{"id":12456,"date":"2025-04-23T13:14:50","date_gmt":"2025-04-23T13:14:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/admissions-aid\/admission-blog\/?p=12456"},"modified":"2025-05-15T17:11:56","modified_gmt":"2025-05-15T17:11:56","slug":"advice-for-making-your-college-decision","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/admissions-aid\/admission-blog\/advice-for-making-your-college-decision\/","title":{"rendered":"Advice for Making Your College Decision"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\">As May 1st approaches, you might find yourself feeling overwhelmed, or even a little unsure about your college decision, and that\u2019s completely normal. Choosing where you\u2019ll spend the next four years of your life, both academically and personally, is a huge decision. It\u2019s not just about picking a school, it\u2019s about finding a place where you\u2019ll grow, learn, make friends, and start shaping your future. The pressure can definitely feel intense, but take a deep breath, you\u2019ve got this!<\/div>\n<div data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\"><\/div>\n<div data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\"><\/div>\n<div>If you\u2019re feeling stuck or torn between options, here are a few tips that might help guide you toward the choice that\u2019s truly best for\u00a0<i>you<\/i>.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<h2>Take Your Time<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12464 alignright lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 310px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 310\/377;font-size: 14px\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/admissions-aid\/admission-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/212\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-23-085933-632x768.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" height=\"377\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/admissions-aid\/admission-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/212\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-23-085933-632x768.png 632w, https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/admissions-aid\/admission-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/212\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-23-085933-422x512.png 422w, https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/admissions-aid\/admission-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/212\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-23-085933.png 671w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 310px) 100vw, 310px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/h2>\n<div>While May 1st is approaching, don\u2019t feel like you need to scramble to make your decision tomorrow. Continue to weigh your pros and cons, go on your final <a href=\"https:\/\/admission.furman.edu\/portal\/visitcampus\">tours<\/a>, and be sure that you are ready to call the school you choose \u201chome\u201d because that is what it should be!<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<h2>Consider Your Needs<\/h2>\n<div>Ask yourself questions about why you are interested in the schools you are looking at. What are\u00a0<i>you<\/i>\u00a0looking for in an academic community? What do you want to accomplish in college and will your top school help get you there?<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<h2>Picture Yourself on Campus<\/h2>\n<div>As I mentioned earlier, your college campus should feel like home. It may sound silly but envision yourself walking to class through the campus, eating in the dining hall, and studying in the library. Can you see yourself doing all of those things?<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<h2>Consider The Location<\/h2>\n<div>While loving your campus atmosphere and considering the school\u2019s opportunities is top priority, loving the area around your school is so important too! It is easier to thrive and be excited about school when you love where you are and have a positive place to decompress after a long week of academics. So explore the area and find out what all there is to do and if those activities fit your personality.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<h2><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12460 alignleft lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 939px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 939\/435;font-size: 14px\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/admissions-aid\/admission-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/212\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-23-084709-768x355.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"939\" height=\"435\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/admissions-aid\/admission-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/212\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-23-084709-768x355.png 768w, https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/admissions-aid\/admission-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/212\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-23-084709-1024x474.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/admissions-aid\/admission-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/212\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-23-084709-1536x711.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/admissions-aid\/admission-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/212\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-23-084709-512x237.png 512w, https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/admissions-aid\/admission-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/212\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-23-084709-1280x592.png 1280w, https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/admissions-aid\/admission-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/212\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-23-084709.png 1900w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 939px) 100vw, 939px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/>Talk To a Current Student<\/h2>\n<div>Reach out to a current student to understand what life as a student looks like on campus. At Furman, current students love connecting with prospective students and helping guide them through the college decision process\u2014so never hesitate to reach out! If you&#8217;re not sure where to start, our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/admissions-aid\/contact\/\">Paladin Admissions Liaison<\/a> (PALS) contact page is a great place to begin. Each of our PALS has a profile that shares what they&#8217;re studying, the student organizations they\u2019re involved in, and how you can contact them. You can also reach out to your <a href=\"https:\/\/admission.furman.edu\/register\/COUNSELORLOOKUP?_gl=1*w82jn8*_ga*NzcxMDc1MjgyLjE2OTUwNjQ5Njc.*_ga_7M3CPF5ZYD*MTc0NTQxMjMzNC40OS4xLjE3NDU0MTM2MjkuNTAuMC4xNDk5NDgyMTQ2\">Furman admission counselor,<\/a> and they\u2019ll be happy to help connect you with a student.<\/div>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<h2>Trust Your Gut<\/h2>\n<h3><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12461 alignleft lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 387px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 387\/507;font-size: 14px\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/admissions-aid\/admission-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/212\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-23-085538-587x768.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"387\" height=\"507\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/admissions-aid\/admission-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/212\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-23-085538-587x768.png 587w, https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/admissions-aid\/admission-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/212\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-23-085538.png 667w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 387px) 100vw, 387px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/h3>\n<div>And of course, Trust your gut! I know that when I was down to my final decision, I just had a gut feeling that I knew I had to follow. If you feel like you don\u2019t have that feeling, then keep connecting with each school on a deeper level, and I assure you it will happen!<\/div>\n<div>Happy decision making!! We can\u2019t wait for you to find your home!<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>-Ashlyn King<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As May 1st approaches, you might find yourself feeling overwhelmed, or even a little unsure about your college decision, and that\u2019s completely normal. Choosing where you\u2019ll spend the next four years of your life, both academically and personally, is a huge decision. It\u2019s not just about picking a school, it\u2019s about finding a place where [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":410,"featured_media":12475,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[30],"class_list":["post-12456","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-admission","tag-admission"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/admissions-aid\/admission-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12456","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/admissions-aid\/admission-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/admissions-aid\/admission-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/admissions-aid\/admission-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/410"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/admissions-aid\/admission-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12456"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/admissions-aid\/admission-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12456\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12471,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/admissions-aid\/admission-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12456\/revisions\/12471"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/admissions-aid\/admission-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12475"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/admissions-aid\/admission-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12456"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/admissions-aid\/admission-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12456"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/admissions-aid\/admission-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12456"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}