Barnard College Top Questions

Join as many activities as you can handle because thats the easiest way to make friends. Really talk to your professors because they honestly do want to help you.

I would say look for a university or college which fits one's personality. The material taught at a lot of American colleges is very similar, however the type of the student body is what makes every class room experience different (i.e the debates going on in a liberal arts college may vary immensely from those taking place in an engineering school). The prestige of a college/university shouldn't be a huge factor in choosing an institution to attend because virtually all colleges and universities have similar curriculums; however, the connections a student can make at a prestigous school can be very handy in the working world! For students planning on resuming graduate studies, I recommend finding an undergraduate school with a great financial aid package. In the professional world, it basically matters where you earned your graduate degree. Lastly, remember that one's GPA, recommendations, extra-curricular activities and internships are what seperates students around this nation, not the name or prestige of one's school.

There is a lot of information to help you and your teenager find the right school. In fact, there may be TOO much information. The guide books and guided tours can only take you so far, and school rankings change faster than liberal arts students change majors. Having found a great college, and watched two sisters go through the process, I am convinced that no book or tour guide can tell you as much as your own observations and gut reactions to being on campus. Be creative! Be brave! Talk to students and professors, if you can catch them, and if you can't, take that as a sign that you might not be dealing with the friendliest bunch. Go online and read the college newspaper! See what issues are being addressed on campus and whether they match up with your interests. There are as many signs pointing you to the right school as there are schools to consider, but in the end, it is up to you to find them, and to seek out the people and places on campus who will convince you that you made the right choice. Be open, be confident, and have fun!

I wish I could go back and do college over again. I was going through so many personal transitions while I was an undergraduate student that I feel I missed out on having fun and making the most that I could of my college experience. Make the most of every opportunity that comes your way during your college years and if the opportunities aren't knocking on your door, go out and make them yourself. These are crucial years that can and will affect and shape the rest of your life. Make them positive!

I would suggest that students think not only about the physical and academic environment of the college but also the social environment in terms of what kinds of conversations they would like to overhear while sitting at the cafeteria or waiting for class to begin. Common hobbies or backgrounds are not precise indicators of how compatible you will be within a student population, so it is best to visit the college and see what kinds of conversations you find yourselves having with current students. Making the most of the college experience depends very heavily on your ability to balance many new aspects that will arise in your lives: balance between schoolwork, jobs or internships, social activities, volunteering. Make sure not to take too much on initially, in order to allow yourself sufficient time to observe your new environment and establish new routines; and absolutely do not be hesitant about trying courses in academic disciplines you never thought about before, beyond the accumulation of knowledge and skills, college is meant to be a time of discovery and intellectual intrigue.

If you already know what you want to do with your life, try to find the college that both has the best programs in that field, AND is in a location where you can start forging contacts and doing internships while you're still in school. When you graduate, not only will you be a step ahead of your fellow floundering alumni in terms of finding a job (you already have those contacts you made from your spring internship, remember!), you'll have an easier time adapting to your new life off campus since you'll already have at least a passing familiarity with the city. If you don't have your life goal already figured out, take a leaf out of my little sister's book. She's graduating from high school this year, and while she knows she wants to go to an art school, she's not sure what her focus will be yet. Cooper Union (her first choice) embraces the many forms art can take and encourages its students to learn them all. Now she won't be stuck with exclusively figure drawing and realize one day that what she really wants is to paint landscapes.

As a transfer student, I know how important it is to look at a variety of schools. And ladies, don't automatically discount the all-women's college experience...mine has been amazing so far!

Even if you don't find exactly the right fit -- don't panic! Every college experience you have will teach you something, regardless of whether you decide to transfer or tough it out, and the tougher times will often shape your character more profoundly and positively than the easy times. Remember that you get what you put into it, so be sure to take classes that you really love so you can put in 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}.

Its all about you and what you like. You choose.

The most important thing you can do is to visit the campus, and try to sit in on a class! It is the only way to determine whether you will feel comfortable in that environment--it is a place where you will be investing your time and energy for the next four years! If you know you aren't a city person, do not choose a city school, even if the academics are great; if you are unhappy with your environment, the years spent there can be torturous and will negatively affect your grades.