Many students can’t wait to go to college. They’ve got their dream college applications filled out and in the envelopes with three stamps instead of two, just in case. They’re counting the days until graduation, or rather freedom.

Freedom — that’s what college is, isn’t it? It’s freedom from the bonds of childhood, and it’s making the transition into adulthood — sounds exciting!

But what about scholarships, tuition, and most importantly, what college to attend? There are so many. How does one simply choose?

Counselors continually stress the importance of choosing a college. “It’s the rest of your life,” they say. They give countless lectures, especially to seniors, and the counselors’ office is utterly bombarded with college posters, pamphlets and brochures.

“It’s scary,” says Las Vegas Academy senior Regina Froman. “In order to get anywhere in this world, you need to go to college to get a degree.”

LVA junior Stephanie Orsalak says, “There is pressure in picking the right [college] and in finances. You worry about grades being good enough, and scholarships and SAT scores.”

UNLV and UNR offer to cover nearly all the expenses of college if the student has at least a 3.0 GPA through the Millennium Scholarship, but what if you are aspiring to more than an in-state college? There’s nothing wrong with UNLV or UNR, but what if you want to know more about what’s out there? How does one go about choosing a college?

CosmoGIRL! magazine suggests considering five things when deciding what college to attend: the distance from home, campus culture, social life (sports or academics), location and lastly, career choice.

It makes sense. Some students can’t wait to pack their bags and move to some far off country like Australia, only to find themselves homesick, while for others, the entire reason why they are going to college is to get away from their families. Still, being from Las Vegas, going to a college up in Alaska might not be the wisest decision.

Then there are the colleges that eat, sleep and breathe football, while for others, textbooks and grades are the only concerns. Of course, a college with a reputable department in your career choice is definitely desirable.

“You want to go to a school that has a good knowledge of your major,” says LVA senior Matt Hampton, “It should specialize in where you want to go and what you want to do.”

However, neither the majors that colleges specialize in nor the distance from home seem to be the main concern of students. The cost of attending school is.

Tuition, books, dorms and other normal living expenses are what make many students think twice about going off to their dream college. Some end up settling for one less preferable. For some, cost becomes the ultimate factor in deciding which college to attend.

“It’s just so expensive,” Froman says.

For many, scholarships are the last and only resort to pay for the never-ending list of expenses pertaining to college.

Nevertheless, Orsalak still feels excited about the challenges and life that college offers.

“It means I’m growing up,” she says. “I’ll figure out what I want to be, and who I am. I’m starting a new chapter in my life.”

-Return to May 2004 Issue-