UNH 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 blog series is here to help you guide your student to making the right decisions throughout the college application and decision processes. Today, in no particular order, we’re sharing 10 ways to know if a college is the right fit for your student. For each number, we're sharing quotes from UNH students about why they love UNH and the amazing experiences they have had on our campus.
UNH students in residence hall room
1. There is a strong sense of community.
“At UNH, I have found a very strong sense of community. Most notably, I have found this in my college, the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences (CEPS). Coming in as a freshman, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed, but I found a home in student organizations, especially UNH Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (UNH SEDS).”
-Anthony '26
2. The residence halls feel like home.
"I came to UNH not knowing a single person. That’s one of the reasons I chose UNH. Going into the first week not knowing anyone was nerve-racking, but I quickly made friends in my residence hall. Our room doors were always open the first week, which is almost mandatory for first-years, yet they stayed open after that. Each night, my friends and I who lived next to each other would move between rooms, doing homework, watching movies and talking about classes."
-Anya '27
College of Life Sciences and Agriculture students working with simulated cadaver
3. Learning feels exciting.
“Professor Nick Smith who teaches Philosophy of Law and Justice inspires me to challenge my own thoughts and beliefs every single day, and I learn so much from him. When I feared that my education was becoming a bit routine and mundane, he got me inspired and excited again. After class each day, I would call home to my parents and tell them all the interesting things that Professor Smith taught me. His courses helped me fall back in love with learning after fears of burnout.”
-Bella ‘25
UNH student in advising session
4. Strong academic support systems exist.
“The University Advising Center was so helpful and knew how to help when I was stuck on what to do next. My undeclared advisor at the time was always there to help and was extremely supportive of my decisions.”
-Felicia '26
5. There are opportunities to expand your horizons.
“I spent the semester in Boston with Semester in the City interning for the GroundTruth Project (GT), a journalism nonprofit with the mission to serve underrepresented communities by supporting the next generation of journalists to do on-the-ground reporting and to advance sustainability, innovation and equity in journalism worldwide.”
-Sophia ‘26
College of Life Sciences and Agriculture students doing field work in the Oyster River
6. Students get life-changing scholarships.
“By providing me with funding during my school year, a summer internship and guaranteed job placement after graduation, the SMART Scholarship has allowed me to fully focus on my education. It has relieved so much of the financial stress and future career uncertainty that accompanies college, allowing me to fully enjoy the rest of my UNH experience.”
-Anne '25
UNH Career and Internship Fair
7. Students work internships that prepare them for after college.
“At my internship, I would try to remind myself that I was there for a reason and capable of things that felt uncomfortable or outside of my expertise. This helped me not only to take on and complete tasks, but also to feel motivated to express new ideas.”
-Jade '24
8. Research starts in your first year.
"I’ve had the opportunity to present my research at prestigious conferences, such as at Baylor University and at the Southeastern Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel (SAEOPP) Annual Conference in Atlanta. These experiences allowed me to share my work on the “Epidemiology of Concussions among Middle School Athletes” with a broader audience and receive valuable feedback from professionals."
-Caleb '25
UNH student musicians in the College of Liberal Arts
9. It's simple to change your major.
"I was very worried that changing my major would set me back progress-wise and even socially, but that was not the case at all. Changing my major did not set me back and truly was the right move for me to make. I’m forever grateful that I chose to take Intro to Public Health!"
-Emma '24
10. You don't have to choose between academic interests.
"After taking an introductory class in sports management because my advisor recommended it, I quickly found out that it was a space I belonged in. With the intention of just fulfilling a discovery course, I took a class called Gender, Power and Privilege (a women’s studies course) and also quickly discovered it was a space I longed to be a part of. These two spaces created a new way of viewing advocacy for me and showed me a future that I was very excited to be a part of."
-Ande '24
Don’t Miss Out:
UNH Parents Guide for Parents of Admitted Students
Today, we’re talking about all the important milestones on your admitted student’s journey toward that first day of college. read the guide
