The best thing you can do is visit the campus in person; there's simply no substitute. It will give you the opportunity to walk the grounds, feel the energy, taste the food literally , and most importantly, ask detailed questions.
You may even be able to sit in on some classes. Some students with the financial means even schedule a second campus visit. This is not an option for everyone-even one visit is expensive-but it illustrates how important it is to see the school with your own eyes. You're going to be spending four or more years of your life in this place. You want to be certain that it is somewhere you want to be. One of the worst situations you can get yourself into is enrolling in a college and discovering something you'd love to study, only to find out it is not offered as a major.
You will have to choose a different major or transfer schools, which can be costly and extend your college career. You don't have to decide on one, just have a range of options in mind.
Later on, you might be looking at two different schools. One offers all the majors on your list, the other doesn't. Having criteria like this can make your eventual decision much easier. Ideally, if you already have a major selected you can search for a college based on that. You can investigate academic departments more thoroughly and carefully select a school that's a perfect fit for you. But that's in an ideal world. Most students only declare a major during their sophomore year and don't have that information when choosing a college.
That's okay. If you've been considering all the factors listed above and have a general idea of what you want to study, you shouldn't have too many surprises. This may be a little different if you're applying to a very small school with a limited academic focus. In that case you probably want to have a specific major in mind when you enroll.
If you end up deciding on a completely different discipline-a common occurrence-then you may find yourself stuck with few alternatives. In the end, choosing a major is the part of the process that gets down to the nitty-gritty specifics. You'll want to do plenty of research and weigh all the factors described above before devoting too much time to this topic. As stated above, you want to have some sort of plan for your academic career. That includes giving some thought to what you want to do after graduation.
You don't have to decide anything, just start thinking about it. This will help you judge whether or not a college will help you meet your goals in life. Some colleges invest heavily in career counseling services, others do not. If possible, get some statistics on career placement from the school.
A college that is active in this field will have this information readily available. Career counseling can be invaluable in helping you find internships and employment. Some colleges and universities have an active alumni network.
Think of this as career counseling on steroids. Especially with Ivy League and other prestigious universities, an alumni network keeps the school plugged into various industries and provides graduates with direct access to employers and career opportunities. Not to frighten you, but this is a major decision in your life, possibly the biggest decision you've made so far.
You don't want to make it alone. Bring other people into the process, including parents, other family members, teachers, friends, college officials and college graduates. The more input you have, the more informed your decision will be. Chances are your parents are going to have opinions and priorities of their own.
It is vital that you maintain clear and honest communication with your parents throughout the process. Some parents are overbearing and practically make the decision for their child. Others simply have their own concerns, especially when it comes to finances, but have difficulty being a constructive part of the process.
Selecting the best college is the student's decision, and it's important that he or she sits in the driver's seat. Many high school students don't realize they have so many people to turn to for help. Take a step back and look at the adults in your life.
If they are successful and happy, ask them about their college experience. Most will probably tell you that it didn't matter so much where they went to school, but what they did with the opportunity. Even those who didn't go to college will have some perspective on why and how that affected their life.
Choosing a college is a massive undertaking with lots of different factors to consider. Many students don't give the process enough time or thoughtful consideration. This can make the selection process much more stressful and your eventual choice much more miserable. But if you carefully weigh all of these factors, as well as some of your own, you will eventually navigate your way through the process.
Take it step by step. Start general and, as you learn more about yourself and your range of options, get more and more specific. In the end, what started out as hundreds of options will be narrowed down to just a few, and you will find a great college for you.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a College or University by Becton Loveless You have probably heard it over and over again: choosing a college is one of the most important decisions you will make in your life. These types of schools make it possible for those who must work full-time jobs to also pursue an education.
Taking classes at night, on the weekends, or online, is also an excellent way to earn a graduate degree e. MBA business degree program. Quality of Professors Does the college have highly qualified professors, or do the professors seem to be amateurs? To make sure you are getting the best possible education, you need to study with highly educated professors that not only have experience teaching, but also real-world skills. Many professors at the university also have real-world training, and at least one urban planning professor works for the city government.
Students in his class created a project that mimicked a project the professor had worked on for the city. Quality of Department of Study In addition to investigating the quality of professors, review the quality of the department for your area of study. I majored in Industrial Engineering when I was in college, and it was important for me to attend a school with a well-established Engineering department.
