Concerned about making the wrong choice of college?  Don’t know where to turn next, or what is most important in terms of deciding where to attend college?  At Choose It Right, we totally get it.  Trying to find the right college and make the right decisions associated with this process can be downright stressful.  As such, we have put together some of the most common mistakes students make when choosing a college, which we encourage you to avoid at all costs:

    •    Rushing the process along too quickly – finding the right college fit takes time, effort, research, and oftentimes, lengthy applications.  Waiting until the last minute to start this process off can lead to hasty decision-making, which is never a good idea.  Since your college career is not just a 2 to 4-year decision, but rather a 20 to 40-year decision, we encourage you to start the research process off early and get off on the right foot.

    •    Following a friend or love interest – just because your boyfriend or girlfriend is attending a certain school doesn’t mean that college will be right for you.  Since college is a pivotal time in your life, you need to make your decision wisely as to where to attend. Being influenced where to go simply because a partner is at a certain college does not always have positive outcomes.  If your relationship is strong enough at the outset of college, it will certainly survive throughout your college career, regardless of where you choose to attend.

    •    The lure of the legacy – just because Mom, Dad or Grandpa went to X College does not mean you have to, and it may also not be in your best interests in the long run.  It is always important for a prospective college student to explore all of their options and to learn more as to whether a college is right for them.

    •    The desire to rebel – also like attending a college due to a legacy, it is also not advisable that you go somewhere simply because your parents disagree.  Keep in mind that your parents may have better insight as to where you should go simply because they know you, and they also likely attended college as well, so they have experience.

    •    You like their sports team – if you are a student-athlete, it makes sense that if you like their team and you want to play on it, that a certain college would be more attractive than others.  However, just because you follow a college’s football team, for instance, doesn’t mean you should let that drive your decision-making.  You can certainly be a fan anywhere; not just at one college over another.

    •    The desire to party – partying is fun, but it doesn’t pay the bills when you graduate college, and it really gets you nowhere if overdone.  Moreover, partying is not really what college is about – it really is about a balance of living on one’s own, learning, and also, being appropriately social.

    •    Location & appearance – judging whether you should attend a college based upon where it is located or what it looks like is a big “no no”. This should be a factor, but not the sole decision maker.

    •    Cost – many parents and students do not look at cost when choosing a college. This is one of the biggest mistakes we see, and it can lead to a lifetime of financial difficulties. Using Choose It Right’s system (including the Smart College Report), you can learn everything you need to know about paying for college, whether out of pocket, through scholarships, with student loans, or a combination thereof.