Well, another long time and no writing. A lot has been happening since then, with the most notable being I’m so excited to announce that I am a Cyclone! This summer, I was able to apply for early admission to Iowa State University and I was accepted. I’m so thrilled to be getting the ball rolling there; it feels like I’ve been waiting forever for this.

I’ve been wanting to write for awhile now about my process of determining Iowa State as the best school for me, in hopes that I can pass along some advice for anyone else who is going through the process of deciding on a college, if that’s the route they’re choosing to take, as well as advice for narrowing down a career field. I’ve always loved thinking about stuff like this, though I’m surprised how many kids my age don’t. Maybe it’s because I’m more type A like that, and knowing where I’m going and having a plan has always been important to me. Maybe I just find it fun to consider all the possibilities the future has to offer, but I’ve really enjoyed thinking about and ultimately deciding what would be my dream college and career. I know you can find tons of posts helping you narrow down your options, but as I share what led me to my decisions, I’m hoping it can also help you think about yours, as someone who’s went through it!

How to Pick the Best College for You

First of all, you need to think about ALL of your options post-graduation. College is definitely not for everyone, and you shouldn’t feel bad if you decide it’s not for you. What’s important is just creating a plan that works best for you and your life goals, which will be different for everyone. There’s not a clear-cut right or wrong. Also, there’s no shame in picking a community college over a university, a public school over a private school, etc. Again, my hope in this post is just to get you thinking about what you would like. I’m just sharing my personal journey of how I decided what’s best for me, but yours will probably look different, and that’s okay! For the purposes of this post, I will be talking about four-year colleges, whether public or private, as that is what I have the most experience with. However, lots of the factors I am listing can be applied to any postsecondary pursuits, so just take them as they work best for you!

It can be overwhelming to narrow down the hundreds if not thousands of options that are all out there in this country for colleges. I know that was one of my concerns as I narrowed down my list, is I didn’t want to feel like I was missing out on anything. However, if you have clearly defined goals, you will be able to know and seek God for His guidance on what is the best place for you. And if something you originally thought was right but then He opens your eyes to something else, don’t be afraid of that, either. As long as you’re seeking Him and His will for you, you will find it (Matthew 7:7). And if you’re not even sure where to begin in terms of having goals, then this post will help you start thinking about what you might want!

As far as ranking factors to consider in order of importance, that is going to vary for everyone, and I won’t pretend my order is the best way for everyone. Some things you might prioritize, I might not, and that is fine. So while I will start diving into some of the main factors to consider, know that I am ranking them in order of what I considered first, but that might be different for you.

Location

The first thing for me that I wanted to consider was how far I was willing to go for my education. If you know you want to be in a specific area, that will greatly help you narrow things down and be a good place to begin your search. I knew I definitely wanted to stay in the country, and while I wasn’t afraid of going out-of-state, I did have some reservations about it. As a freshman, I considered any types of schools that had my programs and that were in appealing locations to me. So while that included Iowa schools, I was also looking at a bunch of Florida universities, too, in hopes of finally fulfilling my dream of being by the beach. 😉

Ultimately, I decided to narrow my search to Iowa. While I didn’t want to live in fear or any sort of bubble, I did have to think practically, and being more of a homebody, I didn’t know if I was quite ready to make that leap across the country because I knew I wouldn’t be getting to see my family a lot, except for breaks. Also, and probably the biggest reason, is that I can be guilty of thinking something is amazing for me without actually really finding out if it is. What I mean by that is, when I was in eighth/ninth grade, I had my mind set on being a psychologist and conducting research in that field. I’d never taken a psychology course before, but I remember being intrigued by the subject, and I knew I had the personality for it, so I just thought that was going to be my dream career.

Flash forward a year or two later to my sophomore year, and I was taking AP Psychology a year earlier because I really thought that was what I wanted. I found out rather quickly that while psychology was a deeply fascinating subject to me, I did not want to pursue it for a career. One look at a research report was enough to deprogram my brain of thinking that’s what I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing, and I found that instead, I’d rather study psychology on my own and then apply that in my writing and as self-help. But if I wouldn’t have taken that course and gotten a firsthand look at what that field is like, I would have pressed on thinking that was what I wanted.

So as much as I may think I love the beach and want to live in Florida, there could still be a good chance that I get there and not like it, as I’ve never been to a beach or stayed in Florida for a long period of time. And I did not want to invest all that money and time and then feel stuck there, whereas if I stay in Iowa, I can do internships in big cities to get a feel for them, I could do an internship in Florida, etc., and start getting a taste of those places and scope out where I want to go more permanently.

