Choosing a college can be a daunting task, especially when there are so many available options. To make this decision easier, I look for three main things when picking a college to determine what is the best fit for me, such as what is most important to the college itself, the location of the college, and the people who attend it.

Colleges all focus on what is important to them; therefore, making sure their views match yours is essential when picking the one that is best for you. I’m focused on becoming a research scientist to better society through my discoveries, so finding a college set on innovation for the world’s benefit is significant to me. But just any research institution will not cut it. They must not only have a wide variety of recourses available to help make innovation possible, but their push for innovation must be driven by the same as mine.

The institution’s goals are not the only thing the college needs to match. My second criterion is where the college is located. This could involve whether rural or urban, its weather pattern, or access to nature. My mood can be significantly affected by the weather. Knowing this has affected my decision when picking colleges. I would not be happy somewhere extremely cold or rainy; therefore, I looked at colleges in places with sunny weather. I am also a very active person who loves getting into the outdoors. The college must be near walking trails or parks to meet my requirements. I do not like busy nights or care much for access to big companies or fancy restaurants. Still, I also do not want to be isolated from society, making my preferred college setting a suburban area. Location is often overlooked when picking a college, but it reigned as one of my most significant factors in choosing where to attend.

College is where you make lifelong friends and connections for future jobs. Therefore, your classmates are critical in your college experience. I must attend an institution where my classmates and I share crucial core values, such as a drive to innovate. This made me look at small STEM-focused colleges where every student is guaranteed to have a passion for learning and innovation. Attending a university like this will ensure that each student shares my passion will push me to achieve my dreams. It is vital that I not only make connections with them that will come in handy later in life but also enjoy being around them during four years of undergraduate schooling.

To meet my standards, a university must share my values, be located in an optimal area for my ideal living conditions, and be filled with other students I will benefit from being around.