In my opinion, the top 3 criteria for selecting a college are tuition fees, education quality, and school facilities.
I am an international student from Vietnam, so I am not eligible to apply for FAFSA. I can only apply for scholarships, which are not common for international students. Moreover, I cannot go to work off-campus and it is also hard to find a job on campus. The tuition fee for international students to study in college is quite expensive, which can be three times more than that for residents. Therefore, an affordable college is the number one criterion on my list.

The quality of education is a key factor that I look for in a college as well. I can find this information through my peers, family, and online research. There are many factors to evaluate the quality of education that a college provides, but personally, a good college is based on dedicated faculty and a competitive study environment. Dedicated faculty can teach in a particular way that helps students understand, and pay more attention during the lecture. They are patient in giving explanations to students and will give students the passion to study and self-improve. Students will feel like they have a strong supportive resource to come to during their college journey. A competitive study environment also makes an impact on students because it creates a motivation for students to study harder and put more effort into their tasks. Students will have examples to follow and positive pressure to help them gain success.

Lastly, the college facilities are also important criteria that I look for because good facilities can improve the study process of students. The college should have a variety of facilities such as big classrooms, a library, a study hall, a lab, and a student center. My current college is Normandale Community College, and aside from the mentioned facilities, it also has an auditorium, gym, fitness center, and a food pantry. The gym is used for students to play sports, relax, and take exercise classes. The fitness center is an important place because exercise should be an indispensable part of the students’ lives. The food pantry is a place where students who need to can take free food whenever they feel hungry, and choose from various types of supplies. I love the fact that I can stay at school all day to focus on my studies and still be able to feed myself and relax during my breaks.