George Mason University Top Questions

My advice to parents and students about finding the right college is take your time when searching. You should visit every campus you think you would like to attend. I suggest spending a weekend at the campus if possible to make sure it is really what you want. Make sure that the school is in the right environment for you, that there are activities to do and places you can visit on the weekend. Also, your first year you should stay in a dorm to get the whole college experience. Living in a dorm is a great way to make friends. Although it can be ackward it forces relationships to happen.

Visit the campus first. Find out what you really want in a university and research whether or not the university your choosing has what you want.

College will become a student's second home. All your classes will be on campus. Most events are on campus. Many organizations meet on campus, normally during the school week (Monday through Friday). Depending on the college you go to, many of your friends may live on campus. My point is is that in the four years you go to college, you will be spending a lot of time at the college. Make sure you really like the campus. Take tours of college campuses. See lots of different campuses. There may be a class or an organization that you really like at one college that isn't offerred at another one; tours help you find that out. If something bothers you right now about a college, check out another college. You will be spending four years there; you don't want to make those four years the worst years by picking the wrong college.

Don't worry so much about the statistics. The way to truely know if the school is a perfect fist is to go on a campus tour. And from there, the school should sell itself.

finding the right college can be extremely stressful. It's a very personal decision that students and parents have to make each year. Like any major decision in life it should be done early, (ideally in the junior year if not earlier), and it's critically important that this be approached with a well defined decision making process with well thought out criteria that reduces stress and ultimately gives the best decision. I submit for due consideration the following advice as a "Plan of Action". Determine what area of study the student desires to major in . Create a list of criteria to be used in evaluating colleges as being ideal for selection to attend. Make a list of potential colleges offering the student's desired major, and apply the above criteria to narrow down to a managable list those colleges that will offer admittance to the student based on GPA and SAT scores. Gather and review all resources and information about each school you're considering. Where possible visit the colleges on your list. Make a final list of choices among those schools that may accepted you. Review their possible scholarships. Finally, apply to those schools that made your cut .

Finding the right college is like finding the perfect car that you have always wanted. You have to take time and not only look around the actual campus but talk to the ?sales people? or representatives. Finding out what ?extras? the college offers such as student computer labs, recreational opportunities, student organizations, or even extracurricular activities can be very helpful when the running is close between two or more colleges. Most important when searching for the right college is to find out what current students have to say. Make sure to speak to a couple of students and find out how the feel about the professors, the class content and the college as a whole. Once in college, make the most of it! Make sure to take advantage of all the campus activities offered throughout the year, these are great for networking and simply meeting your peers. These social events are also the perfect time to unwind, relax, and reenergize. Enjoy every second of the college experience from the usual sleepless nights to the relief that sweeps over when your last final exam is complete.

College: it's a big step in life. Sure, high school was a breeze and you've already taken your SAT's so the only thing left is to choose your college. :confused look: Many students have no idea how to go about choosing a college or university. The first thing you need to do is decide what you want your college experience to be like: big school with lots of people or a smaller school with a more tight-knit community? It also helps to know what field of study you are going into so you can compare the programs at different schools. You should make a list of the top three schools you want to attend and VISIT THEM! This is where most students mess up, they see pictures and think: "Wow!" and then they get to the school and are let down. Once you make your decision and begin your college experience you should make the most of it! Study hard and get good grades, go out and make new friends! Everything about college is an experience, from the packing and moving in to the last day of your first semester. Make it count!

College is a very formative period in one?s life. Many things should be taken into consideration when making your choice. Among the more common things to consider are the cost and location of the university, however, even those things need to be looked at on a deeper lever. Look at the cost of living in that area, not just tuition. Does the surrounding area offer a variety of resources? Other things to consider include the distance from home, dining options, and size and composition of the student body. It?s very common for someone to change their major, so a variety of programs of study is very important. To make the most of the experience I would highly recommend living on campus for at least the first year. Also, join a group related to something you enjoyto meet more people. Look at what extracurricular options are available when deciding what school is right for you, too. All of these things are important, but the best piece of advice I can give is to know yourself. A school may look great on paper, but if you know it doesn?t suit you it will be a long four years.

MAKE SURE YOUR CHILDREN HAVE A SAY IN WHERE THEY GO AND LET THEM GET A FEEL FOR THE CAMPUS BEFORE THEY JUMP INTO TE SWING OF THINGS

Be sure to know which field you want to go into which will help you decide which college is best for you. Don't worry so much about your social life in college becuase you'll have the rest of your life to have a social life. There are plenty of parties to attend at any college you choose so do not choose your school base on the kind of parties they throw. The important thing is you get the best education you can in which you build your life on. This will lead to what ever kind of social life you want in the future. Remember, college is only a four years sacrifice but in return you can live in luxury for the rest of your life.

