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Choosing the College that's right for you
Right
for
YOU
Choosing a college is probably one of the more difficult decisions that you'll be making. Here are a few tips to help you with this process.
Many students are uncertain about their major, or what they want to do for
the rest of their life. That's normal! In fact, at least one third of most
incoming classes will switch majors within the first two years. In part, that
is what college is all about - deciding what's right for YOU. However, most
student have some sense of direction. For instance, you may be interested
in the sciences, or in helping people, or in teaching or communications. If
you have a sense of your general interests and academic strengths and weaknesses,
consider schools that give you some options in this regard. And remember,
in most bachelor degree programs, you are not required to "declare"
or finalize your major until the end of your sophomore year.
When considering schools, you'll need to determine whether you'd prefer to
be in an urban setting, in a small town, or a more
rural area. All of these options have their advantages and disadvantages,
depending upon your personal preferences. In addition, you'll want to consider
the distance from your home in terms of travel arrangements, vacations, and
proximity for any personal or family matters.
Before making a final decision, you should take the time to visit the schools
you are considering. Regardless of how helpful most college viewbooks are,
until you have a chance to see the campus and visit with faculty, staff and
students, you won't get a complete sense of the school, and how it may meet
your personal needs. Most colleges offer Open House programs (see inside back
cover for schedules), weekend visitations, and tours. When arranging you visit,
schedule a time to meet with both the admissions staff and the financial aid
staff, as well as students, faculty, and coaches.
This factor will probably play a major role in your final decision. However,
don't automatically rule out a "private" or "expensive"
school based on their listed tuition and fees. If you find a school that fits
all of your needs, go through the financial aid process to determine what
it will actually cost you and your family to attend this institution. There
are many options available to you and you may be surprised that in some cases,
your financial aid package at a higher priced school may bring your actual
"out of pocket" costs in line with that of a less expensive institution.
How large or small of a school do you want to attend? In considering size,
keep in mind that the size of your high school as compared to the colleges
your considering. For instance, a "small" school of 2,000 may still
seem quite large to a person who graduated in a high school class of 100 or
less. Some students function better in small institutions, or in smaller classrooms,
while others prefer the anonymity and spectrum of choices generally offered
by larger institutions. Visiting the college will help you in making this
decision.
Brought to you by The
Student Source
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