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What to think about when starting your college search

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There are many factors to consider when making a college list beyond prestige, majors, and cost. Students should consider standardized test scores and GPAs as factors but not the only factors, as extracurriculars and community service are also important. Other considerations include public vs. private schools, acceptance rates, student to teacher ratios, social life aspects, and the percentage of graduates who go on to further education. The best research involves visiting schools and speaking to current students.

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What to Think About when Starting your College Search There are many factors you should consider when making a list of colleges; there is much more to a college list than just prestige, majors, and money. Here is our advice on some of the things that you should consider, and one of the best things you can do for yourself is drop all of your preconceptions and have a listen. One of the first things students often worry about is standardized test scores. Though they are important, do not mistake what is considered an average SAT/ACT score or GPA (grade point average) for the minimum requirement. Give yourself about 150 point in either direction for a SAT score, about 2-3 points for an ACT score, and about 0.5 for a GPA. While, SAT/ACT (all schools in the United States accept either) and GPA will be major deciding factors, they will not be the only factors. Schools also take into consideration extracurricular activities, community service, and clubs. If you dont have any of these, then you may want to think about getting involved in a few. Few is the key word here, though. Its really hard to be fully committed to 20 different clubs and do well in school. Universities just want to see that you can dedicate yourself to a few, and really get involved. Students also have trouble deciding between public schools and private schools. Public schools are largely funded by the state or local government, and are often priced a little lower, especially for in-state residents. Private schools are run as nonprofit organizations and therefore often require more support from its students. A common misconception is that private schools charge more than public schools. While this may be true in the case of in-state residents, out- of-state residents and internationals often end up paying the full price of the public school which can be the same price as some private schools. Another common misconception is that because you are paying a higher price at a private school, you will receive better care and service. This actually depends on the school, and
well show you a little later how to figure this out. At the beginning stages of making your college list, do not discount a school because it seems too expensive, remember there are alternate ways to help pay for your education. Sure a school sounds great, looks pretty, and has the prestige you are looking for but will you be accepted? Acceptance rates are very important. They give you an idea of how many applicants are accepted each year so you have an idea of what your chances are, but they may not always be what they appear to be. For instance, Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah has a 93% admission rating which sounds great, but the applicants to this university also have strong affiliations with the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints, and comply and agree with the principles of Mormonism. If this doesnt sound like you, then you probably wont be in the 93%. (The Princeton Review, The Best 377 Colleges, pages 114-115). Likewise, some public schools are more willing to accept in-state residents than out-of-state residents, and, for some, its the complete opposite. Some schools rely heavily on numbers and scores, while still other look more at essays and the interview. The best way to find out more about this is to do some research on the schools youre looking at. Along with , another thing to think about is what percentage of graduates move on to graduate school or professional schools, like medical school or law school. A high percentage may mean that they are preselecting students for higher education even before they are selected for their Bachelors degree. A low percentage may mean that graduates are going out into the real world and finding jobs. Neither are bad choices; it all depends on what you want. Do you want to go for a Masters degree or to a medical school? Would you rather go out into the world and start your career? This is something you may want to give some thought to and consider when making your list of colleges. Another important factor to consider is the student to teacher ratio. If you work better, or are more comfortable in a smaller class where you can receive more one-on-one attention, then maybe a big university is not the place for you. If youre okay with larger class sizes, and being lectured in a group of sometimes 500 people sounds just fine, then youll have no trouble with big universities. The important thing to remember to look for is how approachable and accessible the professors are. If the professors are easily approachable and accessible,
then a large class may not pose much of a problem because you can speak with the professor one-on-one after class or during office hours. A more fun aspect that students dont always consider is your social life. You are not only choosing a school, you are also choosing a place to live for, at least, the next four years of your life! Universities in large cities often offer much more variety, culture, and night life. Youll probably be able to do something different every night, and find a 24 hour grocery store within walking distance. Be careful though, as this can often cause much distraction. A smaller city or town, on the other hand, will be much more intimate and can be a place where everyone seems to know everyone, whether for good or bad. Similarly, if you hate the cold, then the East Coast is probably not for you. If you love being by the ocean, then a university in a land-locked state is probably not the best fit for you either. Also take into consideration that many people find job in or near where they went to college. This could potentially mean that youre not only picking a place to live for the next four years of your life, but for the rest of your life. Books like The Best 377 Colleges from The Princeton Review offer a great starting point for your research into colleges, and this one in particular has also been lauded by www.Collegeconfidential.com for its take no prisoners approach to giving students the low-down on 377 colleges in the United States. It has feedback and quotes from actual students who actually go to these schools, has great information like what the most popular majors are at a school, what kind of clubs and sports are offered; and has valuable information like student to teacher ratios, admissions contact information, average GPA and SAT/ACT scores. The best thing you can do, however, is visit the schools and talk with the students who attend the university currently because they will be able to give you the best information . Get a mix of public and private schools and ask them questions about how the administration is run from a students perspective. Is it easy to get things done, or do you have to go through a lot of red tape? Sit in on a few core classes to see if you like big lecture halls, or if you would prefer a smaller, more intimate setting. Find out from a student what the social life and community life are like. Just being there will help you decide if you even like the place.
Lastly, remember that everything takes time. Your teachers and counselors need time to write out Letters of Recommendations that are meaningful and specific to you. It takes you time to write essays and edit them. It takes time to fill out applications, and it takes time to send everything through the mail (which, yes, some colleges do require). Everything takes time, so make sure you give yourself plenty of it. You want to aim to have everything finished and ready a few weeks before you need to submit your applications just in case you need to do something last minute, so give yourself, you guessed it, TIME!

