MonoBlog: College Auditions! - How to Pick the Right College

Hey there!

So, I thought for this post I would about something very important: how to pick the right college (this goes for everyone).

Now, a lot of you have already applied to the colleges of your choice, but if you haven't or if you're just now starting to look, this post may be of some help.

The college application process is, without doubt, stressful. No matter how positive you are, you're going to run into problems and you're going to have to do a lot of work. So, why do it?

Because, the schools you are looking at are WORTH IT for you!

There's no reason to put in the amount of work that a college application takes in its entirety for a school that you don't really want to go to or a school that you can't see yourself enjoying completely.

Use college websites, Google images, guidance counselors, alumni, friends, tours...anything. Find some schools that look AWESOME to you. Schools where you can see yourself being HAPPY. Schools that speak to you, that you're EXCITED about, that you will feel COMFORTABLE in!

That's tip numero uno: apply to schools that you LOVE.

Tip numero...two... is that you need to look at the programs that you are interested in within your college choices.

Personally, I had a very specific desire: I wanted to go to school where I could study acting and something else like business or communication.

My advice to you is to make a list: what majors/minors are you interested in, what specific areas you want to study within those choices, and any other details you might want to include (like my double major option).

Once you've made this list, you have to do some research (ugh sorry). You need to know which colleges offer what and how.

When I was applying to colleges, I had no idea that a lot of performance programs do not let you double major or minor (like Mason Gross). This really pushed my list of colleges down, because it's something I was really looking for in my college education.

Research on the college websites. Usually there is a link under admissions or academics for all the majors and minors that will tell you a basic summary of the programs that they offer.

Did any of these programs look good to you? If so, find more info! Use different sources: Google it, Yahoo Answers it, email the college. As an applying student, you have a right to know all the information possible about the program you will be spending the next 4 years learning within.

Tip number 3: DON'T SETTLE! There are over 2,000 colleges in the US alone. One of those is bound to have exactly what you are looking for. Settling on a program that just looks "okay" is not going to provide you with the perfect grounds for you to build your perfect education and career.

Now that you have found a few interesting colleges, researched programs that you interested in, and felt confident in your decisions, YOU'RE READY TO APPLY! This is where things get serious. This is where things get exciting.

College is supposed to be a place for you to learn and explore and be everything that you could ever want to be. Look for a place where you know that you will be comfortable, a place where you can envision yourself happy, and a place where you can see endless possibilities for success.

Isn't that exciting???

Don't be stressed out or nervous. Everything is going to be great. We're going to OWN THIS.