning, which might also help save on living expenses.
- How often do you plan to visit family and friends?
- Long road trips or plane tickets can get expensive if you plan to visit often!
- Consider how you’ll pay off your debts. The cost of that tuition might be worth it if you’ll be making enough money after you graduate to pay it off quickly and you actually score the job you wanted. From a school selection point of view, there are two main things to consider here:
- (A) What will your income be after you graduate? Look up the median salary previous alums have earned the year they graduated. Make sure you’re looking at the same degree you plan to get. How does that compare with the national median salary?
- (B) What’s your likelihood of earning that income? How many graduates from that school get jobs in the same field or position you want? Some colleges carry more weight when it comes to getting hired in a specific field. You don’t want to toss over a lot of money and then not even get the job you wanted!
- Bonus: NerdWallet.com has a lot of great (and free) calculators to help you further dig into the financial planning aspect, like this cost of living calculator or this student loan calculator.
Step 5: Do you need a flexible program?
Do you have a lot of other responsibilities you’re trying to balance while you go to school? If so, find a school that will work best around your life.
- Do you need the flexibility of online classes, night classes, or classes that are only scheduled on certain days?
- Can you pause your enrollment for a year without having to re-apply again?
- Does the curriculum offer some flexibility in what classes you can take?
Step 6: Is the campus safe?
Most, if not all, colleges want to put your safety first, but it’s still worth doing some research here. Here are some questions and actions to consider when it comes to your safety.
- Look up crime statistics both on-campus and off-campus in the surrounding area. Also, consider the severity of the crimes (theft v. murder).
- Visit during the day and at night. Do you feel safe walking around campus? Alternatively, ask current students if they feel safe walking around campus by themselves.
- Does the school have a place where you can easily report someone (e.g. a stalker, a student who makes you feel unsafe, etc.)? Do they have a system in place to take action once you report that person? Can you report it anonymously?
Step 7: What does your intuition say?
What’s your gut telling you? What kind of vibes do you get when you talk to current students or when you visit the campus? If you’re not feeling good about a particular school, even if you don’t know why, listen to your own intuition.
While being logistical and rational is incredibly important when you’re making big decisions, don’t discredit your emotions when picking a college. You’re about to spend a lot of time in these classes or even living on campus. You’ll increase your chances of success if you’re feeling mostly good vibes: supported, inspired, excited, etc.
Takeaway
Picking the “right” college is about you and your career aspirations. The goal is to find a school that can create the most amount of opportunities to help you achieve your unique dreams.
Note that I didn’t once mention…
- Did your parents go to that school?
- Is it an elite or Ivy League school?
- Is the program ranked #1 in the country?
Maybe you will go to an Ivy League school. But are you doing it for the bragging rights or because you think it’s actually a great fit for you and your career path?
Look at what career and the kind of life you want first, then find a school that can help you get there. Try your best to ignore all those other pesky external influences.
I know this decision can be nerve-racking. But, it’s not the end of the world if you change your mind later. It’s going to be okay. Just take it one step at a time.
You got this!
Do you have any other helpful tips you’ve learned? Share it with us in the comments below!