But I still don't know?! Advice for the procrastinators.

To date, nearly 3000 students have said they’re coming to UIC in the fall and we can’t be more excited about that! For many others, the upcoming May 1st deadline may be looming – and, faced with a bevy of college choices (some of our applicants told us they applied to over 10 schools!) they may be paralyzed by what is sure to be one of their biggest decisions to date in their life.

What can you do if you still don’t know for sure where you want to commit? Our advice here is to follow your gut – with a few check points along the way:

1. Where do you see yourself for the next four years? Location can sometimes be a defining factor in the decision process. At UIC – many of our students tell us that part of the reason they chose our university was the allure of forgoing a traditional college environment (think quiet environs, expansive fields, massive football stadiums) to the opportunities and challenges of a big city atmosphere. Your surroundings will make an impact on who you meet, what you do, and where you begin to make the first steps toward your adult life. So don’t forget to ask yourself – where do you want to be?
2. Does your school have the programs you want? - If you know you want to be an architect, does your school have an Architecture program? Make sure! But also, recognizing that 65% of incoming college students are either undecided, or change their program along the way, does your school offer the flexibility to make such a change, and does it have a wide enough array of programs? At UIC we have more than 100 different areas of study for undergraduates.
3. Will you be challenged? - College should be about challenging yourself to new experiences, new people, new ideas and new activities. Will your college provide those experiences – will the classroom challenge you– will your classmates challenge you to think differently? At UIC we can say yes – you’ll meet people from all over the word, and from every ethnic, religious, socio-economic background you can think of. Our diversity is one of our greatest strengths – and is a true asset in the classroom.
4. Can you afford it? – Assess the different financial aid packages from your schools and see how that impacts the actual cost of the university, versus the sticker price. While we agree that college is an investment and cost should not be your only factor, you want to make a good choice here.

In the end, just remember that this is your future we’re talking about and the decision is ultimately yours to make. Until next time. Good luck!