If you want to get the straight scoop on picking a college, who better to ask than actual college students? Campus Life chatted with some students at Judson College in Elgin, Illinois, to get their advice.

"Choosing a college is really important—it's your education you're dealing with. Go to the college you want to go to, and don't let things such as location and cost stand in the way. Those are things that can be dealt with, but you'll regret it if you go to a college you don't really like just because it's closer or cheaper."

"Go where it feels right. Sometimes you can step onto a campus and just know. It feels like you could be there. And don't go where everybody else wants you to go. If your parents really want you to go somewhere, and it feels right to you, that's fine. But if they just want you to go there, or your youth pastor wants you to go there, or your teachers, remember they're not the ones who are going to college. It's not a decision they'll live with for four years."

"What other people think isn't everything, but don't totally ignore them, either. I'm from Florida, and I wanted to go to school in Washington. My mom said, ‘You can't go to Washington, because it's too far away.' But I have lots of family in this area, so Mom said to go here, and I'm really happy here. Mom was right."

"I work part-time as an admissions counselor, and I talk to a lot of high school students, mostly inner-city kids from poor families. Most of the kids I talk to don't believe they could get into college, let alone a private college, let alone a private, Christian college. I tell them they can do it, because I'm from the inner city, and I'm here. My advice is, don't hesitate—don't wait until the last minute. And take the initiative—send the applications out, look for colleges, ask about financial aid. Then carefully see who you are and what major you want. I think that once you do that, God directs you."

"I started college right after high school, because I knew that if I didn't, I wouldn't come at all. As far as choosing a college, a lot of people have their own opinions on how well a college operates and how good it is, but I would recommend forming your own opinion. Go check out the school and find out its strengths and weaknesses for yourself. Because every school is going to have its faults, as well as its good points. There's no perfect college, no matter what anybody says."

"I was really stressed out about finding a college, but as soon as I realized that all I had to do was trust God and not worry about anything, it completely fell into place. That's the best advice I could give—to trust God and not worry about anything, because it will all work out."

Copyright © 1999 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.