What “Type” are you? Personality and Colleges

The most often overlooked component of college search is the “Personality” of a school. Although every school is going to have its nerds and its jocks, its partiers and its hippies, most schools have an overall “vibe” that it fits into. The ability to place yourself with like-minded people is a huge advantage of college over all other schooling.

Many of us can fit into more than one category, and most schools have 2 or more strong representations of groups. But when you’re searching and selecting, it’s best to know, what “Type” are you?

(Disclaimer: These are going to be the extreme stereotypes of these “types” don’t take them to heart too much)

Academic-Competitive: You want to be on top, and you don’t care by what means. This is the type of school where everyone wants to be the best. The academics are tough, and you shouldn’t expect any help from your classmates, who would rather rip up your notebooks than help you out. Every student government election, every research position, every job fair, everyone is fighting for attention and positions.

Academic- Quirky: While intellectual pursuits are definitely number one, you don’t have to be better than anyone else to be smart. You’d rather collaborate with your classmates on something interesting and cool than ensure you’re the top of the curve. You’re all nerds, and darn proud of it. You’re not afraid to let your freak flag fly as a school; in fact, the relative nerdiness of the school is a selling point.

Artsy-Hipster: You’re going to be a theatre, music, or fine arts major. Perhaps you’ll dip your toe into the humanities.  And you know what, that makes you more worthy to discuss what it means to be human than others. While others are fighting in the rat race to make more money, you know that you’ll be truly fulfilled artistically. Plaid shirts and beanies are so last year. You were wearing fedoras before they were cool. You’re much cooler than you’re super cool classmates, and wow this college feels more like an artists colony.

Liberal/Activist (grouping these two together): You want to make a difference in the world. You want to take a gap year to volunteer with under privileged children in Africa. Your school pays a living wage to all of its employees, uses locally grown produce in the dining hall, and offers a plethora of vegan choices. When Obama got re-elected? There was practically a riot of excited students.

Conservative/Traditional: You’re a 20something republican, and darn proud of it. You’re going to major in something financially responsible to ensure your future economic success. Your school technically has single-sex dorms, and doesn’t have a terribly active LGBT community. You probably decided to attend the school because its associated with your religion, and while you are looking to get an education, finding that special someone to have 2.5 kids and a white picket fence with certainly wouldn’t hurt. You’re really happy that your professors aren’t spewing “liberal crap” like they would be at other schools.

Hippie: The best thing about your school is the grounds. Everything is so open and environmentally friendly. Your school doesn’t have core requirements and lets people explore their own paths. You took off your Birkenstocks or your Toms to walk barefoot on the lawn, but now you can’t tell the difference between those and everyone else’s. You’re thinking of growing dreads like your roommate.

Partier: YOLO, am I right? Why waste 4 years of your life in a boring town, studying, when you could be going to awesome parties. Those college movies that your friends say don’t accurately portray party life? Yeah, your school looks like that. Weekends are Thursday-Monday, and your school doesn’t even offer Friday classes. You have the rest of your life to worry about grades, but you only get to go to college here and now.

Country-Club Prep: You know what sorority you’re going to be in before you even rush, because every girl from your private high school is already planning on taking you as a little. The only thing bluer than your blood is the water in your dorms pool. You’ve lived off campus in a beautiful condo every year of school. Nobody laughs or rolls their eyes at a boy who has a roman numeral after their name. Bow ties in class? Typical Tuesday.

Ra-Ra Sports Fan: You love love LOVE sports. You only applied to SEC or Big 10 schools. If getting tickets to the football games is easy, they’re probably not worth going to. Game day is the most important event of the week. Your entire freshman wardrobe is in the schools colors. The athletes are literal heroes of the school.

Okay, have I offended everyone yet?

All stereotypes and kidding aside, the personality of a school has a lot to do with how easily you will adjust to college life. Too big of a mismatch and you might find yourself transferring within a semester. I definitely stuck to Academic-Quirky schools in my search, but there were quite a few liberal/hipster/artsy schools thrown in as well. I found my perfect match, will you?