Across the country, college acceptance letters have been mailed out and now it's in the hands of high school seniors whether or not to take the offer. So how do colleges persuade students to come to their school? Well, college admissions offices have it down to a science and they tell our Cara Thomas that there is more to the equation than just financial aid and a beautiful campus.

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POTSDAM, N.Y. -- When choosing a college or university, there are many aspects students and their families look for.

Clarkson student David Yambay said, "Money was definitely the highest factor above anything else."

And Elizabeth Bartosik said, "I took a tour after as I got accepted and I felt really comfortable as soon as I got here."

Financial aid, specific majors, a quality education and the atmosphere. But when some students just can't decide, they leave it up to chance.

Yambay said, "In the end, I decided I couldn't really make a choice, both schools were both equally appealing, so I wrote out on a dice 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, rolled it and it came up on Clarkson."

But for college admissions councilors, there's a bit more of a science in attracting perspective students. After sending out acceptance letters, they don't just sit around and wait. Clarkson's Dean of Admissions says through accepted student open house events, the school offers the students a time to ask more questions and further connect with the school. Admissions councilors and faculty members also continue to reach out to perspective students on a personal level and engage in conversation.

Clarkson's Dean of Admissions, Brian Grant, said, "For us, the best thing is that they interact with our students and our faculty and that really is the deciding factor for a lot of them."

And while financial aid is extremely important to many students and their families while making their decision, Brian Grant says there's much more to it.

"Financial aid is a big part of it but, we also think our education, our reputation, the enhancements to the university put a package together that really is the right place for the students at the right time," said Grant.

Grant says what's most important is that students find the school that is a perfect fit for them and their family. But students will need to decide quickly. The national deadline for college enrollment deposits is May 1st.

Grant says each year it's a guessing game to figure out how many students will accept the college's offer, so they admit more students than will actually enroll. They also have a waiting list pool for when their enrollment numbers are low.