Columbia University (https://www.appily.com/colleges/state/colleges-in-new-york)
With the school year coming to a close, juniors are starting to think about college admissions. This requires a ton of browsing on college websites and attending tours. While this article won’t be a total replacement for your own research, this short guide can help you with what colleges look for and what type of college is best for you.
What Type of College do you want to go to?
Your first decision is what type of college you want to go to. For example there are: community colleges, public colleges, and private colleges, all varying in price. Community colleges are the cheapest option. Public colleges are the second cheapest option; State University of New York (SUNY) schools and City University of New York (CUNY) schools cost about $7,000 dollars for in-state students, and $19,000 for out-of -state students. Prices vary in different states. Private colleges are the most expensive, costing a whopping $40,000-$70,000 for tuition alone.
Before you start searching for community colleges because they’re the cheapest, note that many only offer 2-year degrees. There are some exceptions to this rule, but you may want to look for colleges offering bachelor’s degrees as well. Community colleges often get a bad rep due to their cheap cost, but they are a really good option if you don’t know what you want to major in, or if you can’t or don’t want to commit to a full college right away.
Public colleges are the middle ground. They aren’t as expensive, but may not give you as valuable of connections as private schools could.
Private colleges cost the most, but the tradeoff is that they can give you greater opportunities than community and public colleges. Private schools might offer a more intensive education, but for many, the main reason for going to private colleges is the connections. Schools like NYU, Cal Tech, and Boston University all have very good connections with famous alumni.
Then there are the famous Ivy League schools. These include Princeton, Harvard, Yale, UPenn, Cornell, Brown, Dartmouth, and Columbia. These are some of the most prestigious and exclusive schools in the world. They are very competitive, but attending is extremely rewarding. You get all of the benefits of private schools, but you get to brag that you go to an Ivy!
Where do you want to spend your next 2-8 years?
Another decision to consider is where you want to live. Not just thinking about the school, but also where in the world you want to spend the next 2-8 years. You could spend your time in the US, either close to home or completely on the other coast; or you could study abroad in another country. There is also the choice of rural, suburban, or urban schools. Each option is very different from the others. Rural schools are usually smaller, and have fewer job opportunities close by, but they might be quiet and feature beautiful scenery; meanwhile, urban schools are located in areas with tons of job opportunities, but may be crowded and loud.
Even though college applications are very stressful, at least knowing where you want to go can take some weight off your shoulders. You don’t have to know everything right away – you can even enter colleges undecided if you want to. But knowing what type of environment you want to be in can definitely help you feel more at home during college. In all, don’t feel super stressed because college is just a short period of time in your life, and it won’t decide everything about your career.
Pictured Above: Columbia University is one of the eight Ivy League colleges in the United States. It’s located in New York City and it’s known for its research facilities, its engineering school, and for hosting the Pulitzer Prizes.
Pictured Below: Boston University is a private college located in Boston that’s known for its communication major, as well as its arts and sciences departments. Like Columbia, Boston University is also known for its innovative research.
Boston University (https://wallpaperaccess.com/boston-university)