Colorado College Top Questions

I would remind myself to stay open to ANY THING! Colorado College was not my first choice but I am so happy here and I now truely believe that I would have been happy at any school I chosen. I have learned that it is up to me to create my own happiness and that I can't rely on the school that I go to or the people I meet; although those things add to my adventures and explorations my happiness ultimately has to come from myself. When I see current high school seniors stressing about which colleges to apply to I want to tell them to take a step back and examine themselves because no matter what school they get into, if they aren't happy with themselves they won't be happy anywhere. Once you truely know yourself and what makes you happy, the college you choose becomes secondary because you can make yourself happy under any circumstances!

I am a transfer student, and for this reason, it is tempting to say that I would tell myself which college to choose in the first place. This would save me a year of unhappiness and I'm sure that I would be the better for it. However, that it somehwat unfair because I did make good friends at my first college. Aside from my spiel on transferring, I would also give myself social and academic advice. I would tell my past self to be mroe outgoing in social situations. I would encourage myself to put myself out there and not to eb afraid of being who I really am. I findhave found that being oneself is the single most important aspect of social conduct. I would also inform myself that I tend to make far too many plans with far too many people because I have trouble saying no. Thus, I would recommend that to myself that I stick to the first plan that I make. Academicallly, I would tell myself not to be afraid to speak up in class. Being shy and sometimes very self-conscious, I run into problems when I allow this to govern my attitude.

I have always thought that I would attend a close-by public (UC) school, eventually graduate with honors and acquire a moderate-high paying job in something I want to do. Little did I know, I ended up attending a small liberal arts college in Colorado. I chose the total antithesis. For students I cannot stress enough the importance of researching schools beforehand and taking extra-preparations for application essays. Juggling schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and all the high school works with the added stress of college is daunting, but careful planning and diligence will pay off. Students do not be afraid to take risks. Be proactive. Go to orientations, open houses, college events close to home. Travel to out of state schools and do an on-campus interview, while at the same getting a feel for campus life and the general vicinity. Make a check-list of what aspects of a school you're looking for: Academic prestige, social life, etc. When your results come back systematically rate (1-10) each category correspongding to the school and see which school has the top score. Most likely best score=best destination. Parents just be there for your children to facilitate discussion.

One thing I wish I would have done while looking for a school is make a list of things I wanted to accomplish while in college. I have sort of assembled one in the past two and a half years, but it would have been very helpful. Take your list of goals and find a school that caters most effectively to you, and once you are there, don't sit around for the first two years waiting to get settled. Start work on your goals right away! One of my goals was to study abroad, and the sooner you start, the more chances you have and the more programs you can try until you find what you really love. Looking for the right college was one of the most stressful experiences of my life, but now I look at where I am and I look back and I don't know what I was so worked up about. You can find your niche anywhere. The selection is daunting, just don't forget there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

Take it seriously. When you're visiting a college/university, imagine eating, learning, hanging out, studying, attending class, joining extracurriculars, actually living, at that particular school.

1.) Take a chance. I've lived in Southern California my whole life and never dreamed of livving anywhere else until I visited Colorado Springs. Which leads to 2.) Visit the school. You can't fall in love with a website. Meet some students and professors, take a class, and explore the town. Make sure things click. 3.) Put Mom and Dad in the back seat. You may not know what you want to do as a career or even what school to attend, but don't let your parents' idea of who you are overshadow your own. 4.) Don't expect lawn chairs and fireworks. Just because you got into college doesn't mean the hard part's over. Whichever school you choose, college is hard and SHOULD be hard. That's the only way you know you're getting the most out of it. 5.) Make the most of what you've got. Even if you didn't get into your dream school, whichever school you chose will have a niche just for you. I may not have gotten into UCLA, but the film program and community at CC is more prevalent than I ever expected.

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Attend an accepted student weekend that allows incoming students to stay with current students for a couple of days to experience campus life from their perspective.

Find one that fits you, if not, you'll be regretting it!

Do your research, select an appropriate school, and commit yourself to being happy at this place.