Many students lead their college search discussions with, “I want to go to (insert schools here).” But when you focus on where, specifically, you want to go, the process gets more stressful. You don’t ultimately get to make the decision whether or not you go. Those colleges have to admit you first. So your college goals become dependent on an admissions committee.
But what if you changed, “I want to go to…” to “I want to go someplace where…”
Now your whole collegiate world opens up.
Whether it’s studying American history, meeting a diverse group of people, finding your future career or just experiencing life on your own, when you consider what you want to do in college rather than focusing only on the specific places where you want to do it, you’ll realize how many schools out there can offer what you want. That puts you back in charge of your college destiny.
Sure, you’ll eventually need to pick specific schools, and they’ll need to admit you. But when you see just how many colleges can give you what you want, you’ll enjoy this process as an exciting time in your life, not an anxious rite of passage where you just hope one dream school says yes.