Many seniors in high school are making decisions as to which college they will attend in the fall. There are many different factors which affect each student’s choice including price, location, school size and majors. Unfortunately, many students feel pressured by what other students may think of them based on where they go as well as the salary they will receive upon graduation.

There is constant gossip of college acceptances and where everyone has decided to go for the next four years. In reality, it should not matter where students’ peers are going to college. Each person has to make that decision for themselves according to where they believe they will thrive best. One issue many academically gifted students face is whether they should go to a more prestigious school or go to a less prestigious school, but be in the honors college. Unfortunately, many students feel as if they have to choose the more prestigious school due to social pressures in society.

Just because a student goes to a school deemed as less prestigious, that does not mean they will be less successful later in life. A more challenging university may be more difficult academically and force students to focus strictly on academics. However, it may be more beneficial for some students to go to a lower level college because academics are not the sole focus.

While academics are important, they are not the most important aspect of college life or life in general. It is important for students to have a social life as well. Students who go to these schools can participate in many extracurricular activities such as sports and clubs which will create extremely well-rounded people. The schools that encourage activities outside of academics are not neglecting. On the contrary, their academics seem to be nearly as good as the schools who only focus on academics.

Not only do students choose their college based on what other students think, they also choose based on the fact that they believe they will get a better job when they graduate. In 1999, Alan Krueger and Stacy Berg Dale published a study that compared earnings of graduates from elite colleges and earnings of graduates from moderately selective colleges. It was found that the earnings of the two groups after 20 years of working in their fields differed none or very little. Similar studies have been conducted in recent years such as one in 2011 which found similar results to the one in 1999. Many people believe that a better college equals higher earnings because that is the belief of society.

Another factor that may affect a student’s choice is the price of the college or university. Many students can be accepted into prestigious schools, but simply cannot afford to go there. It is not fair for them to be judged based on the fact they they may have to go to a less competitive school just because they could not afford it. Also, some students may be able to afford a more prestigious and expensive school, but find it to be unwise to spend that much money on an undergraduate degree when they know they will be moving on to get a graduate degree such as medical school or a master’s degree program.

Over 75 years ago, there were not many colleges in existence and the schools today known as being prestigious were the few choices then. Today, there are many great colleges in each state and each school demonstrates a similar level of difficulty in the education. Even though people believe there are better schools and worse schools, all that matters is that a college degree was received and that is a huge accomplishment in itself.

Overall, each college is beneficial for different students in various ways and schools should not be judged based solely on their name. Every student has specific traits that make them unique and will thrive in atmospheres which accommodate those traits. In the end, it does not matter what other people think of a student’s college choice. It only matters that each student finds the right school for them and that they have a positive college experience.