Once I looked within the bounds of Iowa, I had another way to narrow things down even further by looking at either private or public schools.

Type of school

Deciding between private and public schools will also help narrow down your search, and there’s pros and cons to each. When I first started thinking seriously about where I wanted to go, my original plan had been to go to a private liberal arts college up in Northwest Iowa because of its Christian distinction, and a teacher I really respected had been a graduate of that school, and when I looked it up, it just looked awesome. A couple years into high school, and I also started considering more of our public schools, specifically looking at Iowa State University and the University of Iowa. The Cyclones and the Hawks, the infamous rivals!!!

People were always bringing up Iowa to me because of their writing program, and I had always remembered Ames and the Cyclones, as for some reason, I’d loved the Cyclones from a young age, and I’d been to Ames several times. I did know that Iowa State is more of a technical/engineering school, so I didn’t really know if their programs would be relevant to me. Anyway, as I journeyed further into my small town high school life stage, I decided I needed a change from always seeing the same people, almost always with their same groups. I needed to get out into the world, and that’s why the city started appealing to me so much.

My concern with a lot of the private schools, including the one I was considering, is that they were not much bigger than my small town high school. I looked up student populations for the schools I was considering, and both Iowa and Iowa State had huge populations, giving them more of that “big city” feel. Ultimately, that’s why I decided to rule out the private schools. I knew I wanted to pursue more of an urban, big environment where I would be free to branch out and start over. I had so looked forward to doing that in high school, but in a town as small as mine, there’s only so much branching out you can do. And for some people, that’s fine. But for me personally, I knew I needed more.

Another big thing that concerned me was the distinctly Christian environment of the private schools. Because as I’ve learned, simply saying one is a Christian is not nearly the same thing as truly living for Him, and the last thing I wanted to happen was for me to be at a Christian school yet witness things so contrary to the faith. That’s more of a personal reason again, as I’m sure there are many outstanding Christian schools, but I just didn’t want to have to run into anything like that as I felt like I’d seen plenty in high school that bothered me. I was eager for a fresh start where I could mold my own journey and not feel like I was in a box. Plus, Iowa and Iowa State are both nationally ranked schools, and they were half the price of the private schools, so that made them all the more appealing to me, as that led me to the next thing I considered the most…

Programs

When my mom and I talked about college, one of the biggest things she told me was to look at programs and how that should be at the top of my list as far as priorities go, and I totally agree. After all, the whole point of college is to get the necessary skills for the occupation and industry you hope to break into, so examining which schools offer what you want as well as the strengths of those programs is very important, since that’s essentially what you’re paying for. That’s why seeing Iowa and Iowa State’s rankings being nationally ranked was such a selling point for me, as here I’m paying less yet they’re more renown.

This is where considering my dream career was important, and there was kind of a fork in the road for me. I had to consider, am I going to school to be an author/writer, or am I going to pursue something else? Iowa, hands down, had the superior writing program, as they are nationally known for their programs and work there, so here’s the thing: my dream career is to be one of the best authors in history, along the likes of C.S. Lewis or the people whose novels you study in high school English. With that, I’d also love to be an influential blogger. And the education requirement for that? None. I wouldn’t need to do anything after high school to be qualified for those fields because the level of education you have doesn’t really matter.

Because those things are dreams. They’re based on talent and opportunity, and sure, having some education with skills in those fields definitely doesn’t hurt, but it’s far from necessary. You can self-teach yourself to be a really good writer and blogger, which is what I’ve been doing all my life, essentially. And while those are definitely my first-choice careers, I knew I needed a way to fund my shopping addiction in the meantime, because building careers out of those things takes time, and they’re not guaranteed. So I knew I needed to have a plan B. I also knew that since a college degree was certainly not going to solidify my career as an author, I did not want to merely study English in college. I wanted to study something that would allow me to utilize my passions in a more concrete, stable industry, and if it taught me skills that would also help me grow my blog or complement my writing, that would be all the better.

