How did you decide what college was a good “fit” for you?

College Search & Lists
1

I strongly feel like I’ve based my college decision on “how I could mold myself into something this college wants” rather than “what college has my wants, needs, and interests.” It may not be the best way to decide, but it’s still a way.

2

Do you mean “fit” for admissions, or “fit” for attendance?

If you mean the latter, consider your preferences:

  • Does that school have good offerings in your academic interest and your intended major?
  • Is your intended major competitive admission? (the more competitive it is, the less desirable)
  • Is cost, net of financial aid grants and scholarships, affordable?
  • Do you have any non-academic preferences?
3

If you are trying to pretend to be someone you are not you may get admitted but will probably not have a good time at the college.

4

@TomSrOfBoston While that may be true, I still feel like it can be helpful to look at what the college wants and see if you fit into that kind of community.

Looking at the questions @ucbalumnus posed, this is what led me to attend Grinnell College in Iowa:

I’m going to major in computer science, and Grinnell’s pretty well-renowned and theoretical curriculum was appealing to me. Double majoring is also very easy at Grinnell

Grinnell does not admit by major, so this wasn’t really a factor.

Grinnell gave me a bigger merit scholarship than I would’ve gotten at any other top-20 liberal arts college, the closest is USC for NM (however, USC would still have been much more expensive).

Heh. I wanted a diverse feel to my school, which gradually made me want to consider options outside of Mother Iowa. But upon visiting Grinnell, I grew to love the paradoxical community in the middle of country America.

5

It was easy.

Dad said “I can afford to pay for community college.” So I went there for 2 years.

Two years later, all my friends, the entire crowd I hung out with, was going to St. John’s University. It was no less affordable than the other local options. They have a math education program. We all carpooled.So I went there.

Back in the 70’s and 80’s, at least in my circles, “fit” was about finances and major. Period.