Isn’t it crazy how one decision can change the trajectory of your life?
Looking back to when I first started writing this article in February, I thought I knew where I was headed for college. I had my whole intro planned out: I’d set the scene on the train to Champaign, reminisce on the time I spent in my best friend’s dorm, and conclude that the most financially sound college decision was the best way to go. But it turns out the choice wasn’t as simple as I thought.
About two weeks after I came to the conclusion of where I’d end up, the unthinkable happened: I got into my reach school for regular decision, triggering a screeching halt to any stability I had in my future. My decision became about a hundred times more difficult. So, I decided to test the waters and tour every school on my roster, this time through the eyes of an admitted student.
Walking around campus during admitted students day this past weekend at that reach school, I was surrounded by passionate students, inspired by profound professors, and in awe of the best program for my desired field that this country has to offer. I could see myself studying in the library, eating in the dining hall, and living in the dorms. It was the most connected, by far, I’ve ever felt to a school.
Then, I stepped into the financial aid office for my one-on-one meeting, reality sank in, and my dreams were crushed. I couldn’t afford the university of my dreams.
As I walked around the campus after my meeting, I had to wonder: how could a place be so right for me and the price just so wrong?
I’m certainly not the only person with this issue. Senior Nicolette Stergiou will be studying biology on the pre-med track at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, but the decision wasn’t easy initially. Stergiou had to decide between schools like the University of Iowa and Ohio State.
“I looked definitely at pricing of tuition, and how much money the FAFSA gave me for each school,” Stergiou said. “And how much money I got from scholarships or grants.”
I’m no college expert, so I talked to College and Career Counselor Allegra Giulietti-Schmitt, Niles North’s expert on all things college.
Giulietti-Schmitt emphasized two main points in selecting a college: academic compatibility and tuition costs. She warns against committing to a school immediately after being admitted, especially if an individual hasn’t received their financial aid package.
“No student should be committing to a school until they know exactly how much money they owe them,” Giulietti-Schmitt said. “All students, unless they were admitted early decision, have until May 1 [to decide].”
Giulietti-Schmitt advises that all students should do a side-by-side comparison of all schools before deciding, looking at cost, program, size, and other important factors. She offers the College and Career Resource Center as the go-to place to talk through college plans.
Stergiou offers her advice to seniors who are still deciding:
“Don’t let anyone else tell you where they think you should end up,” Stergiou said. “Really make it your own decision in your head, which school is best for you because every school is different.”
And just like that, decision day is in less than a month. This is the first big decision we get to make in our lives, and it’s far from the easiest. I’m not sure where I’m going yet, but I do have one piece of advice: try to tour every school again. The more I’ve walked around a campus, the more I can actually picture (or not picture) myself attending.
But to reframe my thinking, I’ve been reminding myself that this is the first major decision I’ll ever make in my life. This is just the beginning, and my future is in my own hands.
