Finding The Best College For You

By the time most students reach their junior year of high school, they have narrowed down their college choices to a select few.  Some choose to attend a particular university or college because it’s close to home, while others want to get as far away from mom and dad as possible.  There are some students who choose colleges that offer academic programs they can’t find elsewhere.  Others choose to attend colleges that are smaller because they want smaller class sizes.  Some students choose schools based on their names and reputations, and even more choose colleges that will give them the best education for a minimal amount of money.  Regardless of what reason dictates where a student attends college, many ranking systems point out the best and worst colleges for different criteria.  These ranking systems are often conducted by independent websites as well as national journals. 

Each year, publications such as US News and World Report puts out a list of the top rated colleges in the United States.  This list rarely differs from year to year and includes mostly colleges that are considered Ivy League.  Names like Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Stanford, and Columbia are always ranked high on the list.  The list of top rated colleges compiled by US News includes information regarding the cost per year of attendance, acceptance rate, and number of students in attendance.  US News uses a ranking system which takes into consideration degree programs, internship opportunities, and the caliber of students accepted including the median SAT and ACT scores.  In addition, the retention rate, graduation rate, and extracurricular activities such as sports and club involvement are included.  This ranking system is also used to determine schools with the best business and engineering programs along with the best regional programs.

Fun Stuff At Larger Universities

While academics are certainly important when it comes to picking the right college for you, it’s not the only factor that should be taken into consideration.  Chances are most college students aren’t going to spend their lives locked up in their dorm rooms hitting the books all hours of the day and night.  It’s important to consider what types of activities are located on or around campus when choosing a college.  Sites such as www.collegeprowler.com rank schools based on a wide variety of factors including Greek life, athletics, local atmosphere, drug scene, safety, and facilities in addition to academics.  Some of the most popular schools in the US can be found on this list which is easy to search.  Simply type the name of the school in the search bar, and a full run down of rankings for each category will appear alongside information including contact, history, and cost of attendance for these top rated colleges.  The only problem with this list is that not every university is included, so if you’re interested in a smaller university, you may have to conduct your own research.

Things To Avoid

When choosing a college, it’s important to make academics the top priority.  Sure you want to have fun with your friends and hang out on campus, but you don’t want that to rule your life.  Your parents are paying for you to get a good education and not party all night.  Rather than listing schools based on academic performance, some sites list schools based on the amount of partying that goes on.  Schools like the University of Miami and the University of Texas always appear on the list.  It’s important to remember though that just because a school is rated among the top party schools doesn’t mean they don’t have a high academic rating too.

How To Use These Ratings

Some prospective students base their decisions on rankings compiled by media outlets and education experts.  These lists are a great place to start a search, but should not be the only means used to determine whether a college would be the right fit for you.  These lists are subjective, meaning that while they represent the best and the worst, they only cover a small part of what happens on or off campus

In addition to checking out the ratings lists for colleges you are interested in, arrange a visit.  You might find that the college that looked great on paper isn’t at all like what you imagined.  Another great idea is to arrange for an overnight visit.  Campus tours will only allow you to see what happens during the days and in the classrooms, so if a recent graduate of your high school attends a college you are interested in, hit them up for an overnight visit.  You will learn a lot about what happens after the textbooks are put away by doing this. 

More Information

Maybe you’re not looking to attend a large university right now.  A community college is a great place to start.  Community colleges allow students to get a few terms under their belt before they jump into a large university environment, while others stay at the community college through the course of their college life.  There are many great top rated community colleges out there, each offering a wide array of majors.  Top rated community colleges are often classified by state or region.  US News and World Report has a listing on their website for top rated community colleges for those who are interested in staying closer to home. 

Don’t forget online universities when considering colleges.  These days, many students are choosing to attend college any time of the night or day from home.  All you need is a computer and the classroom comes to you.  More information on top rated online universities including degree programs, cost of attendance, and how each program works can be found by visiting oedb.org/rankings.  The rankings found here are based on graduation rate, acceptance rate, financial aid, years of accreditation, and student-faculty ratio.

If you are still considering which college to attend, looking into ratings and statistics is a great way to get an idea about what different universities have to offer.  You won’t find everything your need in the rankings, but they will certainly give you some food for thought when making your final decision.



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