Meghan
get involved with at least one student organization and attend on campus events sponsored by these groups
Ryan
Make sure to make a campus visit and spend the night there if you can
Derek
Find a school that allows you to focuse on your strengths, but does not hinder future possiblities.
Shannon
Make sure your child visits the college first. An overnight visit with a day of shadowing classes, eating in the caf, talking to students, is crucial!!
Megan
Be honest with yourself about what you want from your college expierence.
Diliana
Make sure to visit the college before attending it. You can get a very good sense of the place by simply being in it.
Asia
I would say that you need to definitely research each school to the best of your abilities. When looking into a school look at all aspects not just academics, but the location of the school,the general tone of the student body and what there is to do on campus. Without knowing all these things you could end up at a school you are unhappy with. Not everything about school is the academics and prestige. The school will also be where you live, your home for the next four or more years and you need to be happy there and satistfied with the total college experience. To make the most of your college experience once you are at your school, you need to take full advantage of what the school offers to you. Join clubs or others activites in order to meet new people, and if your ever having trouble of any kind there is always help you just have to know how to look for it on campus.
Lindsey
Try and talk to students in addition to just the people in the admissions office. They have an aggenda and are more likely to put a positive spin on everything
Dimitra
It is always tough for a freshman entering college. And the main thin to remember is that it is always hard for a child to move away for the first time, so the key ingredient is to give whatever school you go to some time before you truely decide whether or not they are going to transfer. The best thing to do when looking for schools is deciding on school size. How large do you want your classes, how invovled do you want to be with your professors. Also look at your high school career and ask yourself where you an invovled student. The activities you do in high school maybe look for those same activities at different colleges and then you'll find students with the same interests and it wil be easier to aclimate to school. But I suppose the one thing I would strongly emphasize is to keep an open mind.
Brianna
Go visit campuses you are interested in. Allow your child to spend a weekend as well as a Monday on campus to really get a good feel for it.