The excitement and anxiety of opening the email from colleges reading “your application status has been updated,” wondering if it is an acceptance, deferral, rejection or waitlisted decision, can be overwhelming. Picking the right college for you can be a confusing and difficult process, but there are ways to know you found the right school. 

This year it is hard to visit the campuses of the schools you applied to, but there are ways to get a feel for the school. Doing research for schools is the first step. You want to make sure that the school has the aspects you are looking for, whether that is good at sports or a particular program. “I knew Towson was the right school for me because when I searched on Google for the best sports exercise colleges in Maryland, Towson was number one,” senior Sebastian Maldonado-Arango said. 

Another way to get a feel for the school is by attending information sessions and virtual tours. This is not the ideal situation, but if you like a school based off of their virtual tour, you can always go visit, taking the necessary precautions. Some universities have great virtual tours but others are not the best. The colleges that you do not like the virtual tours of, you know you do not have to bother visiting, because you know you do not want to go there. 

When you visit a school and step on the campus, you might have a gut feeling if it is the right school for you. “When I imagined myself in college, I was always stressed and confused. When I was on college tours and visiting I had underlying stress that never left no matter what, except at University of Maryland College Park. Whenever I step onto the campus, that stress and anxiety just melts away and I feel comfortable and as if I belong there,” senior Tamara Heller said. 

Some people do not get a specific feeling, but they chose the place that they see themselves being the happiest and connecting with the people the most. “I knew the University of Maryland College Park was right for me because it was the place where I saw myself thriving the most. It was relatively close to home, which was another important factor to me,” senior Nandita Gupta said.

Although picking the right college can be stressful and a tough decision, everyone will end up where they are supposed to be. Remember to do research on the schools and figure out what you really want in a school, but also make the process fun and enjoyable.