Choose your wish list
It's normal for any student's college wish list to change throughout high school. But when it comes time to apply, many seniors have a hard time narrowing down their choices.
There's no hard and fast answer, but there are several things you can do and ask yourself to make the decision easier. Here are three pieces of advice that might help.
Do your research
Above all, it's important to figure out your wants and needs. What do you expect from your education? What are you willing to give up?
Veronica Hauad, senior associate director of admissions (录取) at the University of Chicago in the US, said students should start by taking time to figure_out those questions.
“Find the thing that's most important to you, and then you can start searching on that factor and sort things out later,” Hauad said.
Don't focus on rankings
It's easy to focus too hard on school rankings, but don't let that make your decision for you when you're looking at colleges. In the long run, rankings probably won't have a big effect on your education. It's OK to look at rankings, but don't obsess (过于执着) over them. Find colleges that really interest you. If they end up being on a top list, think of it as an extra pleasure.
Think about your future
Here's an important question to ask all of the colleges on your list: How many of your students find jobs after graduation? An Ivy League school may look good on an application, but what will the college do to help you find a job?
Students should also make sure they're going to college for the right reasons.
University of Illinois sophomore (二年级学生) Steve Wang said he has met students who aren't looking at the bigger picture. “I see a lot of students who go to college for the sake of the college experience — not for a higher education,” Wang explained. “So people show up and spend a lot of time at parties and not really paying attention to schoolwork. That's not really what college is for.”