Brown University Top Questions

When looking for your school it is very important that the environment, both social and academic, is a good fit. It will always be a difficult acclimation to school and changing environments from high school to university. Make sure that that the class sizes are to your liking, your professors are easy accessible, campus is to your liking, and most importantly, that the social environment fits you as a person. You will have a tremendous impact on your university and on the people you meet while at university. Make sure the university you choose is one that has the ability to shape you, not change you. I wish you the best of luck looking for the right school, but you will know when you've found it! So I suppose luck has little to do with it...

Look at the way the school is academically structured. This was a huge factor in my college decision. Does the school have a very strong core cirriculum or a more open ended one? This alone can completely change the dynamic of a school. Another important question to ask yourself when you're visiting schools, are people happy to be there? Are they excited about their school? Location was also a very important factor for me; how far do you want to be from your family? Do you want to go to school in a city or in the country? Visiting is very important to get a real feal for a school, if my look one way on papper and then be a completely different place when you visit. Make sure you can picture yourself at that school. Happy Hunting!

I believe that the best way to choose a college is to go visit, talk to the students and faculty, and stay overnight. All of the facts and figures about different colleges are usually the same, but visiting a college really lets prospective students discover what it is like to live and go to school at that campus. I did know anything about Brown when I applied, so I learned everything from the overnight visit that I took before making my decision. The campus was so happy and welcoming that I knew it was the right place for me

Understand that many colleges have excellent academc faculties, big-names don't actually matter. A smaller school where the focus is clearly on undergraduate education makes for of a difference in your education than major research facilities or Ivy-League status. Choose a school that feels good all around: you'll get bored with binge drinking and all-the-time partying, just like you'll burn out if you have to devote every minute outside of class to studying. Think carefully before accepting an athletic scholarship: varsity sports are a great way to meet people and organize time as well as compete at a very high level, but in case you want to try other things, make sure there is a way to adjust your committment. Finally, remember that college isn't the end: study hard and take advantage of all the resources a university can offer, like networking and working closely with a professor. Life beyond school is even harder than anything you'd have to face while attendng.

You can't put off being happy. You can't wait to be accepted by your top-choice school, to lose another ten pounds, to find a better-paying job, or for that special guy/girl to finally make a move. Accept that life is difficult and strap yourself in for the ride. Be mad, love deeply, don't take advice from strangers. You sleepwalk through four years of high school, but when you find yourself at college, you're faced with more choice, more freedom than ever before. Use it. Take risks. Be strong. Don't let a day go by where you forget the fact that you have a finite amount of time in this world. So whatever you do, don't put off being happy.

visit as many colleges as you can before selecting a school, when at school participate in clubs and students groups, go out with friends and make the most of all the resources available to you!

Examine the type of social life you want and choose a university which reflects this. Academics will be secondary to your happines.

I would suggest that you start saving money as soon as possible. Financial aid awards don't always work out they way you think they will. Go to campus visits before you choose a schoool, so that you can get a feel for the environment and the student life. When you do get to college, get involved in as many extracurricular activities as you see fit with your schedule. Many of the activities helps you to make life-long friends and is a great way to network with people who have different resources. You will learn a lot about different cultures and backgrounds, so you should be open to new experiences because you might come in contact with things that you have never seen before. You should also realize that everyone is at you school for the same reason, to get an education.

Consider carefully the priorities of the student and then think about how a particular college fits those priorities. Though there are real differences between schools, nobody should be deceived into thinking there is only one school that is right for a given student. Also, though a focus on career is important, the college years are extremely formative socially and intellectually, so an emphasis should be placed on the overall quality of experience. Good luck in your search!

Finding the right decision involves identifying what is most important to you. Unfortunately, often it isn't until you are close to being done with college or have already graduated that you start to identify what you are really passionate about. A very wise high school senior will block the distrations of getting into a top school, wanting to ''live the college life'', not wanting to accept change, or considering careers based on money or status and ask themselves one simple question: "What am I passionate about?" If you start your college process with the most sincere and honest intentions, it will be much easier to find your way when you start to feel lost. Choose your school and course of study based on the things you love most in life and forget the rest. This will be the single greatest investment in your academic career besides deciding to go to college.