Harvard University Top Questions

Take care of any problems, whether personal, financial, or academic, as soon as they arise.

First, one of the biggest considerations on my family's mind was the financial burden of college. Any student considering a top college should not cross that college off of their list based on money. Colleges like Harvard have great financial aid packages and their financial aid departments want to work with you to make sure everything works out. Second, the campus and student population are important considerations. A lot of the learning a student does is outside of the classroom, talking and being in extracurriculars with peers. Plus, classes can only be as engaging and challenges as the students in the classes allow them to be. Are there people at the college with similar interests to you? Are there students with diverse interests? Will there be interesting extracurriculars for you? Will there be things to do (bars, clubs, restaurants) on or close to campus? Will you feel safe around campus? Finally, although the name of a college isn't everything, a college with a great reputation can promise important alumni networks, opportunities (internships, extracurriculars, etc.), and resume building that will ensure amazing future opportunities that would not be as guaranteed at other schools.

Let the kid do what they want. Seriously, they will be miserable in college if they go somewhere where they don't fit in and aren't happy. Follow your heart, go to class, and turn your work in on time. That is the key to success.

Students definitely need to be able to find the right fit. I highly recommend visiting the campus and talking to students in order to see if the personality of the prospective student and the student body mesh. My college was not my first choice, but upon my pre-frosh visit, I realized it was the one that was right for me, and I have not regretted my decision. Another thing to remember about college is that the experience embodies the four most independent and diverse years of your life. Try to say yes to everything, and get out there on campus and try things.

Just about every guide has a scheme for selecting the right college, choosing the right career, and finding a place for yourself in the world. That in mind, no one system stands apart from all the others as any better or seriously worse. Why is that? Because choosing a college is a holistic process, one that can't easily be broken down into its consituent parts. There are all manner of factors that go into it, but no one criterion trumps the rest. The best thing you can do is to gather as much information as possible about all your choices, visit them if can, and apply to the ones that feel right. Sometimes they'll choose you as much as you them. In the end, it'll probably come down to two or three strong possibilities. Trust your judgement, and cross your fingers. Finally, once you get to that perfect place, get to know some professors and don't slack so much. You'll be all set.

The college you go to for four years (which is much shorter than it sounds) will be your home and family away from home. Because of that, you need to make sure that every school you apply to is somewhere you know you will be happy. Don't apply somewhere just because it will look good on your resume or because your parent(s) went there. Do some in depth research, visit schools, talk to students, spend a weekend if you can, attend a class, take a tour - in short, spend enough time to discern whether a school is a good fit for you. Because you must spend a good deal of time on each school you apply to, this means you shouldn't apply to a ton of schools. If you do your research well and get good, realistic advice from friends, parents and advisors, you will find and be accepted at schools that are a good fit for you. Once at college, make sure you get involved in extracurriculars. Life is pretty boring if you just go to class and do your work. You will meet your lifelong friends outside of class more often than not. Good luck!

When you step foot on the campus of the right school for you, you know it. It is so easy to get caught up in where everyone else is telling you to go, but at the end of the day, you are going to spend the best four years of your life at the college you go to, so it had better be your choice. Take everyone's opinion for what it is worth, but make your own choice about where you go to college. You will never regret going to the school that feels right -- the school that feels like home.

More important than the price of college is the experience that one will receive. It makes most sense to invest in your future - even if a school is offering a scholarship, if that is not the school of your dreams, the money just isn't worth it. College is the most revolutionary four years of your life; more learning takes place outside the classroom than in it, and for this reason it is important to surround yourself with people who will shape you into the human being that you want to be for the rest of your life. Do not choose a college solely for the academics - choose a college for the people. The extracurriculars, the dorm experience, the cultural groups, these are the activities that are more important than anything else. Academics will be there at any institution, and to be honest, many things can be learned on the job instead of in a classroom. But the real learning is through the friends you will make and the people you will be around all the time. Do not fail to underestimate the importance of networking.

Definitely visit the campuses of prospective universities before you decide whether or not to apply. And try to be as honest and specific about what kinds of qualities you are looking for in your college or university. Most of all: Stay true to your heart!

the whole thing is about fit.