After doing endless research on English and writing majors, as well as people’s advice for pursuing careers involving writing or a career as an author, eventually, I knew I wanted to major in Graphic Design. I also thought combining that with some sort of Communications degree would give me the media skills I wanted. Graphic design is an industry that will never go out with the explosion of technology and with the creativity it requires, and it’s something I’m just as passionate about as writing. Do you all remember when I used to change my blog design every day?! It was my graphic designer calling at work! It’s also intertwined with blogging and involves being creative, and a Communications degree like Journalism or something in more of the strategic fields like Advertising or PR would be perfect to teach me how to write for online audiences and learn media strategies along with my love for design. And I know I can get some awesome jobs with those degrees while I’m working on my novels by night.

But enough about that—once I realized that, I was able to consider programs more closely. Something I didn’t even know until I started getting interested in graphic design as a career was the programs Iowa State had in that. They have one of the best in the state, and it’s also ranked nationally. Reading up on it online and from my visits, they teach the skills I want and need to learn to be marketable. Iowa State also has a communications school that I’d somehow always known about because looking back and reading old bucket lists of mine, I said one of my goals was to get a Journalism degree there. Now that dream is coming true! I was very impressed with their course offerings and descriptions for those programs as well, and I know it is manageable for me to double major there as thankfully I will be bringing in so many transfer credits, and Graphic Design is a professional program, so I will be there for four years no matter what, and the Communications school requires a double major or minor with those degrees, so it works out well. They also have a fashion program and business programs I was interested in, so I learned they had the widest range of programs for what I wanted to study.

Iowa had the writing programs, but they did not have the digital media programs the way Iowa State did, from my research and with what I am going to pursue, anyway. Once I decided on the programs, the choice was pretty obvious for me, but there were still a couple other factors I needed to make sure my prospective school would have.

Extracurricular and career opportunities

I wanted to make sure there were things I KNEW I wanted to get involved with at Iowa State, as that is something I definitely felt like I lacked in high school. After seeing the numerous publications and clubs Iowa State had to offer, I can already find things I know I will get involved with. I also know their career services are outstanding, and they will help me pursue and find the things I’m looking for. Since they are such a big school, they have a plethora of things to choose from for involvement, as well as endless career resources and numerous connections. That goes back to where I said I didn’t want to feel limited; I didn’t want to feel like I’d reached a dead end as far as opportunities go. I am downright overwhelmed by all Iowa State has to offer, but on my visits, it was clear they also do a wonderful job of helping you feel at home there and find the things of interest to you. Even though it’s a big campus, they help make it feel small and like home.

Setting

This can kind of go along with above and also location, but something I wanted to consider was what sort of environment I wanted the campus to have. Do you want a close-knit campus, or do you want it to have a more urban feel? Do you want sports to be a big factor? Do you want to go to a hockey school? 😉 (Haha, Iowa State does have hockey, though it’s not a “hockey school”!) Knowing what you want to experience out of college is crucial. I knew Ames is more known for its conservative environment than Iowa City, and my small town is very liberal and takes after more of Iowa City’s vibes, whereas Iowa State is big on its ag programs, which gives it more of that rural feel, but it is still a big town with big-city opportunities. To me, it was the best of both worlds. It wasn’t going to feel like the complete opposite of my home, yet it will be drastically different from my sheltered and oftentimes stifling high school experience. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. I also loved how Iowa State seems to have a bustling campus, like there’s always something to do, and I fell in love with the town of Ames from a young age. I think in my heart, I never knew where exactly I’d end up, but I always kind of hoped it’d be there, though I wasn’t sure why…

Recreation

Last but not least, you want to enjoy your time in college, so looking at the options for having fun is definitely something to pay attention to! Iowa State has their lovely Cyclones that everyone in my family hates but they can’t anymore, they have a hockey team, they have beautiful facilities for gyms, studying, and eating, Ames has a mall and tons of food/shopping options, etc. There’s so many things that always appealed to me at Iowa State, and I always thought I’d have fun there, but I never knew if it would check all the boxes for me and if that’s where I’d want to go. Iowa State offers plenty of things to do, and that’s one thing from living in a small town I got sick of. I want to go out more and explore things to do, and I’m sure Ames won’t disappoint.

