Everyone has a different picture in their head when they think about college. For some, they think about being in a new city meeting new people. For others, they see staying close to home and honing in on their future career path. Whether you are a freshman or a junior, if you have visited 10 colleges or none at all, the college decision is near.

As your college years are potentially the most crucial and influential years, there are many priorities to consider. Ask yourself these questions when considering the best years of your life:

• Do you want to stay in-state or go out-of-state?
• Do you want a busy city filled with night life or do you want a sleepy college town?
• Do you want your college to have Greek Life and do you want to be a part of it?
• Do you care what sports division your college will be in?
• Do you want smaller class sizes or are you more comfortable in a crowd?

Twenty All Saints’ students were interviewed to determine their priorities in ranking college options.

• Sixteen students said that the most important factor when picking their top college is if the school offers their top major.
• Eight students said that the second most important factor in choosing a college is if the school has a good athletic program.
• Four of the students said that having religious affiliations in a school was second most important.
• Four of the students said that the distance from home was second most important.
• The remaining four of the students said that the school size was second most important.

Making your college decision is a decision that needs to be thought through extensively. But, with excellent resources at your disposal, it’s never too early to start thinking about where you want to go in life.