Choosing the Right College for You!!

Where do you see yourself in five years?  Ten years?  Figuring out what you want to do with your life is quite complicated; however, figuring where to start may be even harder.  So, instead of asking yourself where you see yourself in five or ten years, let's look at a smaller chunk of time.  Where do you see yourself next year?  For many high school seniors this means, "What college are you going to attend?"

There are thousands of colleges and universities around the country.  The number increases drastically when you think about colleges abroad.  So now, what kind of college do you want to attend?  (At this time, it would be great if you got a notepad.)  Answering the questions below will give you a guide for choosing the best college or university for you!

1. Where would you like to attend college?  (i.e. Southeast, Paris, Chicago, etc.)
2. What size school would you flourish in?  (i.e. 800 students v. 40,000 students)
3. What kind of campus environment would you like for your college to have?  ( college town or metropolitan city?)
4. Do you know what you might major in?  Does the college offer it?
5. Can you talk to students that currently attend the college?  See what they have to say about their school.
6. Does the college allow you to bring a car on campus?
7. Does the city where your college is located have public transportation?
8. Are there stores (Wal-Mart, Target, etc.) close by?
9. How much does it cost to attend?
10. Does the college offer scholarships that you could apply for (not the ones you are selected for, just for applying)?
11. Do you want to stay close to home?  Would you mind being far away from home?

Now that you have answered these questions, let's get real about the situation.  Be honest with yourself.  Look at your answers and see if they really match what YOU want or what EVERYONE ELSE wants for you.  College is a big step, and four or five years out of your life.  (Yes, I said it...five years.  Four years is not the common time for college anymore.  If you want to get out in four years...take courses during the summer.)  With honesty comes clarity...and clarity is a beautiful thing!  

When considering school locations, many people think about two places....New York and California.  Well, there are A LOT of great places in between.  If a college town is what you are looking for, don't forget about schools in the mid-west and the southeast.  Kansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Georgia are just a few states that have great college towns along with great institutions.  If you are looking for busy city life, then don't overlook Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Philadelphia, and San Francisco.  All of these cities have great personalities, as well as transportation systems!

Future scholar you have a lot to think about...so let's get to it!  Best of luck...and STAY POSITIVE!

 

Don't Freak Out!!

Right now, you're sitting at your computer, thinking, "I have so much to do, that I don't know where to start!"  College applications are due soon, you are looking for scholarships, and tracking down teachers for letters of recommendation is hectic.  First, breathe!  Everything is going to work out...you just have to get organized.  To make the process easier, here are some tips!

1. Buy a desk calendar.  Write down all of your application due dates.  This way, you can see when your applications are due.
2. If you HAVE asked teachers for recommendation letters, remind them!  Teachers are busy people.  Just like you forget things, they do too! We're all humans here, so make the effort to give periodic reminders.
   
3. If you HAVE NOT asked teachers for recommendation letters...ASK NOW!!!  As I mentioned earlier, teachers are very busy people.  Not only are they educators, they have lives outside of school!  By asking early, you give teachers time to compose strong, effective letters of recommendation.
4. Set aside time to work specifically on applications.  As a high school student, you have a hectic schedule.  School, homework, extra-curricular activities, jobs, sports....the list goes on!  By setting aside at least 30 minutes per day, you can make a lot of progress.  The time builds up over the week!
5. Stay positive!  It's a crazy time right now, but it will all be worth it by graduation!!