Advance Your Degree
Finding the right college for an advanced degree is a challenging endeavor. Following are a few tips to help you pick the best place to continue your education.
Finding the right college for an advanced degree is a challenging endeavor. Following are a few tips to help you pick the best place to continue your education.
Start with a framework for assessing whether the college meets certain agreed-upon standards and goals. That framework could include: location, size, academic programs, cost or other factors important to you.
What’s your priority: an urban, suburban or rural setting? A big city or a small town? Would small town or suburban life drive you crazy? If you’re continuing to work does it need to be close to the office? Is an online program an option?
Keep in mind that large colleges may be able to offer a wider variety of majors and more extensive resources than smaller schools. They may have more robust online class offerings.
If you have a clear preference for a particular discipline, you can narrow your search to those schools that have established, well-regarded programs in that particular field.
While an advanced degree can be expensive, financial aid is available. In addition to grants that do not have to be repaid, financial aid can include loans and work-study programs. If loans are part of your financial aid package, make sure you’re clear about the repayment terms.
