Big cities and elite universities might seem ideal, but there is more to consider as choosing a college. Like numerous college applicants, you probably have a clear idea about which U.S. school is your top choice. It could be filled with your old friends or located in the middle of large city or close to the beach possibly, a combination of all three.

You may want to take a second and reconsider. You are picking a school, not a vacation spot. Here are some things to keep in mind.

Going to a big school-

A large school can be a great option, other than in a crowd of tens of thousands of students, particularly as an international student, you can with no trouble become marginalized.

Moving from your country is the big step and your skill to find friends will have a crucial impact on how well you adjust to your new home away from home. At a big school, you would walk past hundreds of faces each day that you will never learn to be familiar with and they might not recognize you either.

The larger the school the larger the probability which you will find out other students who are from your own country. In preference to actively trying to cross any cultural borders and make friends among students of other nationalities, you may just be tempted to take the easy way out and spend most of your time with your fellow countrymen.

That was not what you had in mind while you moved, was it?

Many of your classes will have hundreds of students and your professors more frequently than not won't know your name. That could be challenging. Smaller schools often depend on small classes to accommodate for this. Having a professor who knows you and takes an attention in your academic success can establish invaluable.

Going to school in a big city-

 Believe it or not that classic American college you have seen in movies with football games, fraternities and sororities and an old, beautiful campus is more likely to be found in small countryside towns than in large cities.

Colleges can become hearts of these communities. School spirit, cultural activities and athletic success can trickle into every home, causing the entire town to live and breathe the spirit of your school. There are always tons of things going on, giving you opportunities to get involved and make new friends, whether in music, acting, sports or something else.

I was part of the swim team and spent countless hours each week in the pool with my team. We bonded rapidly. Participating in activities is the best method to submerge you in this new place and become a part of it.

Challenge to settle down somewhere you may never have never heard of, and save New York and Los Angeles for your spring break.

Going to school somewhere with warm weather-

Sure you want to - you and thousands of other students.

Be realistic: The weather would apparently affect your college experience on a daily basis; however it is only one among dozens of factors. If your major concern is good weather, you should go to surfing school, not college.

Going to a school where you know people from home-

 I never came across anyone from my home country, Sweden, at two universities I attended throughout my undergraduate years. In its place, I made dozens of friends from America, Israel, South Africa, France, Croatia and countless other countries.

You did not leave your home and settle down in an opposite corner of the world to hang out with old friends you left in order to make new ones. And opportunely, Americans are extremely outgoing. They will befriend you whether you want it or not.

Going to an elite, Ivy League school-

Your probable obsession with this reputable group of eight schools Including Harvard, Yale and Princeton is perfectly normal. Each has graduated people who been extremely winning in a wide range of professions.

These schools are frequently featured in books, movies and TV shows, and are often mentioned in news outlets. Some tally the number of Nobel Prize-winning former students or current faculty by the dozens.

Other than you must realize that admission to one of Ivies is not a guaranteed one-way ticket to success.

What most successful Americans have in common is an unyielding enthusiasm to work extremely hard to achieve their goals. Many of them also have a keen eye for other individuals who show evidence of great potential.

Confirm to show off yours by always staying ahead of pack. If you do, opportunities would present themselves, regardless of where you went to college.