Making Your College Decision

By Lauren Caputo, Assistant Director of Admissions

Now the time has come and it is time for you to make the all important decision as to where you want to attend college.  It is a big decision and many deciding factors will go into this decision.  First and foremost will be the influence of your family and friends and getting advice from them.  Your parents may want you to stay more local so that way you are closer to them and your friends may want you to attend the same college.  Ultimately it is your decision.  You will be attending school for four years and you want to be as happy with your decision as possible. The outside influences such as family and friends are helpful but you do not want to choose a school solely based on what they feel is best for you.

First, you should start with making a list of items that are most important to you in choosing a college. Remember it is your decision. Do the research with your guidance counselor, on the internet, in books, and articles on each school of interest. Education of course is the number one reason that you are attending college. It is incredibly important to choose a school that has at least two major interests because what you think you want now may drastically change during your four years. Just knowing there are many opportunities academically for you and your interests will really increase your eagerness to attend that school. Another important factor that is sometimes overlooked is to be sure that all of the schools are accredited.  You want to be sure that your degree in the end is worth something, so be sure to ask that of the admissions staff on your visit.

It is also very important for you to be able to continue your passions that you developed in high school and continue them in college- Norwich knows that.  Here at Norwich we provide our students with not only a rich education but endless opportunities including study aboard, community service, research opportunities, and competitive athletic teams. It’s essential to know that you have endless opportunities to try out new activities once you get to that special college or university.

Location may be a huge factor for you, size of the school, majors of choice, financial aid, student faculty ratio, research opportunities, community service, and athletics. But in the end it will come down to the overall feel of the school and the only way to do that is to visit! Visit every school you have any interest in because in all honesty looking at the pictures of the website is not going to give you the real “feel” of the campus.  You want to feel comfortable and secure on campus.  You will know if you “fit” at the school after you do a visit and meet the people of the institution. You want to feel assured that the school of choice will offer you the tools you need to build your future.  Just remember not every school is right for everyone and it just takes time to find the right one for you.

It is your time to take all of your college research on each school of interest and begin to add up the pros and cons. If you are having a hard time making your decision it wouldn’t hurt to go back to the school, do another tour, and ask admissions if you can stay in the dorms with a current student.  That type of visit will certainly show you what the campus is like in all respects which could in fact help you. Also reevaluate the majors and be sure that you like the curriculum of your desired major and take a second look at all of the financial aid packages from each school. 

If you have decided to attend Norwich, you can submit your deposit online using your credit card or bank account.