Baldwin Wallace University Top Questions

Go with your heart. Financial aid of course is a big factor, but go where you feel most comfortable and could see yourself living. You are living there for the next four years, don't choose a place that you are not at all comfortable with the area around you. Make sure there are things on campus that you would like to be involved in.

I would tell them to research colleges. Take campus visits and talk to some of the students on campus and see what there experince is like. Also go on your own preference on the kind of college you would want to go to to narrow your choices, whether it be a small college or large university. Once you pick a school work hard, make new friends, and take every opportunity u can when its giving to you. Of course it will be a lot of hard work and you will have to dedicate yourself, but it will be worth it in the long run.

I would choose the college that is best for the student. Most students want to get as far away as possible, but does not look at how much the cost of the college is, what it has to offer, and what finacial aid you will get. I think that in order to choose a college, the student must, evaluate the college, on his/her standards. The student must feel comfortable at the college, and actually enjoy being there. A friend of mine wanted to get away from his parents and enjoy freedom, well it didn't work because he is home every weekend and is tranfering next semester. He looked at the mileage of the college versus the education and the cost. Now he is more in debt in one semester, than he probably will ever be. I think choosing a college is a students responsiblity but the parent needed to be there to guide the student and make them realize what college is about, instead of how far away it is from the home.

Make sure you visit the college first.

Every student/future student is different, therefore every school is not going to be for them. It is important to seek out a school that has a personality that the student wants for themselves, or reflects of themselves. It is also important to look at the opportunities the College allows for that student. There are so many aspects to think about when choosing a college. You may decide that you want to join a fraternity/sorority, you may decide to get involved in community service, you may decide to spend a semester abroad. Keep all of these things in mind when looking at a school, along with your priorities (safety, quality of education, ect). You have to find the school that has the opportunities you want to take and will create an atmosphere that will encourage you to take these opportunities.

First, my advice is to involve as many resources as possible. Students should use internet search programs, government websites, high school guidance counselors, and parents to narrow the search. Search programs will lead them to make some difficult choices. Ideally this will result in approximately five possibilities: a dream school that if accepted and it is at all financially possible, is the one; three realistic choices, one of which is at a distance beyond your normal comfort zone (for me that was 500 miles from home), and a good back-up college (that may be a community college or a nearby state university). Also important is the fact that the final choice should rest with the student, not the parent because it is not the parent who is going to be attending classes. Once on campus, get involved! Try out for a play, be an athelete, join a fraturnity/sorority, find a club, but don't commute on weekends. Go to class -- You're paying top dollar, so get what you're paying for. The college experience is more than just academic knowledge, but the proper balance between social life and a focus on academics must always be remembered.

Overall, the college decision process is a difficult one, and many parents and students will struggle with it, even after they have been accepted to a specific institution. At the end of the day, I think the only thing that a prospective student can do is to make sure they feel comfortable and welcomed by their campus. This is essential and will help everything else fall into place. You need a home away from home. You need a place where you can picture yourself growing and prospering and really the only way to figure that out is to vist campuses. It may seem like a hastle to take so many tours and to visit so many schools, but it's worth it. First of all, the more schools you vist, the more you'll understand your own likes and dislikes and the more you'll understand what you are looking for in a school. Second of all, when you find yourself on the right campus, you'll just know. You'll picture yourself there. You'll imagine yourself growing as both a person and a student, and you'll imagine yourself obtaining your goals.

Search for a school that speaks to your heart. Pray and ask God to reveal to you where you could be used most to glorify Him and His kingdom. Then once you feel like you have a good grip on where you should go, pray and go. Never look back and make the most of your college experience. If you let Him, God will blow you away in your college years. College students are unique in that movements can be started for God that impact thousands of people for the kingdom of God. Praise the Lord God Almighty!!!

Definitly visit the college campus. It will give you such a better feel for what the college is really like. Overnights are a great way to see how the night life is. You will know when you find that "right" college. Keep visiting and don't stress!

Spend a night at the school you most want to go to, and the runner up. Wherever you feel most comfortable is where you should go. Don't go where all of your high school friends are going, branch out and engage in new situations.

Make sure and visit all colleges/universities and make a compare and contrast list. Also, know what you are looking for and what you are not. Additionally, speak with students who live on campus and those who live off campus to get a real feel for the school. Do not forget to speak with financial aid before you leave!

First of all, when deciding what college to attend, it helps to narrow down your choices by choosing one that has the major you are considering. Next, you have to decide which size of campus you will feel most comfortable living on for the next four years. I also think it's important to look at the extra curriculars that are available. You definitely want to become involved in something other than studying! To make the most of your college experience, I suggest you meet your academic advisor early and often. It's extremely helpful to know them on a first name basis so when you have an important question or decision to make, you won't hesitate to use their expertise. Lastly, have fun! Believe your parents when they tell you that these are the best years of your life, and you will most likely be friends with the people you meet in college for the rest of your life.

Talk to people from the schools you are thinking of. Take tours of each college. Sit in on a class or two

If your kid wants to go to a smaller school that is a little more home-like and tends to be a much quieter area then send them to BW. There's much more work to be accomplished if you're focused on your studies.

The one big piece of advice that I can give to parents and students about finding the right college is to go and visit the college. Seeing a college in person is the best way to know if a college is right for you. While you are there observe the students, see what their reactions are walking around campus. If you can picture yourself with these students and you feel comforable there, then that is the right college for you. If you are stuck between colleges, ask if you can do an overnight, where you can sleep in the dorm and attend classes at that college. To make the most the college experience is to get involved. Get involved in anything you are intersted in and it is a great way to meet people. You will never get the full college experience sitting in your dorm room. Go out and get involved.

As a transfer student and a commuter, I think the best advice for parents of commuters would be to give your son or daughter lots of space and freedom. To the students, never choose a college based on the fear of moving away from your hometown. Choose the school that fits your interests and plans for the future, because if you base your decision on location, you may regret that decision sooner rather than later. Going away gives you the opportunity to live on your own in some ways, and make your own choices. Having that freedom to choose is what forms your self, so find the school that suits you, and stick with it, even if it means going away, and even if you're scared.