I wanted a program with a great reputation and impressive research opportunities, as opposed to a program that was mediocre or brand new. It can also be frustrating, if the teaching assistant lacks teaching experience. If you hope to become a teaching assistant during graduate school or upon graduation, make sure to attend a school where you have the opportunity to work as a TA. Study Abroad Opportunities Studying abroad is a unique opportunity that only a fraction of students get to experience.
If you want to study abroad, consider how many study abroad programs are offered at a specific school, and which countries are included in the programs. In addition, determine whether the university supports students who study abroad. Some schools make it extremely easy for students to study internationally by allowing them to transfer credits. In order to get into graduate or professional school, your undergraduate studies may have to be completed at an accredited institution.
Students who attend unaccredited schools are not eligible for financial aid. For well-known universities and colleges, accreditation is almost a given. Even if an online school is accredited, research graduate schools and professional schools of interest to ensure the schools accept the accreditation. Some schools are known for their engineering programs, and other schools offer the top nursing programs in the country.
In addition, some schools provide a traditional course of study, where students attend classes, write papers, and take tests.
Other schools, like Reed College in Portland, Oregon, focus on independent study and laboratory research conducted by small study groups. Seniors at Reed College must also complete a thesis before graduation. On-Campus Living As important as academics are when choosing a college, student life can be just as important for some young adults since there are other reasons why you should go to college.
For the most part, student life begins and ends in dorm rooms. If you want an active student life, you need to live with other students. Look for the schools that have a high percentage of on-campus living if you want an active student life.
Additionally, if you really want on-campus living, make sure there is availability in the dorms. Greek Life Participation Sororities and fraternities play a huge role in the social lives of students.
For some, getting into the right house is an essential element to being a college student. If this is you, make sure you do not limit your options by applying to a school that has low Greek life participation. Academics are the most important feature of your college career, but you also want to ensure that your life will be stimulating and fulfilling outside of class as well.
Rumors of the famed freshman 15 are often true. Many students make bad decisions for their health and gain weight when confronted with unlimited high-calorie food in cafeterias.
It is inevitable that a college campus becomes like a petri dish for colds, flus, and STDs as thousands of students from around the world come together in the confined spaces of classes and residence halls. Mental health issues also thrive in university atmospheres. While you'll find germs, fattening foods, and stress on nearly every campus, it is in your best interest to research a college's health and wellness facilities and programs before attending.
As a rule, the following should be true:. Students of healthy body and mind are much more likely to succeed in college than those who aren't.
Most colleges are extremely safe, but some have lower crime rates than others, and they all have different approaches to safety. Regardless of the school, bicycle theft and home invasions are not uncommon on college property, and the rates of sexual assault tend to climb when young adults live and party together.
On your next college tour, inquire about campus safety. Are there many incidents of crime? If so, how are they handled? Does the college have its own police or security force? Does the school have a safe escort and ride service for evenings and weekends?
Are emergency call boxes located throughout campus? Department of Education. Everyone is going to struggle at times with class material which is why looking into each college's academic support services is a good idea. Whether it is a writing center, individual tutor, or office hours session that you are looking for, you need to know that this type of help is an option.
Find out how readily available support will be when you need it. In addition to general academic help, realize that all colleges are required to comply with Section of the Americans With Disabilities Act. Qualifying students must be offered reasonable accommodations such as extended time on exams, separate testing locations, and whatever else may be needed to help them perform well.
Great colleges include plenty of robust services under and outside of Section Most students attend college with career aspirations in mind, and a school's career services can help you to achieve these.
The forms of help and guidance that a school provides as its students apply for jobs, internships, and graduate studies speak highly of the quality of education you will receive there. Some resources to look for are:. Colleges that provide any or all of these services are likely to be supportive of their students from the beginning to the end of their careers. Colleges are responsible for making these opportunities available to you. Leadership is a broad concept that can take many forms, but consider these questions as you apply to colleges:.
You immediately link yourself to every person who has ever attended a college upon your enrollment. A school's alumni network can be a powerful tool for providing mentoring, professional guidance, and employment opportunities to its students even before they graduate. Students should be able to take advantage of their school's alumni network for internships and job opportunities, or there is no point in having one.
For example, USF is a top research university, and our cost of attendance is one of the lowest in the entire country! We also offer generous financial aid packages and merit-based scholarships to lower the cost even further.
This old real estate mantra holds true even when selecting a college. Make a note of the following at colleges on your list. Our average temperature is degrees, and the Tampa Bay metro area offers countless cultural, recreational, internship, service-learning and employment opportunities, along with some of the top beaches in the country.
Are you into football? Underwater basket weaving? Whatever your interests, find a college that allows you to pursue them!
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