Cost

Okay, as much as we’d all love to, I guess I can’t leave this off either. You definitely want to be mindful about how much you’ll be paying for your education and see if it makes sense given your goals. What I mean by that is, if you’re going into a field that doesn’t pay a lot but considering a school that costs more than your salary for a year of being enrolled there, maybe that isn’t the wisest decision. College is expensive, and some people are terrified of debt, but I say there’s a fine line. I always want to be wise with money, and that’s why considering your career goals is important as well as the most cost-effective options WITHOUT sacrificing any of your other priorities. One of my teachers I’ve stayed in touch with told me how, when I was considering this private school and was worried about its cost, that the money can be worked out if there’s a school I really want to attend. And for the most part, I stand by that. Do your research. Seek God and His plan for you and what He’s laying on your heart. Ask Him for guidance and wisdom when considering schools. Know your goals and what you’re going to school for and what it’s going to reward you with and see if the price is worth that. Then, don’t stress about it. If you know that what you’re doing is what God wants you to do and is good for you, then don’t let anyone talk you out of that over fear. Investing can be scary, but again, when you’re sure of what you want, you won’t feel that fear as much about going into debt because you’ll know that it’s temporary and will yield you much in the future. It all comes down to making wise and thoughtful decisions and being aware of what you’re going into debt for and if it’s worth that. If you know that it is, then make wise plans about financing and don’t stress it. I think most schools are probably pretty good with helping you finance your education, but that is also something to consider, too. Iowa State is a pretty popular school choice where I’m at, so I know lots of people who are going to be financing their education there, and I’m pretty confident that it will all get worked out the way it needs to.

I am thrilled to be going to Iowa State. When I applied for admission this summer, it couldn’t come soon enough, and when I paid my admissions fee, I didn’t feel any sense of regret or doubt, like is this what I really want? I prayed, I researched, and I trusted God to lead me and shape my heart to what He wanted for me.

And now, when I wonder what drew me to the Cyclones from a young age when everyone else in my family loves the Hawks, I can say I guess it was just that spark God had planted in my heart that that is where I was going someday. 🙂 It always felt right, and I’m so thrilled it truly did end up being the best fit for me. How cool that the school I’ve had distant dreams about my whole life is soon where I will be living them out!! I’m so thankful to God.

Lastly, I wanted to touch on how I decided my dream career choices. I know I already wrote about what led me to select the programs I did, but narrowing down an occupation and industry that you want to spend the majority of your life in can seem daunting. I’m an overthinker, so to say I’ve checked and rechecked my decision has been an understatement. I research, then I research some more. Honestly, though, I don’t think you can ever research too much. If something is meant for you, then God will make that clear through and through. After I determined psychology wouldn’t be my top choice as a “Plan B,” I knew I needed to look into other options, and this time, I wanted to look into more about who I am and what it is I KNOW I like. Here’s some of the things I considered that can help you decide what sort of career you want:

Consider your hobbies

Making a list of my favorite things to do was a good way to look at how those things could potentially be involved in careers. Writing and blogging were my top two, and then design was my third, so I knew that finding a career that involved a combination of those things would be ideal. Things like social media and photography were also on my list, which are both skills I would need in communications careers.

Consider your talents

Chances are, if something is one of your hobbies, it’s probably something you have a strength in. Otherwise, personality and career assessments can be helpful in seeing what you’re good at. Considering classes you’ve taken in school and projects you liked doing can also hint at where your strengths are.

Consider what you want out of a career

Just like with deciding your dream school, you have to come up with goals for your future career and what ideally you would get out of it. That could be anything from making a certain amount of money a year or being able to advance, or it could be something like being able to create things or work with people.

Consider your personality

Your personality doesn’t have to make or break whether you like a certain career or not, but it is important to consider. You don’t want to think you’d like something but find it draining for your personality. For example, I was looking into marketing and sales jobs for awhile because I thought they would give me a lot of compensation and opportunities, but after reading more about my personality and the things those jobs entail, I decided that even if I did happen to be good at those jobs, I don’t think that environment would satisfy the needs of my personality, and I could see myself getting burnt out quickly. However, the aspects that I liked about those jobs I was still able to find in careers that were more suited to my personality type.

There’s SO much you could write about when it comes to the “ideal” way to determine your perfect career, but at the end of the day, you have to trust God with it all. When you are seeking Him, He will reveal to you what you need to know when you need to know it.

I’m so excited to start my adventure with Iowa State in only another year and begin pursuing my dream careers. I’m also hoping to begin writing a lot more, too. I hope that some insight into my thinking with selecting my career journey and path to get there gave you some inspiration of where to start looking and what to begin considering when it comes to your own journey. I love talking about this sort of stuff, so if you have any questions for me or want to hear me write more about this in the future, be sure to let me know!! And if any of you are going through the same process right now of choosing a college/career, I’d love to hear what your plans are and how you decided on them. Thank you all for reading and for supporting me along my journey. I’m so excited to continue sharing all that God teaches me along the way.