Parents Guide to Making a College Decision
It’s finally that time: You and your student have worked your way through the entire application process, hit submit, and received admissions decisions from schools. You and your student are now working on making that final college decision. How do you guide your student toward making the best choice for them?
Our Parents Guide series is here to help you guide your student throughout the college application and decision processes. Today, in no particular order, we’re sharing five aspects of a college to look for when helping your student make a college decision. For each one, we're sharing quotes from UNH students about why they love UNH and the life-changing experiences they have had on our campus.
1. Learning beyond the classroom
"If you had told me a year ago that I’d spend my summer in Sweden, I would have thought you were crazy. After being connected by a UNH faculty member, I had a research opportunity to analyze butterfly DNA, despite not having taken a biology class since high school. This experience was my favorite because it proved how the problem-solving skills from my physics classes could be applied to a completely different field like bioinformatics."
-Eben '27, engineering physics major
2. Ease of getting involved
"On campus, I am a research assistant focusing on disaggregated storage architectures. I am also the president of the and a part of the cybersecurity competition team. We've gone to the Northeast Collegiate Cyber Defense League (NECCDC) competition in March, where we won second place in the regionals, and are going to the Collegiate Penetration Testing Competition (CPTC)."
-Evan '28, computer science major
3. Support for great ideas
"I first heard about the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) grant my sophomore year, and a classmate of mine had done some summer research last year on the SURF grant. The SURF grant supports 10 weeks of full-time research for undergraduates, providing a stipend and funding for research expenses."
-Luke '26, fine arts major
4. State-of-the-art facilities
"The CEPS Makerspace is the perfect place to work on projects, including 3D-printed models, electronic repairs, and textile projects. We have a sewing machine that students use to make and repair items for sailboats, theatrical productions, and clothing."
-Pedro '26, mechanical engineering major
5. An environment to grow
"The university’s location is another major draw, offering the perfect balance between the ocean and the mountains, allowing for both relaxation by the coast and adventure on the slopes. UNH truly provides the ideal combination of academic excellence, school spirit, and an inspiring natural environment."
-Kayla '25, human development & family studies major