A recent study suggested that more than 90% of students now use technology to find the best college. That number increases for the top few percent in with a chance of scoring an Ivy League placement. There are just so many different colleges around these days that choosing the right one has become difficult. Most new students want to move away from home and become independent. They also want to ensure they attend the best possible establishment for their abilities. We spoke to a group of new college kids who told us how technology helped them to make the right decision.
- Online reviews
Online reviews are very important to students during the selection process. Most college websites look the same. They all say their establishment is the best. So, real reviews from people who have attended in the past are a godsend. Students can learn about the day to day realities of attending that particular college. They will also discover all the positive and negative elements to learning there.
- League tables
The authorities publish college league tables online once each year. From the information available, it is easy to work out which places perform best. Most students would agree that attending a college at the bottom of that list is not a wise move. They need to be 100% certain they are going to get the best education possible. While there might be a lot of drinking and partying, they are going to college for a more important reason. To increase their knowledge and build a career.
- Counseling services
Believe it or not, there are a lot of companies out there that can help with the entire process. Their counseling services are designed to help students find the best colleges. They also work to ensure they achieve a placement. The team at IvySelect told us more new students are using their services every year. They’ve broken all previous records in 2015, and it looks as though the trend will continue.
- Photos and videos
It might not sound that important, but most students spend a long time looking at photos and videos of colleges online. YouTube is one of the most popular sites used for that purpose. They go there to get a better feel for what life will be like when they attended. That is especially important for people who intend to stay on campus. They need to make sure they’re going to fit in and have a good time.
So, there you have it. You can see from that information that technology has vastly improved the college selection process during the last few years. Will that 90% figure increase as we move into the next decade? Almost certainly. You’d be a fool to make such a big life decision without performing lots of research. Technology allows you to do that without leaving the comfort of your home. You can find out everything you will need to know by typing the right terms into Google. The internet has been around for ages now. Lots of people have already published the tips and figures you require. Go technology!!!
