| Type of institution- Private or Public.
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| | How frequently do I anticipate going home
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| College or University. Church sponsored.
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| | during the academic year?
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| Colleges can be either public or private.
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| | How extensively does the weather affect
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| Public colleges are those that are
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| | my studies or quality of life?
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| supported by the state in which they are
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| | Consider whether you would prefer a
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| located. Many highly ranked colleges in
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| | geographically diverse student body, or a
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| the United States are state-supported
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| | regional community of students from more
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| institutions. These colleges can often
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| | homogeneous backgrounds.
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| provide an excellent education at a price
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| | Campus life- What happens on campus when
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| for an in-state resident that is much
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| | people aren't in class
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| less than comparable private colleges.
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| | Whether you enjoy your college years will
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| At the early stages of your
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| | often depend on the experience of living
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| investigation, I would encourage you to
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| | on a college campus. Learning in college
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| consider both private and public
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| | comes not only from your class work but
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| colleges.
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| | also through interacting with your
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| While private colleges frequently cost
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| | college friends, extracurricular
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| more than comparable state institutions,
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| | activities, and just hanging out in the
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| they often have the financial means to
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| | dorm. Here are some factors that can
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| offer generous need-based or
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| | affect your college experience.
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| scholarship-based financial aid. This aid
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| | Housing Living on-campus for the first
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| can make the cost of a private college
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| | few years of their college experience is
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| the same or less than attending your
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| | important for many students. Dormitories
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| state college.
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| | can become a focus of college campus life
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| Many of the more selective private
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| | and the easiest way to meet new friends.
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| universities and colleges have a
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| | If it is an important consideration for
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| religious affiliation. The extent of
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| | you, remember to ask any college in which
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| spiritual influence varies. But at the
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| | you are interested about the availability
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| beginning of your college search, we
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| | of on-campus housing for all four years.
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| strongly encourage you to investigate all
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| | Some colleges only have enough housing
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| private colleges, regardless of religious
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| | for the first year or two of the college
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| affiliation.
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| | experience.
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| Academics- What courses and majors are
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| | Extracurricular activities The
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| you looking for
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| | extracurricular activities you engage in
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| The most important reason for going to
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| | are not only fun but can be part of your
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| college is to get an education. The type
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| | learning experience. Look at the view
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| of academic atmosphere and variety of
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| | books of the colleges to see what
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| courses studied is an important factor to
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| | activities are available. Talk to people
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| be considered when choosing a college. Be
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| | at the colleges you are considering to
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| careful, however, of choosing a college
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| | find out what activities are popular on
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| based solely on it having a particular
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| | that campus. Many colleges have 100 or
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| major or field of study. Research shows
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| | more groups for students with a variety
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| that 90% of all college graduates do not
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| | of interests. Also ask about how easy it
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| major in the field of study they
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| | is to start a new group if you have a
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| originally had intended. This happens
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| | particular interest not currently
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| for several reasons.
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| | represented on the campus.
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| First, most colleges have majors in
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| | Fraternities and Sororities The
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| subjects you have never before studied
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| | presence of a Greek system can have a
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| such as political science or
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| | dramatic effect on campus life. Ask
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| anthropology. Second, as you gain
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| | people on campus about how the
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| experience and maturity in college, your
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| | fraternities and sororities affect the
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| interests may change. Take time to
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| | social life of any college in which you
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| explore your options and be realistic
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| | are interested. Do they dominate the
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| about your talents. Be sure to pursue a
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| | social scene or is it spread between many
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| course of study that is of genuine
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| | different groups? Can anyone go to a
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| interest to you, not just one you think
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| | Greek party or are the limited only to
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| might lead to a good career.
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| | certain students?
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| If you do have a strong interest in a
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| | Campus Employment Many students will
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| particular area, such as science, it is
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| | hold a part-time job on or off campus
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| important to evaluate a college's
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| | while enrolled full time in college.
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| facilities and offerings in those areas
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| | Talk to current students about the
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| to make sure they have adequate
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| | availability of jobs and what types of
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| resources. Remember that many smaller
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| | jobs students typically get. With budget
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| colleges may not offer majors in certain
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| | cutbacks, some colleges are starting to
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| professional fields, such as engineering,
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| | limit the number of jobs available to
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| business, or physical therapy. If you are
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| | students on campus. If you need to have
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| certain of a specific field of study, be
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| | a job but have to seek one off campus,
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| sure that the colleges and universities
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| | think about the time involved in getting
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| you are considering offer that major.
