The Voluntary Move… Choosing the College For You

As a military teen, I’ve never been able to actually choose where I went next. While my family has always had a say in the place we move to, I could never absolutely choose where. The military could always say, “Nope - you’re going here.”

I’m currently a senior in high school, and I’ve spent the last three years ignoring the very prevalent question of “where do I want to go to college?” I couldn’t figure out where I want to move. I suddenly have the ability to choose, and I couldn’t.

Until… I did. It took a lot of deliberation and a lot of questions, but I chose a college.

Maybe your college decision will be easy. Maybe it won’t. If you fall into the “won’t” category, start asking yourself the questions I did, and your decision will hopefully get easier.

1. What is your highest priority in a university?

Make a list of everything you want in your college, and rank it in order of importance. Your list can include a specific academic program, sports, location, cost, campus “feel,” etc. Just make sure you know what is most important to you. There’s always a chance you can get it all, but if you can’t, try to find a university that fits most of your wants.

My highest priority was the academic program. I want to study architecture, and while I received emails from dozens of universities, I could automatically cross out the ones without an architecture program.

2. Academic program – what does it consist of?

Not all academic programs are created equal. The same degree at two universities, while having the same name, might be very different. Take a look at the course schedule, the buildings, the technology utilized, the big projects – anything that might impact what you would learn.

Additionally, a number of universities have an architecture program, and some have a 5-year Master’s degree in architecture. That poses some perks to me, so I moved those colleges to the top of my list. My two top colleges automatically became Kansas State University (K-State) and the University of Kansas (KU).

I toured both of these schools’ colleges of architecture, and I noted some differences. Both schools' programs have architecture and design in the name; however, K-State’s college is more focused on architecture, while KU’s is focused more on design. K-State’s building is newer and more aesthetically pleasing, and the first year of the 5-year master’s is focused on environmental design. I also compared study-abroad programs, since I’m very interested in that.

I also had the University of Nebraska-Lincoln on my list. After some research, I learned their architecture program is slowly getting less and less funding. The decision to mark this school off my list was then easy.

If the academic program is very important to you, it’s crucial to look at it from all angles.

3. Sports – what does the university have?

If you’re very interested in competing on a school team, get to know the people on it. Look at team rosters, try to get the feel of the team through social media, and maybe even message some of the athletes on the team.

Maybe you aren’t interested in competing on a school team (or the school doesn’t have it)... What kind of sports clubs does the university have? Are the practice facilities nice?

Of, if you don’t want to be on a team at all, what are the recreational facilities like? Do they have good gym equipment? Basketball courts? Soccer fields? Are the facilities close enough to where you’d live/study to be manageable?

Personally, I love competitive swimming, and KU has a D1 girls swim team. K-State does not. Both have swim clubs, but K-State doesn’t even have a pool on-campus. Both recreational facilities seem pretty similar. I had to choose the importance of my sport. This was a very hard point for me, and I took a long time to decide where to place it on my priority list.

4. Is the university too close? Too far away?

Location is a huge factor in choosing a university. Where do YOU want to go? Yes, I said you. This is YOUR move.

Maybe you loved being on the beach from when you lived in Georgia. Maybe you decided you’re a Midwest person. You finally have the choice to choose, and it’s okay to exercise that freedom.

Also, where do your parents plan on retiring? Do you want to be close to them, or do you want to be far away? Too close could mean unexpected visits, but too far could mean a plane ride and fewer trips home. Maybe your parents are still moving around, and you want to be near your extended family or where your family will end up. Your parents could even be OCONUS, and you alone are making the trek back to the States, knowing visits will be limited. Where can you see yourself living, spending weekends, and being happy?

KU is only about thirty minutes away from where I live, so while I’d be able to come home really anytime I wanted, I could also be infiltrated by my parents. I love them a lot, but I also am looking forward to figuring out independence. K-State is a two-hour drive away – close enough to come home if I need/want to, but still far enough away to start my adult life.

5. What is the cost of attendance?

Yes, us military teens get a little one-up through the use of our parents’ VA benefits, special scholarships, etc. But it’s highly unlikely that everything will be covered. Is the school that’s possibly 10s of thousands of dollars more worth it? Are you comfortable graduating with student loans, or do you want to graduate debt-free? Does your degree path require additional education (law/med school), and is having an affordable undergrad a priority? You could also be part of a family that qualifies for free tuition at an Ivy League school, leaving just room and board to pay.

For a short period, I was really interested in Washington University in St Louis. It seemed like a great school with a highly-regarded architecture program. But when I broke down the cost compared to KU and K-State, I realized that attending a private university wasn’t worth it. Washington University is priced like an Ivy League and only offers a four-year program. While I’m sure the experience would be amazing, graduating with my master's and being debt-free are higher priorities.

6. Is the campus a place you can actually live in?

The university you choose should make you happy.

If it’s important to you, what is the political vibe of the campus? Do you want a place that’s more liberal or more conservative? If the food is your happy place, what are the dining halls like? If religion is important, are there places of worship of your faith to choose from? If you’re greatly involved in clubs, are there similar clubs to go right into? Do you like the dorms? The student union? The city the university is located in? If you're into grand school spirit events, are the games as hyped as you want them to be? Do you want a walkable campus? Modern architecture?

Traditionally, KU is viewed as more liberal than K-State. Lawrence is a larger city than Manhattan. KU’s basketball games are hugely popular even for people who aren’t students, but K-State won the 2022 Big 12 Championship in football. KU’s campus is huge compared to K-State’s, and K-State’s campus is a lot older.

For high school students, we have another move on the horizon, but we can’t just follow more orders. Instead, we have to make the decisions. And if we regret it, we can’t blame it on the military.

For me, the process was quite overwhelming. Just blankly comparing universities was difficult, but I chose the details I wanted and directly compared those. In the end, I was able to make a decision I’m satisfied with.

Take the time to figure out what you want. It’s okay to apply to a bunch of colleges as you continue to do research (plus some colleges have apply-free discount codes for military brats!). Making the wrong decision can always happen – transfer students exist – but I recommend being as informed as you can be about the universities you’re interested in.

Happy hunting!