Catholic University of America Top Questions

I believe students should always follow their initial gut feeling with respect to campus visits and selecting colleges. The academic programs are essential obviously while choosing, but it is essential for the prospective student to feel comfortable within their surroundings and be allowed to flourish as growing young adults. If a university program does not allow a student to make mistakes and learn from them, the learning and maturation process will be stunted, my school is a perfect example of this. The education is always important; however, if a student is unhappy with his/her surroundings, the quality of their education is not important because that student will not flourish emotionally or academically if he/she is not happy. Getting a college degree and an excellent job thereafter is about working hard and getting good grades just as much as it is maturing into competant adults with excellent social skills, possessing the knowledge and drive to take the world by storm.

I would say, 'go with your gut.' When you go on tours at various colleges and universities, take note of how you feel when you are there. I chose my alma mater (Catholic University) because I felt very much at home throughout my tour and on the accpeted students day all despite very poor weather on both occassions. Also, be realistic about where you apply. This is not to say you should refrain from applying to "reach" schools, but make sure you don't set yourself up for disaster. "Safety" schools are a great thing to have in your back pocket.

When selecting a college, students should first consider their financial situation and scholarship awards available to them through the various colleges that interest them. Additionally, beyond seeking a school with an excellent program in what they wish to study, students should consider what environment they would like to live in for four years. Do they like city life, or would they prefer a rural area? Do they mind cold, snowy winters, or would they prefer to be near the beach? Are their hobbies hunting and skiing or shopping and dancing? Students should also consider the size of classes that suit them and best foster their learning. If interested in semester internships in their fields, students should consider whether the colleges they are investigating are in areas in which they will have those opportunities. Finally, students should carefully observe the students and faculty at each college they are considering. Do the students and faculty share similar values as they do, and are their interests and aspirations similar? Students should be able to learn in a culturally diverse atmosphere while staying true to themselves and becoming the best people they can be. They should seek the most accomodating environment in a college.

When searching for a college it can be overwhelming with all the facts and numbers that are initially thrown around as evidence for the stature of a college. However, it is not the numbers and stats that a college has ranked up which defines its personality, it is the students themselves that shows what a colleges' true colors are. When visiting a college I recommend to stray off from the campus tours and the parent welcoming centers and walk around the campus as a student would each day. It is impossible to understand the essence of a college from a pamphlet, but it is much more plausible to get a feel for student life if an interested parent, son, or daughter takes a short while to experience the campus.

Try to find a college that seems to actually care about the well being and success of the individual student, rather than one that merely puts on a facade of being a well-funded, cutting edge university. Although it may seem like a secondary concern, a great litmus test for determining the quality of an administration is examining the quality of the food at the school. Students are what they eat, and a student supplied with fresh, organic, locally raised food will perform and feel much better than a student who is fed the equivalent of prison food. If the administration skimps in an area as important as food, they're likely to skimp in other important areas as well. Look for a campus that really makes you feel like you're in a unique place, rather than one that bends to corporate interest to make easy money. Once you're at college, focus on academics before you focus on who's cool and who's not, who's going out to the bar, who's gonna look at you funny if you dress different. Because if worse comes to worse, with good grades you can always transfer.

Apply to many schools and apply way ahead of time so as to be able to have enough time to weigh your options.

The most important thing to consider when selecting a college is to not settle. Personally, I wanted a large public school, one with a winning football team. I landed a small Catholic school in the same city I grew up in, with almost no football team. Don't be afraid to know what you want, to go for it, and to choose it. College loans can always be paid back, plane tickets will get cheaper as you acquire your frequent flyer miles, and you'll be a happier student. The only other thing I would consider when you are choosing a school is to realize that sometimes, you might not make the best decision for you. Instead of settling for what you have, transfer until you find the right fit. Things will work out in the end and everything happens for a reason. Above all else, be true to yourself and your mind, know what you want, then go out and get it!

The advice I would give parents and students about finding the right college is to visit while school is going on. Its so important because you get the feel of being part of the campus as if your one of the students, you see the variety of people who attend the school as well as seeing if the population is to much to handle or just right. It also gives you the opportunity to converse with students to see how they really feel about the school, this is the only way to get honest answers about the school and its social life as well as academic and extra-curricular activities. Specifically for the parent it is important to find out about the schools safety and the surrounding areas. Specifically for the student its important to find out about the social life, academics, the food on campus, the living situations, the people themselves, extra-curricular activities , sports and anything else that the student himself/herself would be interested in participating in.

I would tell parents to make sure they look over total financial aspects and prospects of the university/college of their children's choice. Also, to make sure the food is decent. It is a seemingly small but crucially important part of an academic career to a student. Most don't realize at the time of visiting that you have to eat that same variety of whatever they offer. Everyday. Every single day. And it gets old quick, so choose your food venue accordingly. Students- life and college can be exactly "those" movies if you want them to be, but what will you derive from college in this manner? You are here to learn and to make sure that you will have a future for yourself. And, Just like those actors from those movies, if you act in that manner all the time, there will be nothing for you 5, 10 years down the line. All you will have left are those former "great" memories that are just now colossal regrets and no steady job or sense of accomplishment in life. So just try your hardest to suceed, if not for your own sake than for that of your parents.

find a school that has your major.Visit and definitely speak to the students cause they know the most. ask about the teachers.ask about the food and ask about the surroundings.