Student have similar view points on what qualities a college should have and which colleges they would find themselves being most successful at. Administrators tend to notice a pattern of colleges that students at the high school are wanting to attend.

The most popular picked colleges chosen by students here at SAHS are UW Madison, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, and Duluth,  University of North Dakota, and a variety of private schools in Minnesota such as Saint Thomas, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota and Saint Johns. These colleges tend to be the most selected college picks by students.

UW Madison is a selective college, and a dream school for the many of the students applying for colleges. Junior Charlie Boldt said “UW Madison is my first choice college because they have amazing programs, along with a lot extracurricular activities that are available to participate in.”

Location plays an important factor with the students when choosing their top college picks, Boldt follows up on his choice of UW Madison said, ” The towns atmosphere definitely has an influence on my decision, the towns atmosphere just multiples the experience of being there compared to being in a busy city.”

What makes the schools under The University Of Minnesota, UW Madison, and University Of North Dakota most popular picks by students at SAHS is because of Reciprocity and the Scholarships that are available upon attending those schools. Gayle Solsvig Career Center Teacher said ” I tend to see students applying for University of Minnesota, NDSU, and UW Madison mostly because of reciprocity, and because of the scholarships that are offered for students attending Minnesota schools.”

The different  majors and opportunities that follow post graduate life are important factors when playing students choice when picking a college. Solsvig said “What sets theses most picked college choices apart from any other college is you need some pretty high GPA’s to attend theses colleges, also more internships tend to be available when attending these most picked colleges. These colleges also have different opportunities that other colleges don’t have available for their students that enhance their college experience.”

These colleges have become so popular at SAHS  not only because of the financial aid included with choosing one these popular school but also the familiarity of staying close to home. Junior Kacy Bottemiller said “When I’m thinking of where  I want to attend college financial aid plays a very important part in deciding where I’m going to go; but I also want to be somewhere where I know people and the area is familiar to me.”

When choosing where students are going to spend their post High School life they seem to follow the same path with choosing schools under The University Of Minnesota, UW Madison and The University Of North Dakota. Pricing and Location are one of the determining factors that seem to effect the students of SAHS decisions when choosing which college would be the best fit for them. This is why students tend to have the same views of colleges that they would want to attend.