Choosing the right college is one of the most important decisions that students need to make in life. They look for many different options, but tend to overlook some of the most basic factors. Which is why, we have gathered 9 key factors that can help you evaluate potential schools before you apply.

1. Types of Majors and Degrees Available: Aspirants need to verify the Majors and Degree available at their preferred school. No matter how good the school, it will not be the right one for you if it does not offer your preferred area of study or desired degree level. In this case, you can seek help from personalized career counselors and get the deepest insights regarding the colleges over the world.  
2. Cost: Cost is one of the major factors to consider when choosing a college. You will need to verify it before sending your application – as of what the tuition fees is or if there are any other financial costs. If you are applying at public university or a private, the tuition fees has considerably risen in recent years.

3. Financial Aid Opportunities: If the costs have gone up, then the financial opportunities too have. Financial Aid opportunities can be in the form of a federal or state grant, or a student loan which can accrue interest starting the day you enroll or a few months after you graduate. Other than this, many universities have started to award scholarships and institutional grants to worthy aspirants. So, make sure to look for them and make use of these opportunities.

4. Admissions Rate: The admission rate of any university indicates the odds of your getting admission in the university. There is just one rule, universities with high acceptance rate typically enrolls students from a wide variety of academic backgrounds and the ones with the lower acceptance rate prefers the strongest applicants. It also reflects the reputation of the university globally.

5. Admissions Criteria: The admissions criteria of most schools will typically involve a minimum GPA, prerequisite course requirements, and standardized test scores. They might also ask you to write a personal statement, College essay or get you in an interview with an admissions officer. Information about a school’s admission criteria can typically be found on the college’s website.

6. Flexible Scheduling Options: Many students prefer to get enrolled in part-time degree programs to manage their part time jobs or other things. So, as for them, they should look for evening and weekend classes, online options to augment the classroom experience.

7. Student to Teacher Ratio: Many universities publish their students to teacher ratios on their websites. This helps you to understand the availability of faculty for average no. of students. Such as for Yale Law School, the student to teacher ratio is 7 to 1.

8. Alumni network: It is very important to look for universities which have a very good network to get in touch with alumni. Try searching for universities which have excellent networking for connecting applicants with the alumni. Also, prefer shortlisting those institutes which are consistent with producing prodigies in different industry verticals.

9. Job Placement Rates: Finding out the job placement rate will help you make sure that your tuition dollars will be well spent and can influence your decision regarding the institution you choose to attend, as well as your area of study. So, look for basic job placement rates and you can also consult this through various alumnus as well.

Now is your time to explore the available options and consider these 9 factors while choosing the right college. You can also seek personalized career guidance from our world class counselors and get into the dream college of yours.