Top 5 things to help you choose which university to attend

I recently sat down with a community college graduate who was trying to decide between two transfer universities. One was in-state, one out of state. One had full tuition covered and the other would require tens of thousands in loans. 

She was torn and feeling a lot of anxiety about making the "right" choice. 

I shared with her the key things I thought she should look into, and she found them so helpful that I thought I should share them with you too!

If you're not sure which university will be the best choice for you, here are five things you can do:

1) Visit each campus
Get up-close-and-personal with the campus. Ask the admissions office to visit a class and/or the program director or dean of your intended major. Eat in the cafeteria. Go to an athletic event. Sit in the library. 

Don't just do the standard walk-around-tour. Some colleges even offer a chance to stay overnight - do it! This is an investment and getting as close as possible will reveal a lot and will help you make a better gut-level decision.

2) Check out alumni on LinkedIn 
LinkedIn has this new feature that I'm obsessed with. Go to LinkedIn.com/edu and click on the "Prospective Students" tab. Then type in the universities you're considering and after you click to "view" the school you're looking for, click "explore careers of alumni." Keep clicking "show more" until you find the industry and/or company that most closely matches your dream career. 

You can click on one industry or a few, and then scroll down and explore the alumni of that college. Look at a few profiles that intrigue you and consider their career path. Is it something you want to model? 

For the bold, reach out to a few alumni that you admire and ask if they'd be willing to share their experience with the university. Nothing is better than a first-hand account. Sometimes admissions offices will also arrange an alumni conversation.

If you have a very specific post-college goal then also be on the lookout for alumni who fit that profile.

For example, the student I talked with really wanted to go to graduate school at an ivy league after she graduated with her bachelor's, so I told her to try to find out which university prepared more graduates to study at an ivy league and/or had alumni who worked at her dream organizations (e.g. The New York Times). 

3) Talk to a current student 
When you visit campus be bold and ask students around you quick questions. Walk up to a group eating in the cafeteria and explain you're a prospective student and ask them if you can ask them a few questions about how they like the college.

The worst thing that can happen is that they say no, which may tell you something about the campus culture.

Some questions to get you started: 1) What made you choose this college? 2) What is your favorite part about going here? 3) What is your major? 4) What do you like most about classes here? 5) What do you like to do for fun here? 6) What do you know about [program you're interested in]? 7) What is the most challenging part of going to this college? 8) What is one thing you wished someone had told you before enrolling here? 

4) Research your intended major/career
One of my favorite websites for this is InsideJobs.com. Explore your intended career intensively and consider your major with a lot of thought. Then look at the programs at each college to determine which one will best prepare you for what you really want to to learn and do.

One of the best things you can do is connect with someone doing your dream job and tell them about the colleges and programs you're trying to decide between. There is nothing better than getting advice from someone who is in the industry and knows what kind of weight their industry places on particular colleges and programs. 

5) Cost
I put cost last very deliberately. I think community college is a great option because it is so cost effective, but that doesn't mean you always have to go for the cheapest option. 

Wait until you've completed steps 1-4 and then consider your financial aid offerings from each university and map out the cost. 

Here are a few reasons when it can be a good idea to go with the more expensive university: 1) if there are a ton of alumni who went on to your dream organization or dream graduate school 2) if someone in your dream industry says that university opens A LOT more doors in your field than the other 3) if the academic program you want to major in is one of the best 4) if it's an ivy-league university whose recognized name can open a lot of doors

Small loans are fine as you are the best investment you can make. However, if after doing all the research you think you can get all of the things above for less money at an accredited school, then go for it.

There's no reason to take out crazy loans for a private school if it doesn't really offer the things that you want and need for your future. 

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And finally, remember that you've just graduated from community college - something not everyone is able to do. You should be so proud of how far you've come and realize that you have proven you can make the best of wherever you go to school. 

Be smart and strategic, but do not be anxious. Whatever choice you make, as long as you continue to work hard, commit to the experience, and build a college community, you are going to be successful.  

Ask Isa: 10 things to help you pick the best transfer university for you

From the Ask Isa inbox:

Dear Isa,

I'm in a pickle...I am in community college and am getting ready to transfer in the next year and am undecisive on which school to go to. One school I would like to go to because its cheaper and the other, if money were not an option, I would definitely go to. Your thoughts?

Sincerely,

Undecided

Dear Undecided,

There is not an easy answer to this question, and in the end only you can decide what is best for you. However, doing your research and asking for as much advice as possible will ensure you make the choice that will best help you reach your goals. 

College is the best investment you can make in yourself, so when it comes to taking out loans to pay for college, I think it can be beneficial if you have done your research and know that the benefits you will receive from attending that particular college are worth taking out loans for.

Here are some questions to ask yourself. I recommend writing down your answers:

(Let's call the cheaper college College A and the expensive college College B.) 

1) Why do I really want to go to College B? 
2) What benefits does College B offer me that College A cannot offer?
2a) Are those the type of benefits that could lead me closer to my goals? 
3) How much in loans would I have to take out to attend College A? Would the type of job I'm pursuing help me pay those back easily? 
4) Does College A offer important alumni connections to my desired industry that College B does not? 
5) Are there any benefits of College A, aside from being inexpensive, that I'm overlooking? 

Next, here are some things I highly recommend you do:

1) Check out the tools in LinkedIn Education and research the college's you're considering in relation to the careers people have after they've graduated from each. Compare. 
2) Reach out to alumni at College A and College B and ask if you can e-mail them a few questions or speak with them on the phone for a few minutes. Choose people who have a career you would aspire to. Ask them about their college experience and any advice they might have for you in making your choice. People love to mentor and share advice. 
3) Schedule a tour of each campus and pay close attention to the benefits of each. Bring lots of questions to ask the tour guide. 
4) Ask admissions officers at each college about all of the scholarship options. Sometimes students shy away from expensive or prestigious schools because they assume they can't afford it, when sometimes those are the schools that offer the best packages to students with great potential and great financial need. 
5) Apply to both schools and don't make your final decision until you receive the financial aid package for each. If you've done all the research above, once you get the packages you'll know what the best decision will be for you.

Best of luck and congratulations on your upcoming transfer!