Important Factors to Consider When Making Your List

  • Distribution requirements:  Consider required general courses. Are you excited about the required curriculum? Is proficiency in a language required?  How many units of math? Will the school consider AP/IB classes as fulfilling required courses even if they may not give you credit?

  •  Graduation outcomes:  Many schools boast an impressive 95%  graduates working or in graduate school within a year of graduation. A few things to consider:  How many students  work in their chosen field versus a temp job? Which graduate programs are listed?  If you are interested in law, medicine, do they have application counseling and what is the success rate? 

  • COVID-19 Considerations: Many schools have dashboards and publish data weekly or daily. What is the housing strategy for next fall given the uncertainty of vaccine availability and virus mutations?  What is the plan to contain spread on campus?  Hybrid classes or all zoom? What has the success rate been thus far?

  • Housing:  Are there  themed residential housing programs ( international, LGBTQ, vegan, Greek )?  How hard/easy it is to change rooms if needed?  What the options are for freshman and sophomores vs juniors and seniors?

  • Semester vs Quarter vs. Tri Semester: The academic calendar makes a big difference to some students. Quarter classes are usually 10 weeks long and are faster paced versus a semester calendar lasting 16 weeks.

  • Location, Location, Location:  Urban vs rural, close to home vs far away vs very far away, regional preferences, climate & cultural considerations: What works for you?  

  • Program/Faculty Strengths:  Major requirements: does the required course loan line up with your interests?  Is the department faculty known for teaching, research, accessible? Do they hold terminal degrees in the field? 

  • School Size: Smaller schools tend to smaller classes, more interaction with professors, more personal approach.  Larger schools tend to more research, more majors, more choices in activities

  •  Cost/Debt:  A good question to ask: What is the average graduated student debt of those needing to borrow.  This amount differs from the average debt of all students.

  •  Graduation rates:   What are the 4 & 6 year graduation rates?  If it is anything less than 80% ask why: specific majors, distribution requirements, money? A related question: what is the retention rate - that is, how many students return after freshman year? You want to see a very high number here!

  • Social scene: Many schools boast a long list of clubs and organizations. How many are robust and active? Would you be eligible/likely to participate? What percent of social life is Greek? Is diversity important to you?