Whitney
Look for what you feel comfortable with, that is most important. Live on campus, it will give you so many more experiences
Lisl
When searching for your school, don't just look for the right place academically, find someplace you feel like you will fit in. I reccommend staying over night with a student to get the feel for what campus life is like. When choosing a major, let your own personal interests and beliefs be the deciding factor, not your family or friends. Do something you love, because in the end that's all that matters, especially once you get into the real world and get a job! Don't let anyone crush your dreams, only you know what you'd most like to do. Lastly, when the going gets tough, the tough study and know when to turn down an invitation to go out instead of study. That's not to say you shouldn't have fun and take every opportunity you get to be involved in on campus activities. If you're shy, break out of your shell and meet new people, this is no time to hold back or be an introvert! Most of all, just enjoy every minute, (even studying) you'll miss it once you leave!
Mary
When it comes to choosing the right college, I think one good piece of advice for parents and students would be to definitely make visits to each college or university that a student applies to. Visiting a school, especially doing an overnight and class visit, is a very good way to get a feel for the school and to see whether or not it feels like a good fit. Getting in on a student level before choosing is very beneficial. When it comes to making the most of one's college eperience, I have two words: GET INVOLVED. Looking back at my first two years of college, all of my amazing experiences and unique opportunites have come from just that, getting involved on campus. Whether it's traveling cross country with an athletic team or serving the community of a third world country, getting involved really puts the academic knowledge learned in the the classroom to practice, and allows one to get so much more out of their education. Find something you're interested in or start a club on your own, but put yourself out there and make something of the time and opportunites you have. Execute your passion.
Timothy
While things like size of school, available programs, and distance from home are things that you considered while selecting a school, remember that there is something far more important. The comfort level of the student where they are living, what they are involved in, and who they are surrounded by are factors that could, not only make or break a college experience, but make or break the developement of young person in the fragile time that college is. Comfort and understanding how to be safe are the two most important things.
Hallie
Don't just choose one college and apply. Apply to many colleges so that you have options. Always go take tours of the campus because you will get more information than you could possibly truly get off the internet including a lot about what the atmosphere is like. Try to figure out what you like before you start because then you can be on the right track to taking the right classes and not spending more money than you have to.