By Ritushree Dutta
Just like the game 2048, the college decision-making process is also a culmination of small parts. Whether you are on the cusp of applying to college or intend to start early, this article will summarize the general ideas that students must take into consideration when selecting colleges to apply to.
Disclaimer:
This article includes information that serves as a model for students to follow. This is by no means the only way to approach College Admissions. These suggestions have been true for the author of this article. The author intends to provide their readers with a possible approach that students can use as a guideline to shape their admissions process. The author assumes no responsibility if these methods do not prove to be true for the reader.
Cost of Attendance and Financial Aid
For most students applying to college, a major factor for consideration is the cost of attendance. The Cost of Attendance is the all-encompassing estimate of what you’ll be paying per year at a university. This will generally include tuition, room, meal plans, books, and other supply costs. It is important to note that these costs will vary greatly depending on your expenses. The only definite amount you will be paying to college will consist of tuition, room, and board (meal plans). Universities do their best to estimate the average amount of money students will spend per year to help them figure out their finances.
The general trend indicates that those who prefer a more affordable education route tend to select schools that are public and in-state. Students are likely to take a university’s published cost of attendance at face value and quickly conclude that top tier schools will be a financial burden for them. But what if I tell you that private schools, even those like the Ivies, could result in a more affordable education than the typical in-state public university? A university’s ability to provide financial aid comes from a pool of funds that is refilled by donations from the school’s alumni and associated organizations. Private schools receive much higher and consistent donations from their alumni and research. Public schools, on the other hand, harbor a lower dollar value for financial aid funds. This means that you are likely to receive more aid from a private university than you are for a public university, reducing the cost of attendance to be extremely affordable. Most students with a high financial need end up paying zilch to attend some of the nation’s top universities, provided that they have deserving accolades. In addition, you may qualify for merit scholarships that would further reduce your cost of attendance.
In my opinion, the best way to tackle the financial concern is to find out what your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) would be after the college provides you with the estimated aid. Most colleges will have an EFC calculator on their financial aid websites that you may use to calculate your estimated aid. Once you know what your aid package may look like, research any further scholarships that the university may provide. Each scholarship may have varying requirements, so you must select those that best capture your accomplishments. Given that you may receive financial aid from all the sources you have factored into your estimation, you can safely check off COST OF ATTENDANCE for a certain university from your list.
Location and Housing
Homesickness is a thing. Face it. If you have never lived away from home for an extended period of time (and that does not include sleepovers at a friend’s house), then you have not experienced what it takes to live on your own terms. The location aspect of the college decision process is often a major factor in deciding the best fit. You must ask yourself whether you will frequently travel to and from your home and the university or whether you agree to only travel back home during extended breaks. Since traveling far distances can become expensive over time, most students prefer to choose colleges that are closer to their homes, ideally in-state. In fact, attending university close to your home can allow you to live at home, thereby reducing your cost of attendance as you will no longer have to pay for Room & Board. Are you someone who doesn’t usually do their own laundry? Who can’t live without mom-made food? Then staying in-state or close to home is the best option for you. You need to assess what your life is going to look like in college and weigh your needs to understand the proximity to home that fits it. However, colleges in your area may not cater to your educational needs or may not have extensive programs and opportunities to provide. This is one of the reasons why students tend to go out-of-state or further away from home to attend university. Some colleges are located in cities that are populated with businesses that are affiliated with certain universities. This can be of great benefit to you! Having large companies in your college town will provide you with additional job experience and can even become a potential source for landing a job after you graduate. Once that’s done, you can check it off your list.
Majors
You’ll be surprised how lightly people take this idea. Majors should be the driving factor of your college choice. Many of you are and will be applying to college Undecided, in which case your choices should encompass liberal arts colleges that have many options. On the other hand, if you know what you would like to major in, then it is crucial for you to research schools that have large departments dedicated to that field of study. Remember that you are going to college to earn a degree and become an expert in your chosen field of study, and you can only become an expert if you expose yourself to various learning environments such as research, internships, clubs, societies, study abroad opportunities, etc. When researching colleges, you not only want to see if they have the major you want to study but also if they have other opportunities to supplement your major. The college that will provide you with the best resources to grow will ultimately be the college that has the most programs surrounding a type of major. Such universities will allow you to enhance your education and gain true expertise in the field.
Now, there are majors out there that will make it harder for you to get in simply because it is in high demand by the applicants. This is mostly the case if a school is known for a specific field of study. However, I would encourage you against applying to a less competitive major just so you can get in. Your admissions officers will see right through that because your essays won’t be genuine, your interview (if you get one) will seem off, and your extracurriculars will not line up. My advice: put major and opportunities at the forefront of your thoughts as you go about the selection process but do not compromise anything. Your education should be your first priority.
Chancing
This is a very touchy subject. Although there are many who would disagree with me on this, I can’t help but believe there is a large degree of truth to chancing mechanisms. If you are unsure of what chancing means, it is the process of comparing your statistics with those of students who were admitted to the previous year’s admissions cycle. This means assessing where your test scores and GPA lie in comparison to the admitted students’, the admitted class’ diversity statistics, and many more factors. This analysis will give you a good idea where you stand as an applicant to that university. Let me explain this using an example; I’ll be using NC State’s Class of 2023 Profile to explain how to go about the chancing process. You can find each school’s “Class of YYYY Profile'' on its website.
First, look at their average unweighted GPA. 3.79 means that students who were admitted scored almost all As and some Bs in their classes. The weighted GPA tells you that most students took more than 1 AP class to boost their GPA, which is also reinforced by the “Average Number of AP Exam Scores Submitted by a Student.” But if you look at the bottom of the page, you’ll see a box plot. This is crucial when it comes to the chancing process. Let’s take SAT scores as an example: the middle 50% of students who were admitted to NC State in 2019 had scores between 1270 and 1410. When you look at those numbers, see where your score falls. If you are below that range, it’s probably not a great indication of your chances for admission. If you lie within the range, then you are a competitive applicant but you’ll need more than your test scores to secure your spot in their class. If you are above the range, you are an extremely competitive applicant and have a high chance of admittance. Do this with all your numbers and see where you lie. Let me warn you that these statistics are only an indication of your chances. You may be well below the ranges but if you have notable extracurriculars or accomplishments, you’ll very likely be admitted! To those ends, if you lie above all the ranges, do not think you’ve made the cut. Your extracurriculars, grades, and accomplishments still weigh into your decision.
Applying to college is hard and confusing. But planning every step ahead of time is crucial. Take my guide into consideration as you go about your application process. My biggest advice to you will be to believe in yourself. Do not get bogged down by small failures. Make sure what you do is meaningful to you because it will surely reflect on your application. Colleges truly want to see your authentic self, so show them that. At the end of the day, if you do not get in, it just means that the school was not perfect for you and you wouldn’t have been happy there (in most cases). But don’t lose hope because there is always a school that will be perfect for you. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me on Instagram @ritu.dutta06 as I answer a lot of questions about college on my page. Good luck!
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