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| | to such a job and the additional costs of
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| Don't exclude a smaller college, however,
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| | transportation.
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| simply because you think the resources
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| | Athletics- Are big time athletics
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| may be inadequate. Remember that all of
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| | important to you.
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| the resources of a college are available
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| | Many students who engage in high college
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| to its undergraduate students whereas at
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| | athletics may want to continue to play
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| a large university, many of the
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| | that sport in college. College students
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| specialized equipment might be reserved
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| | participate at three levels: intramural,
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| for graduate students only. Some of the
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| | club, and intercollegiate. Intramural
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| largest producers of PhD's in this
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| | play is most common. Intramurals allow
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| country are small colleges.
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| | students to compete at a variety of
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| Atmosphere- Liberal, conservative or
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| | different levels of competition with a
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| something in between
| |
| | primary emphasis on enjoying the sport
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| Each college has a particular "feel".
| |
| | for personal fitness, relaxation, and
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| Many factors go into creating the feel of
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| | fun. Club sport teams are usually jointly
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| that college's including the
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| | sponsored by students and the college,
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| responsibility the administration of the
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| | and may compete against other colleges'
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| college allows the students, the
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| | club teams.
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| competitiveness of the students with each
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| | Intercollegiate athletics is the
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| other and the students involvement in
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| | university equivalent of varsity-level
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| social concerns.
| |
| | sports. These programs are categorized by
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| Every campus will have a different feel.
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| | the NCAA into three divisions of varying
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| What is important is to determine if the
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| | degrees of competition: Division I,
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| campus atmosphere will be comfortable for
| |
| | Division II, and Division III.
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| you as a person. The best advice
| |
| | Selectivity- How hard is it to get into a
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| regarding student life is to look for an
| |
| | college.
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| intellectual and social climate in which
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| | Your academic performance in a
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| you will feel comfortable and challenged.
| |
| | challenging, rigorous program of study is
|
| There is no substitute to visiting the
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| | the most important factor in determining
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| college to discovery how any college
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| | your admissibility to colleges. Admission
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| feels. By talking to students, professors
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| | committees value a consistent level of
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| and administration on a campus, students
| |
| | achievement over four years, but they
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| can gain a better feel for that college's
| |
| | also give strong weight to students who
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| culture. Also, look around as you are on
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| | demonstrate significant improvement over
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| the campus. What activities are putting
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| | the course of their academic career.
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| posters up, and what are people talking
| |
| | While your grades are the most obvious
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| about? These are just a few of the
| |
| | indication of potential future success,
|
| issues to look at in understanding the
| |
| | colleges also want to see that students
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| feel of each college
| |
| | have challenged themselves in a
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| Student body and gender- Co-ed college or
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| | competitive, demanding academic program
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| single sex
| |
| | throughout their entire high college
|
| While most campuses now are coed there
| |
| | career. The more honor and AP courses you
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| are still some all women colleges
| |
| | are able to take successfully, the
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| available for students to consider. The
| |
| | stronger candidate you will be. Does
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| women's colleges can be an excellent
| |
| | that mean that you should take AP courses
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| choice for the right student as they
| |
| | even if the material if too difficult for
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| often offer not only strong academics but
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| | you? No. But most admission committees
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| also strong support for women that might
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| | will give more weight to a B in an AP
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| be lacking in similar coed colleges. And
| |
| | course than an A in a much simpler
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| lest you fear that you will be living in
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| | course.
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| a convent, almost all women's colleges
| |
| | Standardized testing also plays a
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| now have some sort of relationship with
| |
| | critical role in admissions. Virtually
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| coed schools so men will be around even
| |
| | all colleges will accept either the SAT I
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| in an all women's college.
| |
| | or the ACT. Many of the highly selective
|
| Setting- Where do you want to live
| |
| | colleges also require or recommend SAT II
|
| The physical environment of the college
| |
| | subject test. The most important thing to
|
| may be very important to you. Some people
| |
| | keep in mind for each of the colleges you
|
| prefer the variety of activities offered
| |
| | are considering is their 'middle 50%'
|
| by a large city. However, a large city
| |
| | range of testing. While a quarter of
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| requires certain adjustments that not
| |
| | admitted students have scores either
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| everyone will be comfortable with. For
| |
| | above or below this test range, such a
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| instance, an inner city college will
| |
| | median range will give a general
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| often not have the classic college campus
| |
| | indication of the strength of the
|
| look. Rather, it will consist of high
| |
| | applicant pool and how you compare.
