Krista
Find a college where you feel comfortable right away. If the people walking down the sidewalk do not seem like people you could be friends with, you may not be in the right place. Although academics are the most important aspect of college, you will not be happy if you do not feel socially connected to the school, and this is impossible if you do not have anything in common with the students. I am proud of the decision I made to attend Butler because I believe that I am getting the best education possible. It is expensive, but I know I will never regret spending the money on a fantastic education. Look into the job placement rate of a school, because it is a huge indicator of the success you will find there. Most importantly, just find what makes you happy. If you do not like your major, change it! If you don't like your classes and they aren't required, drop them! Get the most out of your college experience, because it will be time to grow up when you graduate.
Meredith
Decide what you want from your college experience as well as what you want for your future and find the college that fits those requirements. Once you are at college, don't be afraid to put yourself out there and join organizations and get involved on campus - it will help you meet people and make friends so that you feel more comfortable at your new school and you will have so much fun!
Sara
Don't give in to the pressures of family and friends. Pick an undergraduate school you feel comfortable in, but one that also challenges you enough to force you to more complex ways of thinking
Janice
Listen to your children: even if a school seems too expensive or not right according to your standards, allow you child to expore the university and find out on their own. Encourage them to go outside their box.
Kristina
My advice is to start looking early and apply early. That way you have plenty of time to make up your mind. Also, visit all the campuses you can before or during the application process. Try to stay over night if possible to get a real sense of the campus. Once you start college, get involved, but not overly involved. Pick the clubs, sports, or Greek organizations that are important to you and stay committed to them. Also, go through rush/ recruitment. You will never know if being Greek is right for you unless you check it out. Even if you don't join a house, it is a great experience and you can make great friends during it. Most of all, have fun and enjoy. Those 4 years go faster then you could imagine!
Rachel
Explore all of your options, financial need aside. Go and visit the school's you are interested in because sometimes seeing the campus can change your opinion. Look into both small and large schools and see what fits you best. Don't be afraid to go far from home. Talk to the financial aid office and see what is available through the school and local communities. When you are in college, don't be afraid to try new things, take classes just for fun, get out and meet new people, inspire others; this is your chance to start over if you aren't happy with who you were before, or felt you couldn't be yourself before. College isn't for everyone, but it's well worth trying for...it really does open so many doors!
Erin
Don't settle for a college that doesn't meet/exceed your expectations, and definitely don't choose a school based on the amount of financial aid offered. Also go on as many visits as possible. Look at all your options and write down pros and cons for all schools right after your visit or even during your time on campus. Don't be afraid to ask questions either.
To make the most of the college experience you should try new things or expand your horizons. Also you should take chances and make as many friends as possible. Join a club or greek house, but don't spread yourself too thin. You'll get too busy and have no time to relax, and trust me.. you will want time to sit down and relax.
Alycia
When looking at schools, make sure to visit the career center to see what resources are available. If you wish to stay in the city in which you reside after you graduate, it is probably best to attend a school in the same state. Make sure to visit a variety of schools both in size and locations to find your best fit and ask the same questions at each school you go to. If there are opportunities to do overnight visits, do those as well to find out what the social life and students are really like.
Lauren
look at a lot of schools
Adrienne
Allow your child to not only tour the school but stay with a current student in the field that they are interested in. That way your child will get to experience the people that he/she will encounter and how classes will be conducted.They also will get to experience the food and the living conditions. It is a hands-on experience that is not only informative but fun!
Marianne
College is one of the biggest steps one takes towards adulthood. Take time to visit campuses, check out the curriculum for interested majors and plan out the future financially to make sure that the college is right for you. It is awesome when you know you have found the right college and you know that you will be a part of the school until you graduate. You want to be able to make good grades while still being challenged, get real world experience, have fun, be a part of campus, have school spirit and pride, and make friends that you have common interests as well as friends who have uncommon interests. College is where you can find yourself and really express who you truly are. Make sure that you select a college where you can fulfill all of those needs and be happy!
