8.8 Which college should you choose?

Congratulations! You have a problem! You've been accepted to so many colleges--well, at least two--you don't know what to do!!

Athena Advises

Take a slow breath. You do not have to do anything this instant.

You may be a very different person from the student you were six months--or even eight weeks--ago. You've grown up a lot through the college application process--and that's what it's for. You've given a lot of thought to your future, and to which colleges are a match for you.

In a classic case, you started out thinking, "Big city! That's the life for me! I must go to a big university in . . . New York! Or Los Angeles!"

And now, after thinking it over and talking with friends who came home for winter break, you're starting to see the attractions of a college campus, where life is all about you. You have a better sense of what you want to study, and what would be the best program for you.

Please remember that you have until May first to reply to the colleges that accept you. Yes, there are some reasons to reply as soon as you are ready. They include possible advantages in housing, and registration for particular programs, especially if you plan to start in a study abroad program.

None of those reasons is more important than being sure you have chosen the right college for you. That college will be home for (probably) the next four years, and it will be your alma mater for life.

We'll have more to say about that soon. In the meantime, remember to take the occasional deep, slow breath.

And remember, more decisions are coming!

Dr. Marlena Corcoran,Founder and CEOAuthor of Year by Year to College, on amazon.com, amazon.de and many national amazon sites