Boston University Top Questions

Ignore the five year plan. Or the ten year plan. I mean, certainly make one for your own goal-reaching purposes, but ultimately, people change, and you may wake up tomorrow wanting to do something entirely different. Allow yourself to choose a school that you feel will best allow you to reach your potential; that offers options, makes you feel comfortable, and enables you to begin building the person you want to be.

I would tell students to do a good amount of research befor making a decision. The academic options (eg. available majors, internships) are important, as is the size and social environement of the campus. I would stress the importance of visiting the campuses of potential schools; it is impossible to overestimate the importance of the the school that a student chooses feeling like the right place for them. The campus should feel exciting and stimulating, but also comfortable. It will be a student's home for four years and he or she should feel a connection with the campus environment.

As an Admission Ambassador I work with prospective student and parents all the time. I would advise them to start the college process the summer of their Junior year and ask for teacher recommendation forms at the end of their Junior Year. I also highly recommend visiting the colleges and participating in a student-lunch, day, and/or overnight stay program with current students. This will give the prospective student a feel for the school and community.

Finding the right college is difficult for many students, especially those who do not know "what they want to be when they grow up." I changed my major 3 times during college! For those students, a large college is a good choice because it provides an opportunity to explore different fields and allows for you to change your major. A smaller school may not offer the new major you want and then you will need to transfer schools to pursue your interests! For students who do know what field of study they want, they should find the schools that excel in that field. Do a little research and find the top schools in that field, then narrow them down by your other priorities (cost, location, size, religious affiliation, etc). Some students need a school that is close to home, while others feel comfortable traveling further, but want a school with a diverse population. Whatever you want, there are many search engines online that let you search for colleges that meet your specific parameters. Finally, remember to ask your parents, teachers and friends who are already in college for their advise: nothing beats the wisdom of those that care about you.

Please, don't believe what tour guides say. They are TOLD to sell the school, and often times lie or withold the whole truth. Ask actual students--check online boards or ask friends that might have children going to the school. That is THE best way to pick a school.

Spend time at the college before deciding. Also, talking to current students away from the parents. It's hard because the people who really enjoy the school are generally the ones that give the tours, but what you really want is to ask the rest of the student body for their opinion. Mostly, just spend a lot of time at different schools to take it all in.

I would visit as many schools as possible because going on a tour is the best way to get an idea of what a school is really like. Think about what aspects of a school are most important to you and make your decision based on that. To mke the most of the college experience I would not get stressed over academics and make as many friends as possible. This people will truly be your best friends for life.

The right college involves not just a lot of research into the colleges but into yourself as a person. It's also about challenging yourself to try a setting that you might not have thought of before. I left Florida and a small town life for a big city and a university of 15000 students. For me it helped me grow in ways I would never have thought possible, and when I go home everyone is amazed at the changes. This is not necessarily the prescription for everyone of course but it is important to consider. Lastly, I believe that the student should consider academics as the most important partof their decision and that the school offer exactly what they need.

Visit as many campuses as possible, keep an open mind and trust your intuition. When I applied to schools during high school I became fixated on two of the first campuses I happened to visit, so much so that I lost interest in looking elsewhere. To my surprise and to the astonishment of my college advisor, I was wait-listed at both and essentially forced to attend a school I knew I wouldn't like. I transferred after two years, and my biggest regret is that I didn't leave sooner. For those who aren't 100 percent sure that they know what they want to do with their lives--which is almost everybody--I'd advise you to pick a school based on general interest and how it feels to you in terms of size, location, and student population. Pick a nice liberal arts college and if you fall in love with a particular field during your freshman or sophomore years, get your grades up and transfer; transferring is generally easier anyway. There's nothing worse then going to a school for a specific program and finding within a semester that it's not for you.

Go somewhere where you know you will love the environment. If you take advantage of the opportunities at any college or university, you will be able to achieve your goals. College is what you make of it; the important thing is to be happy so you can learn and grow as a person. Don't let yourself be pressured into going somewhere because the academics are supposedly better, make the decision for yourself.