Hamline University Top Questions

Start early, visit every school that you are considering, and be realistic about your financial situation and what you're willing to spend. Apply to back-up schools too.

I advise parents and students to visit prospective colleges, sit in on a lecture, and eat lunch somewhere around campus. I would encourage the students to think about whether or not they could picture themselves thriving in that environment. I believe making the most out of the college experience comes from finding out who you are. Learning as much as possible in class and getting involved within the community outside of class are great ways to get to know yourself better. Once you know who you are, it's easy to know what you want. From that point, college can take you wherever you want to go.

My advice would be to definitely take tours of each school the student is interested in. It's really important to get a feel for the campus environment of each potential school. Talking with current students, professors, and admissions counselors would also be beneficial to get prospectives at multiple levels of the school. The most important thing in the school a student picks is if they are comfortable there. Being comfortable and secure not only in yourself but also in your academic surroundings is very important, you will be more likely to succeed on a campus that you enjoy being a part of.

Take your time to get to know a campus before you commit to going there. You should feel comfortable on a campus; it will be your home for the next 4 years. Feel able to talk to students or attend a couple classes. It will give you an idea of how the professors handle a classroom.

The most important advice I can offer is to sit down (both parents and students) and make a list of what are the most important qualities in a potential college or univeristy. Be open and honest with this list. After all, it is what will help you decide the next few years of your life. Be sure to organize your list by order of importance. Sit down with your parent/student and compare lists. Have an open discussion about what you are both looking for. The it is time to take your lists and visit the campus of potential schools. Don't be afraid to ask questions and make sure you get enough information about those aspects which are on your list of important things. Take every opportunity available to talk to administrators, faculty, professors, and students while visiting the campus. The campus visit is your chance to "interview" the college/univeristy to see if they are the best fit for you. Don't be afraid to make it count!

When looking for the right college be sure to consider the whole living experiance. Don't just look at the academic record be sure the school is a comfortable place to spend your time. I feel that it is very important to visit the campus before deciding to attend there, this allows each student to get a feel for how the campus works, how the students act and what it feels like to be on the campus. Once the best school has been chosen make the most of your time there, become involved in club and organizations. Get outside the campus and explore the surrounding area. These may sound obvous but they make your time in college more educational and more fun.

When you are looking for a college look for one that best fits you. one that has your major or if you don't know a major pick one like Hamline that lets students take different classes and explore their options. Also look for one that fits your personality. whether it's a big school or a small one. For students out there they do n't have to follow what their parents did make your own decisions and make your own journey. once you pick a college and you start justtry and meet many new people and do all the stuff you can to experience all sorts of stuff. Do these things and you'll have a blast!!

I think that a very important part of selecting a college is making sure you visit the campus first. Everything about a college will impact your time there, but it really is the enviornment and mood of the place that will play the biggest part in how happy you are there. Don't just go to a place because you have a friend that is going there; you are bound to meet many people in college and oftentimes you will become closer to them than to those you hung out with in high school. Also, pay attention to the class sizes. Those make a huge difference when it comes to the way the courses are run. If you don't respond well to lectures, aim for small campuses. If you hate in-class group discussions or projects, apply to larger schools. Most importantly? Never go somewhere for somebody else. Go where you will be happy and successful. It's the only way you'll get the most out of your time there.

My parents and mine biggest regret about my college experience is not starting the process of searching sooner and being so ignorant about it. So, when looking for the right college I would specifically advise looking at what programs you would be interested in and whether your school of choice offers it. When looking at schools I didn't even know what that meant. For example: I originally intended to go into theatre with an emphasis on perfromance and the school I attend now doesn't have a good program for that. Acquaint yourself with your potential schools' class catalogs. Once you get to college: sleep! Balance your blossoming social life with career related experiences, academics, study, and sleep! Finally, getting into college isn't the end of the adventure- keep up your GPA and find out what the GRE is! You may go to school to study music history or forensic anthropology, but in the end you are really going to learn about who you are becoming and what kind world you want to be a part of.

Make sure to focus on what you specifically are looking for in a college or university. Because all that matters is that you find what you are looking for. Enter college with an open mind but stay focused and motivated to succeed. Remember that college happens once in your life, and to make the most out of it and have fun!