(written by Val, College Counselor at the Center for College Planning)

Hi Bloggers,

I hope that you all enjoyed the long weekend!  Sometimes it’s tough to come back and focus on stuff beyond BBQ’s and sleeping in!

Today I thought it would be nice to talk about the choices each student has when picking their college.  I’ve been speaking with many students about the colleges that they have chosen and why, as well as with students that will soon begin the process and what will help them decide on the right college for them.

Things have changed in the past couple of years.  With the cost of college continuing to rise, the notion of taking on large amounts of school loan debt in a volatile job market is not as appealing as it may have previously been.

Recently, CNN featured a short video called “Students Choosing Price Over Prestige?” highlighting one student’s journey to choose his local public school over a private school with a bumper sticker name.  He and his father candidly discuss his reasons for choosing the college he did and the peer pressure both of them faced from friends to make a different choice.  I found the video to be thought-provoking and interesting.  Choosing a college should be fun (it’s an exciting time in your life!), but it should also be done with care and purpose. 

What do you think?  What helped you make your college choice or what will you be looking for when you do?

Choose with care,
Val