Montclair State University Top Questions

To parents and/or students who are finding a college, I would strongly advise to find a college that you are comfortable with and are able to focus without being overwhelmed. Think of your own comfort and happiness about the surrounds around you.

Go with your first instinct, and make sure that you visit all the schools first. It is important for an incoming student to really find what place makes them feel most comfortable. Go where your heart tells you.

The best advice I can give to parents that have college-bound teenagers is this: do your research!!! Just like with any other major decision you have to make in your life, making sure you know the facts about the school before you attend it is very important! You and your son/daughter should make a list of about 6 six schools that he/she would like to apply to. One should be a "safety" school, one should be a "dream" school, and the rest should be moderately competitive. Once you have a list of 6 schools, you and your son/daughter should talk about what is unique about each school. Some schools might be far away, some might be too expensive, some private, some public, some big, some small, etc. The last and final step: APPLY, APPLY, APPLY! Make sure teacher reccomendations, SAT scores, and essays are completed. Apply for early action to schools that are most liked. Now that you've been accepted to college, the oppurtunities are endless for you. It's true that your friends and experiences at college will stay with you for a lifetime! At college you can finally discover who you really are!

College is not about fitting in or having fun. It is about which university will give you the best education for your money and at which college will you feel the most comfortable, the safest, and the most relaxed. Remember that every college has alcoholics and alcohol is a problem you're going to have to deal with, but as long as you stay away from it or only use in moderation, it shouldn't interfere with your schoolwork. It's not important what other students do and make of their education, but what you do. College is what you do with it. If you really work hard, you can get the job you want and succeed. This goes for any college you attend- you have to put effort into it. Pick whatever college you think will cultivate your educational spirit the most.

I would recommend staying overnight with a host or hostess to get a good feel of what the university/college is like. I did this when investigating schools and I got to eat in the dining hall, go to a few classes, and walk around the campus.

Visit the school more the once and ask a lot of questions, and when you ask questions, ask the students that go there and not just the faculty. You need to make sure that the school is really one in which it harbors its students' needs before anything else. Also, make sure to visit frequently, at various times, during different seasons, and specifically look at different parts of the campus in detail.

Although I am only a Sophmore, when i look back on my senior year i wished that i had an idea in what i wanted to pursue. I am still an undecided major and feel like i am wasting my time taking some classes. So definatly go in wiith a perspective major. When you reach college get out there! Go to all the events, bingo, movie night, or chocolate appreciation day, what ever it is go and you will have a blast, meeting new people and making contacts is so valuable in your future college career.

Do what you want to do. If you don't then what is the point in going to college at all?

Look at as many schools as possible and talk to people that go there. Never rely on the admissions directors who's job it is to pursuade you to go to their school. It is never as good as they say, and in the case of Montclair, it is an absolute terror.

go visit the school, you know if you are supposed to be there

My best advice about finding the right college is to open yourself up to the full college experience at that school BEFORE you get there. Make a list of all the schools that interest you and do some online research. Taking this step ensures that you can learn the basics of a school before deciding to visit it. When you do decide to visit a school, take in the whole "college experience." Eat on campus, sit in on a class, talk to students, and go into the local areas to really get a feel for how you will be spending the next four years of your life. Once you find the schools that you would be comfortable with, beging listing the pros and cons of each. It is at this point that all of those details from your "experience" visits will stick out in your mind. Listen to your heart and trust yourself...you won't be disappointed.

Visit the school before going there.

LIfe at college truely is what you want to make of it. If you come to college looking for fun activities and good grades to jump right at you, then you are in for a rude awakening. You have to work hard and take an initiative in your education and your life. One of the most important things I have learned in college is that you can not expect anyone to do anything for you and just sit back and wait for it to happen. Whether it be with financial aid, class registration, or the requirements for your major, you have to stay on top of your game at all times. For example, instead of just dropping off paperwork at financial aid and waiting for a phone call, you have to drop that paper off and return to check on it everyday until you get the information that you need. Instead of missing class and asking the professor what happened next week, get to know your peers so you can call one if you ever need to. Always visit a college before you apply. Find the one that is just right, and when you do, be responsible and have fun!

