Having an idea of the subject or discipline you want to study in college can help you fine tune your options: if you already know you’re interested in Biology, you’ll want to look for schools that offer a major or program in that area. If you’re not sure what you want to study, or have multiple interests, don’t sweat it! Most colleges don’t expect you to declare a major right away. And if you’re undecided, you may want to consider a school with a liberal arts curriculum, where you’ll have the opportunity to take classes in many different disciplines.

While you’re probably looking forward to the independence that comes with “leaving the nest,” a part of you may also be worried about getting homesick. If you’re anxious about missing home or like the area where you live, you might take comfort in knowing home is just one- or two-hours away. On the flip side, you might be looking to try something new and travel further to attend one of your top schools. The choice is yours, but remember: you’ll be embarking on an entirely new experience regardless of the distance, so enjoy the journey!

Each comes with its unique set of opportunities. At a city school, you’ll be in close proximity to museums, parks and public transportation. Many companies are headquartered or have offices in the city, so you may also have unique options when it comes to internships. A school in the suburbs, meanwhile, typically has a cohesive campus that feels more like a community, and plenty of green space to enjoy outdoor activities. Then there are schools like Ursinus that fall in the middle — green space, community and close enough to the big city to participate in experiences like PhillyX.

Depending on your personality style or even the type of high school you attended, you may have an automatic preference when it comes to choosing a large or small school. A large school is almost a city in itself in many ways, so there are endless opportunities when it comes to meeting new friends, various places to eat or workout around campus and something new around every corner. Meanwhile, a smaller school gives you an opportunity to get to personally know your professors, have tight knit friend groups and pursue your passions in an incredibly supportive environment.

Going to college is a considerable investment, so it’s a good idea to think about the kind of financial commitment you and your family are willing and able to make early on (check out Financial Aid 101: Affording Your College Education for some helpful hints!). Also keep in mind that many schools offer financial aid and/or scholarships to qualified students, so the tuition you see listed on a school’s website might not be what you actually pay. Something else to consider? Value. While a public university or community college may cost less to attend, you might not get the same amount of personal attention from faculty and staff that you would receive at a private institution.

• Do I want to play a sport?: If you plan to continue your athletic career in college, you’ll want to consider the differences between Division I, II and III schools. DI and DII schools have the ability to offer full and partial athletics scholarships to student-athletes, respectively. DIII schools do not offer athletics-based scholarships, however, 80% of student-athletes in DIII schools receive some form of non-athletics aid. Because DI schools tend to be larger, it’s usually more competitive to join a team than at a DII or DIII school. Only 1 in 23 students at DI schools belong to a sports team, whereas 1 in 10 and 1 in 6 students play on a team at DII and DIII schools, respectively. At Ursinus, roughly 46% of our students play sports, with many of those students playing on more than one team.
• What about other extracurricular activities?: Have a passion for theater? Do you love giving back? Are you interested in joining Greek life? Clubs and organizations play an important part in your education outside the classroom, and are a great way to make new friends and get that true college experience. Start thinking about the extracurriculars you’d like to continue — or start doing! — throughout your next four years.

Sometimes it’s as simple as starting with what you don’t want. Maybe you don’t want to:

• Go more than 3 hours from home OR
• Attend a school where your classes could have hundreds of students OR
• You just can’t imagine going to a school that doesn’t have big weekends centered around football.

Sometimes it’s the list of things you don’t want, that lead you to the things you need most.

At the end of the day you should go to a place where you can be 100% you. The first step to getting there is listening to what feels right TO YOU. Gathering insight and recommendations from parents, family, friends and other resources is crucial, but be sure to take the time to frequently check in with yourself.