When entering high school we are greeted with many new things such as classes, friends, and interests. If you’re passionate about a certain direction you want to pursue but have trouble deciding on which college you want to attend, there are several workshops and events to help narrow down your options. When sorting through various colleges, people have many variables to consider, the important ones concerning your education and convenience.

One major factor of going to college is dealing with finance, as students who can’t afford the price tag will incur student debt, so when considering a college you should also try to look for scholarship opportunities such as the Coca-Cola Foundation.

What you’re interested in is another primary factor as you might decide your career choice suddenly or attend college and then decide on your direction in life, leaving different options for you. The Senior College Workshop held on Oct. 15 in the Lecture Hall at lunch helped seniors narrow down their college list to help them finalize their application decisions. Dr. Rebecca Joseph, a professor from Cal State LA,  presented advice for formulate a well-balanced college list at the event.

Dr. Joseph’s presentation started with great things to look out for when formulating your list of schools: affordability, acceptance rates, academic options, and convenience of location. She also recommended making a chart and comparing the schools by the number of students, acceptance rates, location, the chance for merit money, and entry options.

Dr. Joseph expanded on her points by showing what an average student should do when looking at engineering colleges, for example. She suggested many ways to research those colleges so you can make the correct choices. One of them is to check the colleges’ websites, as they often contain important information to help students.

If you can’t decide which college to attend because of financial issues, Dr. Joseph also discussed possible solutions. One major way to find scholarships is to check a document by Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard, which lists all of the major scholarships in the country by month, meaning you can find scholarships at the appropriate time. Her Student Center page includes more resources for students at https://roybal-allard.house.gov/students/.

Ms. Phuong An, one of our AHS counselors, recommended that students research colleges that they’re interested in by “connecting with representatives.” She pointed out that representatives often visit AHS, which makes this easier for students. To help stand out, Ms. An explained that colleges want “to see you involved at the campus and community.” Ms. An ended with advice to seniors who might be hesitant in picking a college; she said to have a broad range of “safety schools”.

No matter the area you want to major in college, you need to find your best fit. Try to use these tips to help narrow down your choices and pick the best college for you!