When you’re choosing a college, it can be helpful to speak with program coordinators. These people can provide you with very good, detailed information about their programs. They can tell you exactly what’s required to get into a program (not just basic minimum cutoffs, but the real grades you’ll need to be accepted), where their grads end up going after finishing the program and what you can do to best prepare yourself for success.

Do keep in mind, though, program coordinators are biased. They likely hold their school and their program in high regard, so while they will not necessarily mislead you on purpose, they should not be your only source of information. Program coordinators may not have a realistic view of the way their program is perceived by employers in the field, and if they’ve spent a long time in academia, they may not have a good sense of the real state of the labor market in the industry.

So do speak with program coordinators to get more information when choosing a college, but also take some time to get unbiased information about the quality and value of the program you are considering. Talking with people who work in the industry is the best way to get that information. Set up a few informational interviews with people who work in your field, and you will gain access to excellent (mostly) unbiased information that will help you to make smart choces about your education.