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What to think about when starting your college search

  • 1. What to Think About when Starting your College Search There are many factors you should consider when making a list of colleges; there is much more to a college list than just prestige, majors, and money. Here is our advice on some of the things that you should consider, and one of the best things you can do for yourself is drop all of your preconceptions and have a listen. One of the first things students often worry about is standardized test scores. Though they are important, do not mistake what is considered an average SAT/ACT score or GPA (grade point average) for the minimum requirement. Give yourself about 150 point in either direction for a SAT score, about 2-3 points for an ACT score, and about 0.5 for a GPA. While, SAT/ACT (all schools in the United States accept either) and GPA will be major deciding factors, they will not be the only factors. Schools also take into consideration extracurricular activities, community service, and clubs. If you dont have any of these, then you may want to think about getting involved in a few. Few is the key word here, though. Its really hard to be fully committed to 20 different clubs and do well in school. Universities just want to see that you can dedicate yourself to a few, and really get involved. Students also have trouble deciding between public schools and private schools. Public schools are largely funded by the state or local government, and are often priced a little lower, especially for in-state residents. Private schools are run as nonprofit organizations and therefore often require more support from its students. A common misconception is that private schools charge more than public schools. While this may be true in the case of in-state residents, out- of-state residents and internationals often end up paying the full price of the public school which can be the same price as some private schools. Another common misconception is that because you are paying a higher price at a private school, you will receive better care and service. This actually depends on the school, and
  • 2. well show you a little later how to figure this out. At the beginning stages of making your college list, do not discount a school because it seems too expensive, remember there are alternate ways to help pay for your education. Sure a school sounds great, looks pretty, and has the prestige you are looking for but will you be accepted? Acceptance rates are very important. They give you an idea of how many applicants are accepted each year so you have an idea of what your chances are, but they may not always be what they appear to be. For instance, Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah has a 93% admission rating which sounds great, but the applicants to this university also have strong affiliations with the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints, and comply and agree with the principles of Mormonism. If this doesnt sound like you, then you probably wont be in the 93%. (The Princeton Review, The Best 377 Colleges, pages 114-115). Likewise, some public schools are more willing to accept in-state residents than out-of-state residents, and, for some, its the complete opposite. Some schools rely heavily on numbers and scores, while still other look more at essays and the interview. The best way to find out more about this is to do some research on the schools youre looking at. Along with , another thing to think about is what percentage of graduates move on to graduate school or professional schools, like medical school or law school. A high percentage may mean that they are preselecting students for higher education even before they are selected for their Bachelors degree. A low percentage may mean that graduates are going out into the real world and finding jobs. Neither are bad choices; it all depends on what you want. Do you want to go for a Masters degree or to a medical school? Would you rather go out into the world and start your career? This is something you may want to give some thought to and consider when making your list of colleges. Another important factor to consider is the student to teacher ratio. If you work better, or are more comfortable in a smaller class where you can receive more one-on-one attention, then maybe a big university is not the place for you. If youre okay with larger class sizes, and being lectured in a group of sometimes 500 people sounds just fine, then youll have no trouble with big universities. The important thing to remember to look for is how approachable and accessible the professors are. If the professors are easily approachable and accessible,
  • 3. then a large class may not pose much of a problem because you can speak with the professor one-on-one after class or during office hours. A more fun aspect that students dont always consider is your social life. You are not only choosing a school, you are also choosing a place to live for, at least, the next four years of your life! Universities in large cities often offer much more variety, culture, and night life. Youll probably be able to do something different every night, and find a 24 hour grocery store within walking distance. Be careful though, as this can often cause much distraction. A smaller city or town, on the other hand, will be much more intimate and can be a place where everyone seems to know everyone, whether for good or bad. Similarly, if you hate the cold, then the East Coast is probably not for you. If you love being by the ocean, then a university in a land-locked state is probably not the best fit for you either. Also take into consideration that many people find job in or near where they went to college. This could potentially mean that youre not only picking a place to live for the next four years of your life, but for the rest of your life. Books like The Best 377 Colleges from The Princeton Review offer a great starting point for your research into colleges, and this one in particular has also been lauded by www.Collegeconfidential.com for its take no prisoners approach to giving students the low-down on 377 colleges in the United States. It has feedback and quotes from actual students who actually go to these schools, has great information like what the most popular majors are at a school, what kind of clubs and sports are offered; and has valuable information like student to teacher ratios, admissions contact information, average GPA and SAT/ACT scores. The best thing you can do, however, is visit the schools and talk with the students who attend the university currently because they will be able to give you the best information . Get a mix of public and private schools and ask them questions about how the administration is run from a students perspective. Is it easy to get things done, or do you have to go through a lot of red tape? Sit in on a few core classes to see if you like big lecture halls, or if you would prefer a smaller, more intimate setting. Find out from a student what the social life and community life are like. Just being there will help you decide if you even like the place.
  • 4. Lastly, remember that everything takes time. Your teachers and counselors need time to write out Letters of Recommendations that are meaningful and specific to you. It takes you time to write essays and edit them. It takes time to fill out applications, and it takes time to send everything through the mail (which, yes, some colleges do require). Everything takes time, so make sure you give yourself plenty of it. You want to aim to have everything finished and ready a few weeks before you need to submit your applications just in case you need to do something last minute, so give yourself, you guessed it, TIME!