Alfred University Top Questions

It doesn't matter what the books say. To know if a school is right for you, visit. It's best to visit your chosen schools more than once, because weather can have a huge effect on the mood of the school, and a freak storm or sunny day can adversly influence your choice. Talk to people there, not just the tour guides. Tour guides are paid to make the school sound good, so do some investigating on your own. Check up on what Alumni are doing too. This can give you a good idea of what graduates in your intended field have accomplished, and the more people that have been successful in that field, the more likely you will be to have a leg up when networking. Also, ask people you admire where they went to school. Not only can they give you an idea of where you want to go, you can ask them what is important to them in finding a college. Perhaps passionate professors are what made them who they are, or a large campus with a lot of diversity, or tons of extracurriculers that really let them explore their interests outside of academia.

Understand that sometimes your first choice isn't the best choice and be open to exploring the opportunities available to you. Don't be so focused on your end goals that you miss the many side roads available in your education that can help lead you to success. My most successful and satisfying memories weren't necessarily ones that I had planned or anticipated but came from times when I strayed off my chosen path and tried something different. Make friends with your professors, they have a lot more wisdom and knowledge than they could possibly give you in just one course. Work hard on your academics, but one of the most important aspects of college is the lasting friends you'll make, the self realizations you'll have, and the networking that will help you afterwards. Don't be afraid to try new things, its much harder to change your mind once you graduate.

Ask your teachers and friends, visit your schools and talk to students there!

Choose the right program for you. Don't base your decision on the entire school, that can be overwhelming. It is important that you find the program(s) which fuel your passion. Go and talk to the professors when you look at the school. Ask as many questions as you can before making your decision. Find the community that you connect with. If it doesn't feel right when you visit then it's not for you. In the end, go with your gut, you'll know you have the right school when it just feels good being there. Immerse yourself in this experience. Try everything. Be open to everything. College is not just about getting an academic education, it's about finding out who you are and how you fit into your community. But most importantly, always keep asking questions!

First and foremost check out what kinds of programs are offered at the school, this way if you go to school with an intended major but realize suddenly that you would like to change majors, the options are right there for you. Second, location. When visiting a school I highly recommend staying overnight or possible over a weekend. If the college offers a weekend on campus, in the dorms experience for perspective students like Alfred University did, then I highly advise signing up. This way the perspective student gets a current student's perspective on what campus life it is like. It's a completely unimaginable experience, living away from home for the first time.

If you are interested in playing a sport at the college of your choice I would highly recommend doing an overnight trip as a recruit with one of the team members so that the prospective student will see what the college life is really like and can make an informed decision about whether or not the college is right for him/her. I would also suggest really exploring the campus and asking lots of questions. Make sure the setting is right for you too. If you grew up in a small, rural town maybe going to a college in a small, rural setting isn't the best place for you. Find out what the college is really like. If its a big party school and you want a more career focused school, make sure you find that out and avoid a huge headache.

The administrators and teachers act alot nicer when they are trying to get you to come to the school. spend alot of time getting to know the real campus community, class requirements, and what credits really transfer. Administrators will tell you that you can take all the classes you want and that all your courses will transfer. What they wont tell you is that most of the time what transferes wont count for what you thought it did or for not as many credits, and alot of times you cant fit the classes you want due to all the major requirements. Expect to use more money than your planned, course materials are always getting more expensive and colleges have alot of extra fees they dont tell you about. But be open to lots of new things and new kinds of people, the people you didnt think you would like are usually the most fun.

Let your child choose where he or she wants to go, offer your input and your opinion but whatever you do dont make the decision for them.

Go with your gut, and what you feel most comfortable with.

Make a listing of the ideal school with your child and then look for schools that most closely match this list. Figgure out what will be most important to the student, ie programs, academics, social life and match that most closely to your ideal list. Start looking early and don't write schools off for sticker shock.