Figuring Out What You Want in a College
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How Much Can You Spend?My biggest concern during my college search was finances. I decided to stay in Texas because of the in-state tuition. If it wasn't for financial reasons and wanting to stay in Texas to be near family, I probably would've been applying to many schools outside of Texas.
Southwest Texas State University
Any time you go shopping, you need to know how much you have to spend. The same holds true when shopping for a college. Never ever rule out a school just because it's expensive--each year more than one billion dollars is given out in scholarships, and there are many types of financial aid for which you and your family can qualify. But if your resources are limited, as they are for most of us, you want to make sure to apply to some schools that are not as expensive, just in case.
Talk to your parents about paying for college. How much will they contribute? How much will you have to pitch in? It's important to have this conversation as early in the process as possible so you know what to expect, look for a variety of schools in terms of cost, and apply for financial aid and enough scholarships to cover the bill. We go into much more detail on financial aid in a later chapter, but consider this component as you figure out what you need from a school.
Size Matters
Colleges come in all sizes, from student bodies of less than 1,000 to those of more than 60,000. The size of your school does affect your experience, both academically and socially. There are pros and cons to both small and large colleges, and it's just a matter of deciding what's right for you.
Small Colleges
At small colleges, as in small towns, you're more likely to bump into people you know. This can be nice, but it can also be a bit annoying after a while.
Classes tend to be smaller, which means there is more of an opportunity to participate in discussions and interact with the professors. Professors are more likely to remember you, and because they know you well, they'll be able to write you informed references for jobs or grad school.
My school was smaller and there was no graduate program, so I was able to work a lot more in my field of costume design. There just weren't that many people doing it.
Abilene Christian University
Sometimes people assume that small schools aren't all that diverse, but this isn't always true. Many small colleges attract students of all types of social, religious, racial, and economic backgrounds. Don't make any judgments until you do some research.
Large Colleges
Large colleges usually provide a wider range of course offerings. If you're undecided about the subjects you want to take, they give you the chance to explore many different fields. They also tend to have more lecture classes than small, seminar-style classes.
Not knowing half the people in your class is not too rare at larger schools--and it's not always a bad thing. If having a degree of anonymity is more desirable to you than having everyone know you, a large campus may be a way to go.