Applying to college is difficult, but so is choosing which school to go to! Many high school students have asked our college students, “Why did you choose to go to your specific college over the others you were admitted to?” Everyone has different priorities, but we hope their advice can help you all out!
Smileysabrina: For me, it came down to a variety of factors, but the cost of attendance was a major one that eliminated a lot of schools I was admitted to. From there, it came down to fit: I stayed overnight at my top 2 choices with current students and talked to as many different students as I could. I asked the tour guides questions and even reached out to random students on campus! Don’t be intimidated about asking them about their school! They’ve all been through the college application process, so they are more than willing to talk to you about their school when they hear you’re considering going there! It’s also important to consider the strength of the specific major program you applied to at each school, as well as the overall breadth of programs and majors offered, because you never know if you’ll want to change majors—I did! Pam.gu: I chose UW-Madison mainly for the flexibility in the univeristies’ academic program and the wealth of opportunities. Since UW-Madison is such a huge school, the opportunities are literally endless. There are hundreds of student organizations you can join and many programs for leadership development. I visited several other smaller schools but did not like the rigid structure that many schools enforced (i.e. curfews in the dorms!). At UW-Madison, students are more independent and the university allows students to add on majors from other schools and gives you the chance to explore whatever fields interest you. Furthermore, UW-Madison accepted many of my AP credits and as a result, I was able to take more exploratory classes that led me to be able to take classes geared towards the careers that I am interested in. Lastly, since UW-Madison is such a large university, there are always opportunities to meet new people! jaclynh: I am now a junior at Boston College and knew from the moment I stepped on campus that I wanted to go there. The campus just has such a “college” feel and that made me so excited. I also liked the curriculum because it was well-rounded, as it includes requirements from different departments. Lastly, its location appealed to me. BC is not in Boston, but rather right on the outskirts. I liked the proximity to the city without actually being in it. When I went on a tour, I got the feeling that BC was where I belonged. 
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