Hi everybody! As we get closer to the start of the fall semester, the anxieties I had when picking an out-of-state school are coming back. For context, I am from Hopkins MN which is about 1,870 miles away from campus. I knew from the start of my college search that I wanted to go to an out-of-state school. I have always been a homebody and loved spending time with my family so I think my parents were surprised when I said I only wanted to look out of state. As much as staying close to home seemed like an appealing idea, I felt like it was time for me to branch out on my own.Ìý
Enough about me, hopefully, this blog post can help you figure out for yourself if an in-state or out-of-state or even international college is the best fit for you. The following list are a few things I recommend to think about when starting your search.Ìý
- One thing that I think is important when considering an out-of-state school is your relationship with your family. Having a healthy and good support system is key for your college experience. It is a personal decision if you think that your family will be a good part of that or not but I definitely think it is a good thing to think about.Ìý
- Going along the lines with family still, if you have a sibling where they attended. While knowing you are different from your sibling, you can discuss with them why they picked the college they did and the area.Ìý
- One thing I thought about as well was if there was anyone I knew in the area with who I would feel comfortable going to dinner with or asking for support from them.Ìý
- If you are someone who is looking for new experiences with people of other viewpoints or experiences, an out-of-state college might be a good fit for you because there will be differences from your home community and can help expand your views on life.Ìý
- When looking at out-of-state colleges – try to see what percent of students live on campus and if you are guaranteed housing for all 4 years.Ìý
- Finally being from Minnesota, a place known for our freezing/snowy winters, looking at the climate of the location played into my decision as well.Ìý
*One thing to take into consideration as well as the dreaded topic of paying for college. For public state colleges, there is something called in and out-of-state tuition. However, private liberal arts colleges (like Scripps) have access to grants which can also affect tuition for students. Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³»promises to meet all demonstrated need and an estimate of how much your family might have to pay can be found on the financial aid website*Ìý
Hopefully, this blog post is helpful for you when making this decision of an in or out-of-state college. If you want to hear more about my personal experience when deciding this you can contact me at my email: [email protected]Ìý