There’s nothing quite like coming home to thick, lovely envelopes containing college acceptance letters from different colleges you applied for. You did it! You got accepted! These white envelopes are going to change your life forever.

But if you’ve received more than one college acceptance letter, how are you going to decide which college to attend? Today’s back to school tips will give you some pointers on making the biggest decision of your life. No pressure.

1. Compare tuition costs and cost of living. While college a university in New York City would be ultra-glamorous and practically the center of the world, it’s going to cost far more than a campus in Omaha, Nebraska. When you get down to it, $400/month rent vs. $1500/month rent can add up after four years.
2. Job placement program. In today’s tough job market, having a college committed to helping place you in a job after graduation is critical. Look for career support in resume building, help with mock job interviews, and job recruiters who come on campus.
3. Compare apples to apples. For an overview of how different colleges directly compare, use sites like CollegeBoard.com and PrincetonReview.com to get a breakdown.
4. Scholarship options. If you received a full ride from a particular college, that would be a definite reason to seriously consider attending their school.
5. In-state vs. out-of-state tuition. When you attend a college in your home state, you have the benefit of in-state tuition costs compared to the additional out-of-state tuition fees. If you’re lucky enough to live in Nevada, they reward college students staying in-state with $10,000 scholarships!
6. Experience the campus firsthand. Taking in the college atmosphere firsthand will help you see if it’s a culture you could picture yourself in. Pay attention to how you feel when you’re on the campus and trust your instincts.
7. How do students rate the school? There’s no better way than hearing it straight from people who’ve spent time on campus. BusinessWeek has compiled school rankings based on what the students had to say.
8. Study abroad programs. The perfect time to travel the world is when you are young and unattached. Thanks to study abroad programs, you can do a semester in London, Tokyo, or even India.
9. Do they offer online classes? Though life on campus is a big part of the whole college experience, having the option to take online classes is great, just in case something important comes up. Case in point, just before graduation, there was a girl whose father was diagnosed with cancer. Thanks to online classes, she was able to continue with her classes and still spend valuable time with her family.

Are you playing the college acceptance waiting game? Photo: College Candy

If you’re checking your mailbox six times a day, praying to the college gods, and waiting with bated breath for college acceptance letters from your schools of choice, it may be time to get a life. For today’s back to school tips, here are some suggestions of how to play the college acceptance letter waiting game.

1. Make sure your application was received. One productive thing to do is make sure that your college applications were received in good order. Otherwise you’ll be waiting for a whole lot longer. See if your college has a website that confirms your received application. If you applied online, chances are you’ll receive a confirmation email within 24 hours.
2. Check on the status of your application. Many colleges will allow you to check on your college application status and make sure that each portion of your application has been received.
3. Don’t despair! Though you’ll likely be seeing Facebook updates from your friends about the colleges they were accepted into, stay positive. You may think that college acceptance letters are all mailed at once, but they are typically sent in waves. Yours may be on its way as we speak.
4. Research the colleges you applied for. While you wait, sign up for a campus tour for the colleges you’ve applied for. Seeing the campus, meeting people, and experiencing the college environment first hand will help you weigh the pros and cons of each college and prepare you for the big decision of which campus you’ll pick.
5. Get your finances together. Start putting a plan together with your parents about how you’re going to pay for college. The paperwork process for financial aid can be extensive, so it’s good to get a head start on things.
6. Give yourself a break! The college application process is intense. You totally deserve a break.