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“When you know, you know.” The refrain is popular advice for choosing a partner, and apparently a college. Well, news flash, sometimes schools aren’t love at first sight and you’re left without a clue where you’re meant to be – and that’s perfectly normal.
The college search process is not only daunting but also exhausting, mentally and physically. As a junior beginning your college search, you’re often asked what major you want to pursue, what your career plan is, and dozens of other questions, dozens of times. As you become more consumed with acceptance rates, visits, list-making, and ranking, it becomes easy to rely on the advice that everyone seems to be giving you – that, when the right college finds you, you’ll just know.
When that May 1st date approaches, and you are sitting with your college acceptances in front of you, making one of the biggest decisions of your life, sometimes that dream school isn’t there or doesn’t seem to exist at that moment. But that doesn’t mean you won’t end up where you are meant to. Even if you cannot picture it now, eventually you will be on a campus questioning how you ever thought you belonged anywhere else. College is not meant to be the type of relationship where you just know.
The college process is messy and uncertain, and sometimes you get so mixed up in the stress of it all that you forget how exciting it can be. So, don’t be glued to that dream school you decided on in 8th grade. Challenge yourself to find something to love in lots of different schools.
Or, don’t be afraid to take an alternative route – transfer, take a gap year, or something else entirely. According to the National Student Clearinghouse, a nonprofit that reports on colleges and universities, 1.2 million students in 2024 transferred to a new school during their four years of college. There are also hundreds of programs for structured gap years exploring the mountains, seas, and cities of the world. There is a path for everyone.
Remember, the college process is far from perfect, and sometimes the options can feel far from perfect as well. Rest assured, you don’t have to fall in love at first sight to have your happily ever after.