Choosing a College

Nisha J asked:


I am trying to pick between two colleges that I want to go. According to Fafsa, I have to come up 7500 a year. One school is willing to give me 5000 a year, not including other scholarships I’ve applied for. Another college (my choice) may not give me as much money. What should I do?

Goodman Heat Pumps

Jon Arnold asked:


You have read the brochures, you have made your college choice, now comes the tough part of determining how you are going to pay for your college education. If you are like most students, you are not independently wealthy and so you start looking at student loan applications. This is the way that the vast majority of college students fund their college education. But there are multiple things to consider in this scenario which indicate that although this may be the easiest way to finance it, it may not be the best way, and you will not know that unless you have investigated the options.

A recent news article stated that most college financial aid offices maintain a list of preferred lenders. These are lenders who have worked out something with the college to make the loan application process and loan approval process as easy as possible, both for the student as well as the college accounting office. But this article encourages students to look beyond the list of preferred lenders that the college provides, since from a total and overall financial aspect, this may not be your best option.

One of the things stated in this article is that some of these lenders are so desperate to get on this preferred list that they add certain “sweeteners” to the college administrators in return for being put on this list. These sweeteners include things like stock options and all expense paid vacations to exotic destinations. While that is certainly not the norm, there is no way for you to determine which ones may have done this simply by looking at the list of potential lenders on the college’s preferred list. The sad thing is that although these companies are on the preferred list via these tactics, that fact means nothing in terms of the value or expense of the loan they are providing.

Some of these lenders also offer incentives to choose them. For example, some offer a 1% reduction in the interest rate after 48 on-time payments, and others offer a 1% reduction in principal after 48 on-time payments. While that may sound good on the surface, you need to look at what this really means. In the first case, it is the same as lowering your interest rate by 0.33%, and in the second case, it is like lowering your overall interest rate by 0.12%. In other words, if you don’t do the math, you will not realize that what they are offering is basically nothing.

Correct me if I am wrong, but wouldn’t the ideal way to finance your college education be a way where you got funding to pay for part of all of your tuition and/or books and/or housing expenses, and not have to pay it back, ever? That can be done, yet few students are aware of it or take advantage of it.

The method I am referring to is college scholarships. There are a truckload of college scholarships available for virtually any student. The student does not need to be an athletic superstar or musical protoge or have a squeaky clean GPA. In fact, many of these scholarships do not even require the student to have a financial need in order to qualify for it.

Even stranger is the fact that out of all the college scholarships available, a good number of them go unawarded each year simply because nobody applied for them! If the Tiddly Winks Foundation is willing to give you money for college, do you really care what the source of this funding is?

Investigate the avenue of college scholarships. The only thing it will cost you is the stamp and the time to fill out the application, which is time well invested.



Paint Stick

wtstephens4 asked:


If you could list the top 5 reasons that you chose to attend that college or university that you did, and in the order of importance, then that would be wonderful. I am doing a little bit of research to understand the final deciding factors.

Coffee Vending Machines

Brad asked:


If so which college was that? If not what was your second choice and did you get in?

Were/are you happy?

How To Install Vinyl Siding

Michael Fleischner asked:


Most college bound students find the prospect of finding and applying to the right school a real challenge. Peer pressure from your friends and family can make the prospect of an objective search seem impossible. Even with a variety of opinions about your future being discussed, don’t despair. Find the right college for you is easier than you think.

The first step in finding the right college is to consider key selection criteria. Here are a number of criteria to consider when making a college choice. Remember that even once you’ve narrowed down your options, nothing beats an actual campus visit.

Location, Location, Location.

So where do you want to go? Obviously, academics play a huge role in determining the right school for you, but so does location. Are you looking for an exotic location or something close to home? What are your hobbies? Will you be in a location that allows you to continue doing what you most enjoy doing?

Are you looking for a rural setting or an urban one? Start your college planning with the type of location that you will be most happy with. This can have a tremendous impact on your experience and can do a lot to help you narrow your choices.

If you’ve always lived in the suburbs, an urban campus can result in culture shock. After a few weeks, you may be in need of grassy fields and open space. On the other hand, if you’re used to malls and movie theaters and choose a college in a rural area, will you be racing into the student center at midnight, desperately seeking noise, lights, and people? Think about where you grew up and how much of a change you want.

Campus Size

Are you thinking big? Or do you prefer something much more manageable? Colleges come in all shapes and sizes, from a school in New Hampshire that enrolls less than 100 students to a school like Penn State that can enroll 30,000 or more. Which is better? That depends on your preferences.

Do you like being places where everybody knows you, or do you like the anonymity of a crowd? You might even want to think about how far you want to walk between classes. Large schools typically have large campuses, as well as a healthy selection of student services and things to do. On the other hand, a smaller college may offer individualized attention, as well as a more intimate and personalized experience for each student.

College Type

Despite popular belief, all college are different. Some devote much of their time and resources to research. Others focus their attention on teaching and learning. Some have a specialty in one area, while others are known for providing students a broad end enriching education. Other differences to consider include whether schools are single sex or coed, if have a religious affiliation. There are a variety of colleges that focus on a particular ethnicity. Your options are almost limitless and your personal learning style, preferences, and available resources will help you find the place where you will best succeed.

There are many factors to consider when deciding where you want to go to college. Begin by considering location, campus size, and type. By knowing the kind of university you wish to attend, you can narrow your choices and focus on curriculum and affordable options.



Heat Pump Ratings