After countless hours of filling in information on Common App, contemplating a topic for an excessive amount of supplemental essays, and making new passwords for each college portal, most seniors officially chose a college on May 1, National Decision Day.
The work is finally worth it. Seniors get to wear the shirt of pride and honor towards their new college, marking a new chapter in their lives.
So how do they do it? Beyond simply creating accounts on Common App, making a list of pros and cons with parents, or putting a deposit down on a school. How is it that one decides upon what is seemingly the most important decision one will make in their life?
The annoying thing is: there’s no right answer. Choosing a college is not something that can simply be determined by following the rules or doing everything “right”. No experience is exactly the same, and no path can be directly replicated. College is an individual decision through and through, with things like cost, location, and majors being make or break factors for each person.
Elinor Hwee, now committed to the University of Notre Dame for Neuroscience, said that factors like “academics, community and campus culture, location, price, and unfortunately prestige” were all big influences going into the college admissions process.
However, after experiencing the intensity and rigor of college admissions, she put a deposit down with no hesitation after a visit over spring break, because of the community belonging she felt immediately upon stepping foot on campus.
“I never thought that I’d end up going there, even when I was first applying”, she said. During her visit to Notre Dame, she was actually deciding between Boston College and Fordham.
“Everyone that I met felt like people that I wanted to be around, and it didn’t feel like I had to be a certain way, act a certain way, or dress a certain way in order to fit in and to feel like I could belong in that community. I really loved all the people I met, they were all incredible down to earth, and they felt like people I genuinely wanted to be around for the next four years”.
Hwee said that one of the hardest parts of her decision was “trying to fight the need to go to a prestigious school”. But in overcoming that barrier, she found that college is really about an individual sense of fulfillment and contentment.
“I’m really proud of [my decision] because I picked it for myself and I picked it because it’s something that I felt a sense of conviction about, and not because it was the most prestigious school or the highest ranked school”.
Senior Grace Nguyen went into college admissions with the knowledge of what she would study, and the intention that her school would provide the academics that would suffice.
Which school that was, however, would boil down to the feel of the college.
“My top factors were the environment of the school, and the community,” she stated. “The vibes were a big part for me in deciding what college I wanted to go to, and also if they had what major I wanted. I’m very interested in Art.”
This left her with two options: Savannah College of Art and Design or an in-state college.
After visiting the campus the summer before senior year, she chose SCAD, and is now attending for Advertising and Branding.
“That was a huge deciding factor for me,” she reflected. “To pursue art, especially as someone going to Jesuit where there’s a lot of high academics was definitely important to me.”
Her college journey didn’t end just there, and it didn’t end simply. For many seniors, comparison is a big issue when deciding and working towards feeling proud and excited about a college.
Nguyen said that she had to learn to not let the comparison of choosing a different path than others get to her, or influence her choice.
“I want to focus on making myself happy by shifting my mindset to what’s best for me, compared to if I can compete with my peers. That was a big thing to have to train myself to think, and honestly, I believe it now. I’m not as anxious about going to an art school anymore.”
Finally, senior Maeve Thomas has had a similarly untraditional college decisions experience, in that she’s known where she’ll be attending since her junior year.
Thomas is committed to Fairfield University to study Business and play Division I soccer. For Thomas, the deciding factor wasn’t as simply academics or athletics, but the feeling acquired from experiencing the school,
“I really wanted a good academic school, and a good soccer program specifically. I also wanted to be closer to my sister who goes to Fordham, …and I have family over there. I loved the campus and felt at home”.
Her advice? To stay dedicated to the process of choosing a college, and also find that “feeling” in a school. A decision based on discernment, and simultaneously, intuition and insight.
“Take your time. Everyone commits at a different time; there’s no right time to do it. Once you see a college, it’s more about the feeling than anything else. If you feel like you’re gonna be happy there, it’s definitely the right choice. Look for the feelings.”
Ultimately, there is no single perfect college or path that guarantees perfection or success. For many students, the college decisions process becomes less and less about prestige or outside expectations, but more about finding a place that offers comfort and fulfillment. The choice comes down to a personal, individual need or satisfaction that is met. Putting aside fears, inconveniences, and comparison, and trusting oneself is the most important thing to put down on your Common App.
