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Things To Consider When Selecting A College

When looking at schools within the U.S., there are many factors that must be considered before making the initial decisions as to determining schools that are of interest to you. The 3,200+ schools in the U.S. are spread throughout the 50 U.S. states and represent all the variety of elements of the United States. Not only is it important to know what you want to study but you also need too know "where" you want to study in terms of location, school size, climate, cost, and lots of other factors.

Self Evaluation
You need to take a close look at your academic record as well as your strengths, weaknesses, needs, and goals as you try to select colleges to which to apply. What your friends say about the "best school for you" and what your parents' friends say is "good" are not particularly good indicators as to what is really "good" for you. You need to research what schools offer and how that fits with your needs. Keep in mind that what is "good" for one person is not necessarily "good" for you.

Location
Urban? Suburban? Rural? Long, cold winters? Sunshine year-round? Near a city? Not a city within hours? One of the easiest ways to start narrowing your search is to consider where you want to be. You are not only selecting a school but a place to live. Campus settings range from places such as New York University and George Washington University blending right into the urban setting with no identifiable campus at all to campuses of 10,000 acres of forests and hills several hours from a city of over 100,000 people. Your personal happiness for your four years of study is going to depend greatly upon the environment in which you study so you must consider the actual location of schools. If being near family or friends is important, fine, but then use that importance to pick out possible locations. Keep in mind that being in a small town does not mean "nothing to do" and being in a large city does not mean necessarily mean “lot to do

Types of Colleges
Colleges can broadly be divided into either liberal arts or comprehensive universities. Generally, a comprehensive university is large and has many different departments and degrees are generally professional training programs in areas such as law or medicine. Liberal arts colleges, by comparison, provide students with a breath of knowledge and majors are usually of a more general nature (English, psychology, biology) and help student to become better thinkers, writers, and problem solvers. Students that know they will be going into graduate programs often find liberal arts colleges to be good preparation. Specialized Colleges - those that offer majors in one particular area. Examples of these are generally in the fields of the arts (Julliard), business (Bentley), or engineering (Harvey Mudd). Women’s Colleges - are those that are totally committed to the personal, social, and academic development of women. They provide extensive opportunities for leadership and independence.

Size
Colleges in the U.S. range from 24 students to 55,000 and the school size is very important as you evaluate what you want. Consider: Will you feel comfortable in a lecture class of 700 students? Do you prefer taking notes rather than discussing issues?

Is it important for you to have a teacher know your name? If a more personalized education is your preference, then you should be looking at the smaller liberal arts colleges where a student is a name as well as face. Pre-med programs can make a liberal arts college an excellent choice in terms of working with and getting to personally know professors. Small colleges are those generally referred to as those having fewer than 3000 students while mid-size refer to those with between 3,000-10,000 students, and large are those that have over 10,000 students. Not only do you have to consider the size of the school population but you must also consider the size of the community it is in as well as the typical class size.

Cost
You and your family must take a close look at the cost of a college education. As the annual cost of private education in the U.S. can now exceed $35,000, it is likely that a private institution will cost your family at least $150,000 over four years. Is this a cost that is affordable? Public institutions currently range from $13,000-22,000. If you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, you are eligible for institutional-based financial aid in a combination of grant, work-study, and loan monies. Most financial aid is Need-Based which means a family has to demonstrate financial need. The financial aid for international students is severely limited and very, very competitive. Non-U.S. citizens must select schools for which the family can provide complete financial support as documentation of complete support is required for getting a student visa.

Programs of Study
If you have a specific major in mind, make sure that the schools to which you apply have that program. If you are undecided about a major, it might be a good idea to apply to schools that have a range of majors so that you can pick a major later and have some choice about what to study. If you decide to apply to a "specialty" school (i.e., a school that specializes in just one area such as business), make sure that your interest to study that subject is strong. If you enroll in a school that specializes in business, for example, and decide that you don't like business, you will probably have to transfer to another college to study "something else".

