selecting the college that's best for you — part 1
With hundreds of colleges
and universities across the country and around the world, the whole
idea of
choosing one specific school can seem like
an overwhelming proposition. You may already be receiving information
and viewbooks from places that you never even knew existed. Today more
than ever, schools are aggressively recruiting students via telemarketing,
direct mail, college fairs, radio, publications, television and of
course, the Internet. With so many choices, where do you begin?
The following steps are designed to help you sift through the myriad
of options by asking questions that will eliminate some schools while
drawing your attention to those that will best meet your needs.
STEP
1 - FINDING THE TYPE OF SCHOOL THAT IS BEST FOR YOU.
The first important step in choosing a college or university is to
decide what type of school you most want to attend. You can quickly
eliminate
many schools by establishing an initial set of requirements. Ask yourself
the following questions:
Am I most interested in a:
- Two year or four year school?
- Christian or a non-religiously affiliated school?
- Location - how far am I willing to go from home?
- Urban, suburban, or rural campus?
- Larger or smaller enrollment?
- Nationally revered or regionally known?
You should try to have the answers to most of these questions midway
through your junior year. Begin by talking with your parent(s) or guidance
counselor. Speak with college students at different types of schools.
Whether you are in a traditional high school setting, graduated high
school years ago, or are homeschooled, seek the opinion of those people
you most respect. Ask yourself what aspects of high school you most,
and least, enjoy(ed). However, in the end, remember that you are the
one who will be attending the school.
You may notice that cost was not mentioned above. The cost of the school
should not be a factor at this early stage. I believe that one of the
mistakes made by students and their families is that they eliminate
colleges based on cost too early in the decision making process. They
often do
not understand the financial aid process and how affordable even a
private college education can be!
Before moving on, let's address the issue of academic reputation. Schools
that have an exceptional academic reputation can offer unique opportunities.
However, there are also many schools that are not as well known that
can offer excellent programs and opportunities.
A smaller or lesser-known school may provide you with the opportunity
to become more involved. Holding student leadership and/or student
work positions will allow you to gain valuable experience. This can
be especially
important when considering the competitive job market after graduation.
The opportunity to stand out and be recognized will translate into
a more impressive resume. These types of schools may also provide more
direct interaction with college faculty and staff - individuals in
a
position to help you with information and recommendations as you consider
employment or graduate school.
The higher profile school certainly has advantages as well. In addition
to name recognition, these schools may provide a greater challenge,
forcing you to "stretch" yourself further than you have
before. The final result may produce a more confident person, better
prepared for
the rigors of a competitive job market. If the school is larger in
size, it may also provide a greater selection of majors, on campus
employment
and resources.
Each type of school has its strengths. Your challenge is to discover
which is best for you!
STEP 2 - FOCUSING ON YOUR BEST OPTIONS.
Once you have established
the type of school that will best meet your needs and interests, you
can consider numerous factors to further
narrow
down the field. Some of the factors discussed below may not be
important to you, while others may play a critical role in your decision.
Remember…it's
your call!
1. Academic Standards
By looking through a school's admissions material, or placing a
call to the admissions office, you can easily learn the academic
profile
of the "average" student. If your scores and grades place
you at the lower end of the academic profile you still may be accepted,
but
realize that it will likely be a greater challenge. If you are on
the higher end, your position as an applicant is obviously enhanced.
2. Career Planning and Placement
I believe this may be one of the most overlooked issues when students
consider colleges and universities. Make sure that you ask what
career planning and placement services are available. Ask about
the percentage
of students who go on to graduate school and/or find employment
in their chosen field after graduating. Also, try to learn the
specific
placement
rates for your particular major/program. One of the primary goals
of any college or university should be to help you gain employment
in
your field or assist you in attending graduate school.
3. Internships/”Real life experience”
Ask what internship and co-op type experiences are available in
your area(s) of interest. These opportunities may be paid or unpaid.
The
important thing is that you can gain valuable work experience while
still in school.
