College Trends

Every year, the same question plagues the Hutchison seniors: Where should I go to college? Out of all the colleges in existence, choosing the right one can be a rigorous task. Some girls base their decisions on intended major, athletic opportunities, or the social scene.

During the process of choosing colleges, Hutchison girls are asked what they want in a college. Lauren Colpitts, College Counseling Director, says common questions asked are, “Do they want a new social setting, or do they want to be surrounded by people exactly like them?”

Because geography can play such a large role in a student’s decision, Hutchison encourages their students to look at a range of schools both in the Southeast and elsewhere. Colpitts takes every approach to help each girl find the right fit. “If a girl likes Rhodes but wants to get out of the Southeast, then we start looking at colleges and universities similar to Rhodes but in the West or the Northeast.”

“As you’re doing the college search, it’s like trying to find those favorite pair of jeans, you have to try on lots of pairs of jeans to find the perfect fit,” describes Colpitts.

However, this begs the following question: do students tend to enroll in the same regions or in the same types of schools? The data from the infographics below come from student enrollment history and a poll sent to the Upper School student body.