Do not base what college you send your child to on the tuition costs but rather make sure to visit each interested university and get a feel for the campus, the student life and the faculty. Also do alot of research on different sites such as ratemyprofessors.com to get insight on what students at the universities think of their professors. Nothing is harder on a student than a professor that is not enthusiastic because they are in the classroom rather than out in the field doing research. Tuition costs obviously play an important role but in my experience the cheapest is not always the best for the student even if it is the easiest for the family as a whole. There are various ways of paying for an education and people should definitely explore as those possibilities. The key to a good education is to start looking ahead of time. Begin searching while the student is in high school so that you will be more prepared for when they graduate and the student will not have to spend alot of time transferring because they don't like their school.

During the application, do not put all your hopes into one school. Always have a backup school. Make sure you choose a school that you have already visited and could possibly see yourself going there. Once in college, it is very easy stray away from the academic aspect. Remain focused on your academics and remember that your parents are not paying your college tuition for you to socialize and party all the time. Get involved in campus actvities and organizations; it is a great way to meet new people and also learn more about yourself as an individual.

go with what fits for you, make sure it is your choice and not anyone elses

Procrastination...the thief of time as one great mind put it and that is more than true. From the time I first applied to school until now, procrastination has always been prevelant. I lost grant and finacial aid money due to the fact that I procrastinated. One word of advice is to get everything done as soon as possible and you don't have to worry about meeting deadlines. Coming from a very low income family i did not always have the money to process application fees and send transcripts and I feel as if I missed out on a lot. But in the end I made the right choice. As far as the college experience I would say don't succumb to peer pressure. I fortunately have not ran into any peer pressure here at Mason, well not any bad peer pressure that is. You are not pressured into doing anything you don't want to do but it is available. On my campus I know that alcohol is every where you turn and it is free but never have I been pressured to drink by an individual. All in all, college is an amazing experience!

Try to figure out your interests first and then try to find the college that focuses around that. Keep in mind if you want to be around family, urban or rural areas, and also keep in mind to be in an area where you can go to work, intern, or etc. that is near your school. It won't help if you go to a rural school far from any orgs. or insititutions that can help you get your foot in the door.

I would first look at the quality of the education you are recieving relative to the amount of money you will be paying for it. If money is not a problem for you then I would look at the social life of the school. While college is for obtaining a higher education, college is a truely unique time in one's life when they will change completely as a person. This aspect needs to be taken into consideration just as much as the actual education they are recieving. Also, while a big school might appeal to most kids, I would recommend looking into smaller schools. That doesn't mean that you should know everyone there by the time you graduate, but smaller classes along with a tighter knit community really makes a difference in the way you learn and you will likely come out of better off. To make the most out of your time at college, I would recommend doing as many things on campus as you can manage. Don't get too over loaded but make sure that you make relationships with other students and faculty outside of the classroom.

I would tell students and/or parents who are seeking the proper educational facility to meet their learning needs that they shouldn't spend lengthy amounts of time searching for the right college; the answer will come in time. One can look through hundreds of college catalogues and still find nothing that interests them, only to find that the local college offers exactly what they need and it was there all along, ignored due to its close proximity to home or another such reasons. An exciting college experience can happen anywhere; it depends on the person who is making it happen, not their environment, although it does influence it at times. As long as the student is open-minded and focused on achieving their set goals, the 'college experience' will fall into place. It's not the college that shapes the experience; it's the student himself. Contrary to popular belief, a student's life and future are always in his hands, regardless of expensive out-of-state tuition or endless campus-finder catalogues they've browsed.

Don't go to college for someone else. Go for yourself and go for that, which you honestly in your heart want to learn more about. This is your experience, your life, and your chance to change the world around you!

Choosing institution to continue your post-secondary education is critical. There are many important factors to consider if a particular college/university is right for you. First of all, make sure that the institution of your choice has diverse programs related to your preferred field of study. For example, if you major in Science, then pick the school that has variety of science-related courses in which you can freely choose from. Also, it allows your learning experience to be enhanced. Secondly, consider school size and its location. Personally speaking, I prefer attending school in urban area, surrounded by drug stores, food markets, entertainment places, restaurants and so on because it is extremely convenient to find things I want. In general, I think your major diversity and life styles should be primary factors in choosing the right university for you.

Whatever school you end up at will become the "right" school if you make the most of it. Follow your heart but also think practically. Embrace every opportunity you are presented with while at college. Be outgoing and open-minded. Also be conscientious and responsible--this is more important to doing well academically than being smart. Do your best, and have fun!