This will help you become more marketable upon graduation. You
should view any such opportunity as a chance to build your resume.
4. Accreditation
Most schools are accredited by a regional accrediting agency while
some individual programs may have a professional or national accrediting
agency.
For example, The National League for Nursing and the National Association
of Schools of Music, professionally accredit some nursing and music
programs respectively. If you are looking at a particular program
at a school,
this may provide a good indication of its strength. However, remember
that some majors/programs may not have a professional accrediting
agency, but for those that do, this can be an objective way to
measure the
strength of that program.
5. Majors/Programs
You need to be confident that your needs and interests will be
met as you consider your major or program of interest. We have
already
considered
two ways to help you determine the strength of an academic program
- the job placement rate and professional accreditation (if applicable).
However, you can also ask about the percentage of faculty with
a doctorate or terminal degree. If you are considering a pre-professional
program
such as Pre-Medicine, Pre-Pharmacy, Pre-Dentistry, Pre-Veterinarian
Medicine,
or Pre-Law, be sure to ask about the placement rate for graduate
school. This will provide yet another indicator of the program's
strength.
Learn what percentage of students who begin the program, actually
complete
it. Some colleges or universities may allow many students to begin
a
program and then "weed out" a large number along the way.
This may help the school gain a higher placement rate.
6. Attrition
"
Attrition" is a term that refers to the number of students who drop
out or leave the school. You should be aware if a college or university
has a lower number of it’s students returning after their first
year, or if the school graduates only a small percentage of it's
students in four years. It's important to know whether or not a school
has many
students who leave before completing their program. Students may
leave for a variety of reasons - they may change majors, can no longer
afford
the school, were not challenged enough, could not handle the academic
program, or perhaps they just didn't like the atmosphere. If you
discover that many students are leaving the school because of finances,
this may
be an indicator that financial aid awards decrease substantially
for continuing students, or the cost is increasing at an especially
high
rate. Ask an admission representative and current students these
types of questions to gain an understanding of the attrition rate.
7. Enrollment History
You should ask about the school's enrollment history over the past
few years. Is enrollment increasing, decreasing or unchanged? There
may be
good reasons for any increase or decrease in enrollment. Some schools
remain at a constant enrollment by choice. They may not have the
facilities for additional students or they may have made a decision
to increase
the academic standards and maintain their current enrollment.
8. Faculty-to-Student Ratio And Class Size
Colleges and universities recognize that many students are not
content to sit in lecture halls with 300-400 classmates. Learn
what you can
expect in terms of class size and faculty-to-student ratio. If
you are considering
a larger school it may be wise to ask for the specific faculty-to-student
ratio in your chosen major. If the faculty-to-student ratio is
high, be aware that you may be competing with many other students
for your
professor's ear.
9. Find Out Who "Teaches" The Classes
The "instructor" may not always be the professor you thought
would be teaching the class. At some colleges and universities, graduate
assistants may teach courses, especially the lower level ones. You
may be comfortable with this, but learn ahead of time what to expect.
10. Academic Assistance
Find out what type of academic assistance is available. Schools
may have academic assistance for students with special learning
needs,
seminars
on improving study skills, tutoring, assistance on research papers,
supplemental instruction, and/or study groups. Whether you are
an "A student" or "struggling",
everyone encounters the need for academic help at some point.
11. Organizations, Clubs And Athletics
Although probably not as important as other areas, clubs, organizations
and athletics can all add to your college experience. Ask about
your specific areas of interest. This can be particularly important
if,
for example, you would like to major in journalism and the school
has little
opportunity to work on such projects as the yearbook or student
newspaper.
12. Computer Labs And Equipment
Computer labs and other computer opportunities for many students
are essential. Are computers widely available - in dorms, libraries
and/or
labs? Your dorm room may already be wired to the school’s network.
Some schools even provide a computer for every freshman.
This article
continues here:
SELECTING THE COLLEGE THAT'S BEST FOR YOU - PART 2
College Tips Home
Selecting the college that’s best for you
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