The High School Senior's Dilemma: Where Should I Go to College?

[xiggi]

<p><a href=“The High School Senior's Dilemma: Where Should I Go to College?”>The High School Senior's Dilemma: Where Should I Go to College?;

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This is a big decision. Luckily, economics research has some useful insights about the returns on an investment in a college education: </p>

<p>•School is about learning – Will you learn? Will you learn things that matter? How broad an education will you receive? (How broad an education do you want?)</p>

<p>•School is about your peers – While professors and classes are certainly important, your classmates are central to the college experience; they will shape your learning and the way you think about life. Are these people you want to learn alongside? Are they people you would like to have involved in your personal and professional life?</p>

<p>•School is about signaling – A college degree offers what economists call a “signal” of your ability. By having a degree, you will show future employers that you are bright and capable. Your choices of school and major will determine the signal your degree sends. And do not forget: A school’s “rank” may matter for signaling, but so does your relative rank within your program of study. Will the school you choose help you excel?</p>

<p>•School is about defining yourself – Which schools will give you the space and motivation to explore and define yourself?</p>

<p>•School is about having fun – There are not many chances in life where you get to meet interesting people on a daily basis and live however you want. So you should enjoy it. Where do you want to be for your college years? Which environment feels most “right”? Which has the most energy?

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<p>Or is it? </p>

[Niquii77]

<p>According the criteria listed above, looks like I made a fine choice.</p>

[momofthreeboys]

<p>I actually think that is a very good list except for signaling I tell the kids that a degree not only tells your future employers that you’ve excelled since not everyone goes to college but that you’ve persevered and set out on a task (to get a college degree) and completed the task, that you have stick-to-it-ness. That, to me, is more important than any signaling related to the name on the diploma. So excel…yes…but finishing is more important. </p>

[billcsho]

<p>School is about cost. Someone is going to pay for it. It may be now, it may be in a few years. When a school is not affordable, you can forget about it. ;)</p>

[raclut]

<p>I ready the following article and found this to be really helpful in picking a college. </p>

<p><a href=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/the-bottom-line-when-picking-a-university-no-debt-for-our-daughter-or-for-us/2014/04/17/d3310c5c-c4ac-11e3-bcec-b71ee10e9bc3_story.html”>http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/the-bottom-line-when-picking-a-university-no-debt-for-our-daughter-or-for-us/2014/04/17/d3310c5c-c4ac-11e3-bcec-b71ee10e9bc3_story.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;