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How To Choose The Best College For You: Advice From And For Students

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Each year, FORBES brings you an extensive list of 650 of the nation’s best colleges. But even with all the information on student population, acceptance and retention rates, sports teams and student-faculty ratio, there’s still one piece that’s missing: how to actually choose a college.

Since college selection is ultimately a  personal, often unquantifiable, decision, we asked some current college students and recent grads to give us their best advice on how to choose a school. The answers? As varied as the schools on our list, ranging from “go on more visits” to “go to Canada” for a cheaper education.

College touring is worth it, say several of our interviewees. “I never visited any college,” one woman told us. “I was stupid.” Experiencing the vibe of a campus is not something you can get from reading a brochure, another emphasized.

Above all, those who’ve been there say “don’t worry.”

“I feel like people end up where they belong,” one says. Happiness is key, and transferring is not the end of the world.

One way to keep things in perspective is to remember, “at the end of the day, you’re the one attending there, no one else.”

Click here to see our full list of America's Top Colleges 2015