…And what to do afterward

For some, deciding what college to go to after having concrete options is easy, but for many, it can be quite complicated. When making the decision, consideration has to be given to potential majors, school-specific opportunities, living situations, and overall finances. For example, if someone who wants to study marine biology was accepted into an honors program with one college that would provide free room and board but was also accepted by another college that would give them a large scholarship, which college should they choose? 

Financial capacity is the most vital factor in choosing which college to attend. When deciding, make a chart with all of the school options and total the amount of scholarship money, financial aid, and FAFSA money able to be put towards each school and subtract it from the total cost of attendance (including tuition, school meal plan, room and board or local cost of living, estimated lab fees, and other related costs) to find the out of the pocket cost of each school.

Comparing and contrasting each school’s features and out-of-pocket cost is the next thing to do in order to gauge the best-fitting school. What matters the most will vary from person to person, and that’s the crux of the decision. By making the necessary comparisons, it is then time to make the decision.