Make sure you visit the campus before you decide to go there. Also, the location is always a key factor.

You can't just pick a college by reading their pamplets or listening to what other people think. It is imperative that you visit the campus, more than once if possible to see if you would feel comfortable there. Remember, you will probably be spending at least 4 years there so this is so important. If you already know what feild you want to major in, take advantage of visiting on a day that that field is being highlighted such as "Dance Day" or "Communications Day". If possible, sit in on a class, talk with counselors and teachers when you make your visit. Check out the living quarters, transportation availability and student center. Find out how many students get jobs in their field of study and if the school has a placement service. And finally, be open to new experiences, be friendly and participate, study and work hard but find time to relax and re-examine your choices. After all, it's hard to know at the age of 17 or 18 what you want to do for the rest of your life.

The advice I would give about finding the right college would be several. First I would tell to make you know what you are going for, and if you don't know at least have chooses, then find the school that has the program for what you choose. Second would be to make sure you know that school and where it is. That is important because the school will be your home for the next four years and if you don't like then you will be miserable. Third, make sure you sign up for finacial aid as soon as possible and get the proper forms to the school. Lastly, make sure that you are 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} sure this is where you want to be because remember you will be attending and possibly living there to and this is where you will be getting your education. Getting the college experience is important but at times can be a bit overwhelming. I suggest to join clubs that interest you and that you believe in. That is the best way to meet friends that like the same stuff you do. My advice is to get out there and don't be scared.

The advice I would give parents and/or students about finding the right college and making the most out of their college experience is that they should ask themselves what exactly do they want out of a school? Are they looking for an enriching social life or a commuter school just to get a relatively inexpensive education? Do they want to go away from home, how far, and what type of environment? Are they willing to take out loans and if so, how much? Do they know what they want to major in and if so, do they want to go to a school that specializes in that? Does the school have activities that they enjoy and want to become involved in? If a student has disabilities does the school have signifigant resources to help them? If a student needs health insurance, how good is the plan that the school offers? Perhaps joining the military/peacecore, a trade school, or even taking time off to work, travel, or teach english overseeas is appropiete to gain persepective for them so they find themselves and develope the maturity necessary before making such an important, life altering decision.

In discovering which college is the right fit for you, one of the most important things a prospective student can do is visit as many campuses as possible. There is nothing that can replace the feeling of stepping on to a campus and immediately feeling at home. No matter how far away a college may be, it is always worth the trip to see how you might feel fitting in on campus. Meet as many students as possible. Talk to the faculty. Sit in on a class, two classes, three. Eat on campus. Don't be afraid to ask questions. This is your future, and this school will be your home for the next 2-4 years. Don't rely on the website to tell you everything you need to know - the only people who really, truly know about being students on campus are the students on campus! Find the students in your prospective major and shoot them an email - introduce yourself and a whole world of information will open up to you. The only way to know if you've found the right place is to put yourself there and test the waters. It's fun! Best of luck!

I feel that students should really look into what type of schools they want to attend before jumping to make a decision. Of course I love Montclair State University and I am so happy to be at this university. However, I feel that I wish I would have really checked out the other 7 schools that I applied to before making this decision. You need to feel safe and comfortable at the college you choose, so take into consideration the area that is around the school as well as the campus itself. The experience you will receive during college is probably one of the best experiences one will ever get. You need to get involved, you can not just sit back and take everything in, get out there, get involved in different activities. I feel the best way to make the most out of your college experience is to live at college. This is the best experience because you get away from home, and it forces you to grow up and take responsibility. You do not have your parents waking you up and making you dinner, you need to go out and do these things on your own.

I would say just go where ever your heart tells you to go and it's the best experience in the world.