There are so many colleges in our great state. How do you decide which one is best for you?
If you’re having trouble choosing which college to attend this fall, schedule one or more campus visits soon. A tour of a college campus can give you a more realistic picture of what college life will be like, and it’s also a great opportunity to ask questions you didn’t even know you had. Where will I park? Is there a wellness center on campus? What’s the food like in the cafeteria? Not only will you have your questions answered, but you’ll see all the places you may be asking about. Be prepared to take notes.
While you’re on your tour, find some students on campus and ask them what they like/dislike about the college. Drop by the student union and check out the information on student organizations that are active on campus. Be sure to visit the financial aid office, where you’ll find valuable information about the financial aid process and scholarships that may be available to first-time freshmen.
If you’re not able to visit a campus in person, most colleges are now offering virtual tours. To see which virtual tours are available in Oklahoma, visit the College Planning section under “Explore Schools” at OKcollegestart.org and choose from the selections offered.
You don’t have to make a final decision about which college to attend before you submit your Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA.* You can add multiple colleges to your FAFSA, which is a great way to compare schools if you’re still trying to decide which one to attend. Just remember that if you do make a visit to a college that wasn’t listed when you initially submitted your FAFSA, you’ll want to add it to your list of schools so the college can receive the data it needs to determine your financial aid eligibility. To add a school code to your FAFSA, simply log in at StudentAid.gov and go to Make Corrections on your MyFAFSA page. Two to three days later, you’ll receive an updated Student Aid Report (SAR) that will show the new college has been added.
Make sure to be well-informed about your college choices! Contact your school(s) of interest soon to set up an appointment for a college tour. You can also find information about your choices on OKcollegestart.org. Here you’ll see cost, number of students, majors offered, admission criteria, sports and scholarships provided, and much more.
*Special note: If you’re about to enter your senior year in high school, your FAFSA (for academic year 2024-2025) won’t be available until sometime in December.