Samuel
I would suggest that students get involved as much as possible in campus organizations and programs whether that is through greek life or otherwise. I would also suggest that students pick a school that is academically right for their major and not just because their friends are attending a certain university. They can keep their friends and will get the quality education in the field they desire at another university.
Danielle
Choosing the perfect college for a high school graduate is about pushing them outside of their comfort zone and challenging them without completely destroying the environment they're accustomed to and hurting their academic experience. Meaning, if your child learns best in a small classroom setting, then they should probably attend a small school because they'll be comfortable in that learning environment. But try attending a more ethnically diverse school?-or one with organizations you've never even heard of. College is about earning your degree. But it's also about finding out who you are and if you keep yourself in the comfort zone that you've always been in, you'll never find out. Then you wasted your experience and the world is a much scarier place. Obviously finances are always a factor, but where there's a will there's a way. Find a campus that stimulates you intellectually, aesthetically, and challenges your views and you'll find a way to afford it.
Monica
Start early, think it through, understand that it is impossable to forsee every thing.
Tabitha
My best advice that I can give prospective students is to follow your instincts. Narrow down your choices to a few schools that you could succeed at. Make sure they all have good programs and will help you to excel in your chosen field. After that, follow your heart. Go where you feel comfortable. Don't worry about cost, there is so much aid out there that you can go wherever you want as long as you are willing to work hard to get there. If you feel comfortable at the school and think that you will be happy there, then chances are that is where you will succeed. College is about the education you get while attending classes, but it also is about the person you grow into while you are there. Make sure the place you choose will help you grow into the successful adult that you want to be.
Courtney
Follow your heart, and save as much money as you can!!
Jesica
Students should take time to visit the college not only in a regular college trip, but with normal students as well. They should experiance the entire campus including things such as dorm rooms, food, various classes. Life off of campus is important as well. Prospective students need to see what activities go on outside of campus, what transpertation is avaliable and what opportunities are avaliable for possible jobs or internships. The main reason students attend college is to obtain a job.
When at school, treat each day as if it were a job. Make sure that eight hours of honest work is put in at least five days a week. If necessary, do not return to the dorm until all of the school work is finished. Then while having fun on the weekends, school work is caught up and there is no need for guilt.
Jeff
The key to finding the right college is to keep an open mind and look around at different types of schools. When I applied for college, I applied to seventeen schools. Some schools were private, some were public. Some were big, some were small. By applying to and visiting so many varying institutions I was able to better understand the different types of colleges, and that helped me decide which kind of college I wanted to attend.
As far as getting the most out of the college experience, the student must become involved and actively participate in different organizations. Once on campus, the student needs to look into what different clubs and intramural opportunities the school offers and then decide which ones to join. The key for joining clubs is to join enough where the student is involved and meeting new people, but at the same time has enough time left to do homework, study, hang out with friends, and have some fun on the weekend.
As a student looking for a college, or maybe just arriving on campus, the best advice I can give is to look around, and make sure you find somewhere you fit in.
Amber
I would tell a student shopping for a college to choose one that is equally comfortable and acedemically challenging. College is your home for at least 4 years and the people around you are your family. It's much easier to face a tough curriculum with the comfort and support of an environment like that.
Alexandra
Narrow your choices down by your preferred size, location, and price. Once you've picked out a few schools that offer the program you're interested in, VISIT it! Take a tour and ask questions! Some of the answers you may hear may be the ones you need to listen to. If it all possible, sit it on a class of interest. This will allow you to see an example of some of the teaching styles, and where you would fit in in comparison as a high school,transfer, etc. student. This will also let you see how maybe one school's classes will differ from another. Once you've selected your college, don't be afraid to meet people! Introduce yourself the first day and get involved. Extra-curriculars are the best ways to meet new people. These tips should prove very helpful in finding the right college and making the most of the college experience.