Student Diversity
Schools vary greatly in terms of percentages of international students and/or American students of color. Generally speaking, an international student might feel more comfortable in a school in which there are other international students. A college that has 90+% or more of in-state students and 1% foreign nationals is not going to offer the diversity of students that you might prefer. If a school has 3% or more international population and at least 10% American students of color, you can consider that school as having a relatively diverse population.

On-Campus Housing
It is important to consider the percentage of students who live on-campus. The personal growth and learning that goes on in the residential arena on a campus is important as is an international student feeling "at home" away from home. If fewer than 50% of the students live on campus, weekend activities could be limited.

The Prestige Factor - School "Brand Name"
Students and parents should be wary of selecting a college based upon its name and the perceived prestige of that name. It must be kept in mind that at the prestigious, big name research universities, professors concentrate more on graduate students and research than they do on undergraduate students. The designer-label college diploma can assist in getting one's first job but after that, jobs, promotions, and raises are based upon one's personal qualities and achievements.

Pre-Professionalism vs. A Liberal Arts Education
Pre-professional programs of study are ones that are designed specifically toward certain career goals. Pre-med, pre-law, engineering, and business are good examples of pre-professional majors. Majors that do not lead directly to a specific career goal fall into the Liberal Arts category. The goal of a liberal arts education is to teach students how to think creatively and analytically, thus preparing them to pursue any career. There are pros and cons for both. If you really know what you want in terms of a career, then a pre-professional course of study might be most comfortable for you. However, if you are not sure, a liberal arts education is an alternative route into a professional career track.

Freshman Satisfaction
One statistic provided in most guidebooks is the percent of freshmen who come back after their first year. If this is a high number, it indicates that most freshmen were satisfied with the school and were successful. If this statistic is low, it would be good to find out why. However, keep in mind that not all schools are suitable for everyone and that you should focus on finding a school that is right for you.

Academic Atmosphere and Campus “Culture”
Each college has a different “culture” or feel. Some offer a large variety of intramural and extracurricular activities while others are more limited. Some have large international populations while at others the international percentage is small. The degrees of stress, competition, and intensity are also all different and will impact on the overall quality of personal life at any college. A stress-filled environment does not necessarily indicate a high-quality education. The analogy of "the big fish in a small pond/small fish in a big pond" merits some consideration.

Where Friends Go
Going to college where your high school friends go can be great or terrible. As a general rule, select a school that is right for you and if your friends end up there then great. But don’t base your college decision (and potentially the rest of your life) on where your friends are going to school. After all, there is a good chance you will grow apart anyway. And you’ll make more friends if you don’t have the old gang to fall back on. If you do end up going to the same college as a friend, you are better off not being roommates. Living with a person is a different story than simply being a friend and this scenario often leads to damaged friendships. Besides,  you’ll meet a lot more people and establish a larger circle of friends if you live with someone you don’t already know.

 Questions for Students to Ask a College Representative

Fall is normally the time for admissions officers to make high school visits, attend college fairs, and conduct group presentations around the globe! It's also an excellent opportunity for high school students to learn more about a college before deciding if they wish to visit campus.  Having a prepared list of questions for college representatives can enhance a student's knowledge of the different schools he or she may be considering.  Following are some examples of the type of questions that can be helpful in the college search:

• Do you offer a wide variety of majors, and can stuednts easily change their course of study? How many students double major?
• What is the composition of the student body (e.g., from what states, how many undergraduates/graduates, male/female ratio, commuter vs. residential, racial and cultural backgrounds)?
• What percentage of stuents lives on campus? Is housing guaranteed for freshmen?
• What percentage fo students returns for sophomore year? What percentage graduates in four years?
• What is the academic advising system like?
• Do faculty members teach courses? What is the average class size?
• What courses are required?  Can I get credit for Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or college courses I have taken in high school?
• Are there opportunities for research, independent study, internships, and study abroad?
• What choices do students have for their extracurricular activities?
• What is the neighborhood surrounding the campus like? How do the students get involved in the local community?
• Do you offer academic scholarships? What is the application process for scholarships?
• What are the characteristics of this school that make it unique?