As seniors begin to receive their college decisions, many start to solidify plans for their future by committing to their universities of choice. When deciding on a college, there is a multitude of factors involved, such as costs, return on investment, campus atmosphere and more. 

“I’m committing to Oregon State because they offer one of the best, if not the best, engineering programs in the state,” senior Nathan Haines said. “I chose a state school because the tuition is more affordable than out-of-state would have been. Some other colleges that were in the running were Arizona State, Purdue and Oregon Tech. A factor that was my major concern was the initial scholarship packages I was given. With these, I was able to narrow down my list, eventually reaching OSU as the school where I would get the most value.”

Senior Nick Hodge still remains undecided, as most seniors are at the moment.

“I am currently undecided, as I’m still touring; however, I have a pretty solid idea of where I want to go: the University of Utah, University of Oregon or the University of Arizona,” Hodge said. “I am mainly picking colleges off of whether I could see myself there. Another thing I take into consideration is the people, environment and activities surrounding the campus. The decision itself is also a setback, as the pressure of finding the right place is part of the question for me.”

Tualatin High college and career counselors Jennifer Butts and Kathy Stallkamp shared their advice for this process as well.

“Things I tell them are to create a spreadsheet and identify the criteria that are important to them…to see which colleges provide their needs,” Stalkamp stated. “Another big thing that should be in the scoring criteria is the graduation percentage. There is a great variation of students that graduate from the college in four years; this can also be found on the Naviance website as well.” 

Also, “students should stop by to help plan their futures,” Butts said. “A lot of time, even if students know what they want, we probably have the information. Maybe a scholarship specific to a degree they’re looking for, a volunteer opportunity, jobs, etcetera. By coming to us, we can point students in the right direction. Also, juniors, make sure to come to join us for our Wednesday lunchtime presentations to learn all about college preparation!”