|
| rise classes rooms and dorms.
| |
| | After looking at your academic
|
| Others want to go to college in a more
| |
| | performance and your test scores, most
|
| rural setting. These more rural campuses
| |
| | selective colleges will then look at
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| will often have the classic ivy covered
| |
| | subjective factors such as your
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| buildings with beautiful scenery in all
| |
| | recommendations, your essays and your
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| directions. But the excitement of a large
| |
| | extracurricular activities. The amount
|
| city will be missing from such a campus
| |
| | of weight given to these subjective
|
| and for those students seeking big time
| |
| | factors varies from college to college.
|
| athletics or popular concert venues may
| |
| | Financial aid- If I do get in, how am I
|
| not be comfortable in such a setting.
| |
| | going to pay for the college.
|
| The decision of a location and campus
| |
| | Financial aid may consist of grants or
|
| setting comes down to the question of
| |
| | scholarships, loans and work study.
|
| where you would like to spend the next
| |
| | Grants and scholarships are money that
|
| four years living.
| |
| | does not need to be repaid while loans
|
| Size- Large university or small college
| |
| | need to be repaid. Work study is
|
| The following are generalizations, so if
| |
| | generally a job offered on the campus of
|
| some of these areas are of concern, ask
| |
| | the college offering the financial aid
|
| questions at the colleges you are
| |
| | although it may also be a job off campus.
|
| considering:
| |
| | There are two basic types of financial
|
| A large university (15,000-50,000+
| |
| | aid; need based aid and merit based aid.
|
| students) may offer a variety of academic
| |
| | Need based aid is given by all colleges
|
| opportunities including elaborate
| |
| | to students who have need. Anyone who
|
| facilities and large libraries, as well
| |
| | can't pay the full cost of the college
|
| as the stimulation of a large faculty,
| |
| | has need.
|
| graduate students and undergraduates.
| |
| | A form called the Free Application for
|
| However, housing may be more difficult to
| |
| | Federal Student Assistance (FAFSA)
|
| obtain, more courses may be taught by
| |
| | determines the amount of need for federal
|
| graduate students, lecture sessions may
| |
| | grants and scholarships. Many highly
|
| be very large, and opportunities for
| |
| | selective colleges also require a form
|
| leadership in campus organizations may be
| |
| | known as the Profile form The FAFSA form
|
| diminished.
| |
| | is filled out after January 1 of the year
|
| A medium-sized university (5,000-15,000
| |
| | the student will first attend college.
|
| students) may offer fewer majors and more
| |
| | Merit-based aid includes scholarships
|
| modest facilities than a large
| |
| | typically for students who have good
|
| university, but also may offer greater
| |
| | grades or have some other special talent
|
| opportunities to participate in the
| |
| | such as athletic or musical talent. Most
|
| activities of your choice.
| |
| | highly selective colleges offer little or
|
| Small colleges (under 5,000 students)
| |
| | no merit-based aid.
|
| usually offer smaller classes, earlier
| |
| | In looking at colleges you should ignore
|
| opportunities to take classes with
| |
| | the cost of the college. Yes, you read
|
| well-known professors, and more chances
| |
| | that right. Ignore the stated cost of
|
| for participation and leadership in
| |
| | the college when you are first deciding
|
| campus activities. However, facilities
| |
| | which colleges to investigate further.
|
| and classes may be limited and options
| |
| | Many of the most expensive private
|
| for activities and diversity reduced.
| |
| | colleges meet 100% of the students need
|
| Location- Where do you want to spend the
| |
| | while cheaper public colleges usually
|
| next 4 years
| |
| | meet less than 100% of the need. This
|
| When considering the possible locations
| |
| | means that for many students it can be
|
| of your future colleges, consider
| |
| | cheaper to go to an expensive private
|
| questions such as:
| |
| | college than to attend a cheaper state
|
| How important is it for me to attend
| |
| | school. Until you know what percent of
|
| college close to home?
| |
| | need the college meets, don't eliminate a
|
| How much do I value attending college
| |
| | college from consideration just because
|
| with students of different geographic
| |
| | it is expensive.
|
| backgrounds?
| |
| |
|
