New York University Top Questions

Be sure to make the decision for yourself, not your parents or your teachers. The teachers at my school pressured me to chose a much different school but in the end, I made the right deicsion for myself. After all, I was the one going to college. I know I made the right decision and I have never regretted it.

First off, make sure you can pay for it. Or if you're willing to take out loans for it. Second, visit the school and its campus to make sure you really like it and are willing to stay 4 years in it. Third, take your time to see what the school offers and if it meets your needs and demands. Don't just apply to an Ivy League school for the name. There are lots of other colleges out there with the same respect as an Ivy League that might be able to provide more than you think.

If you/your child is undecided as far as their concentration is concerned, send them to the best "deal," meaning an affordable (for your household) school with a good reputation as an overall liberal arts college. Save the money for continuing education/graduate school.

Finding the place--be it college or job or apartment or storage space or outhouse--that is "right" is a deceiving task. The Right place is the Proper place, and the Proper place is, in theory, the Place That Will Make You Happiest. But, in my experience, which is as limited as anyone else who's applied to college and waded through the rivers of applications and bitten their nails to shreds in anticipation of decisions, finding the Place That Will Make You Happiest should not be as hard as everyone says it is. Of the seven colleges I applied to, seven I got into, one I chose, six would have made me no more or less happy. And if you apply to only two, there is a fifty percent chance of your Happiness. The point is, unnecessary stress runs deep in the college search, but it is by definition inessential. The mere experience of college is enough to make anyone excited, and if you pick your applications wisely enough, then the Place That Will Make You Most Miserable ought not to ever exist. The gut is the thing to go with--your Stresslessness depends on it!

College is strange---a difference that can be either goor or bad. How we deal with this "hiccup" or "newness " depends on how we adjust to it and what we make of the situation. Since most of our lives before college are heavily influence by our parents, us, students should listen to their advice, because fter all they might have something good to say, and they will be paying for a portion of it. Yet, this does not mean that we should let our parents make all of our decisions, since a significant trait that is needed to withstand the college experience, is the ability to make responsible, well informed decisions. Thus, students should visit colleges with their parents, and if the college sparks any interest in them, they should revisit the college by themselves to explore it in depth (sit in on a class, walk the surrounding areas, talk to students) and take it for a test drive. With all that said, students and parents should relax and enjoy college hunting. There will be many stress filled all nighters to come.

Finding the right school much include the cost and location. Attending open houses and talking to the professors, students, and financial aid personnel are are equally important to get a sense of what the school has to offer.

Plan ahead. Research and visit as many univerisities as possible before you make your final decision. Try to figure out what you want to study before you get to college. Of course you can always switch majors but you can apply to universities with better programs if you actually know what you want to study. During your first week of college go to as many of the university events as possible. Its a great way to meet other friends and to get involved and learn about your school. Call your parents at least twice a week if not more. Its always nice to send them cards once in a while too. Start studying for your exams weeks in advance and remember you are there for school. Utilize your professor's office hours and make them think that you are very interested in their classes. Look for internships in fields you are interested in--its never to early to start. Be a respectful roommate.

First of all, stop worrying. Secondly, trust your gut. You have to remember that in any university setting, you will be learning just as much outside the classroom as inside: the college you choose will be the place you live for the next 4 years, it will create the atmosphere that will form your growth as an individual, and the right college will inspire you to learn more about yourself before anything else. So visit schools if it's possible: walk through the quad, check out the library and the dining halls, and just watch people. Talk to students and get a feel for the world that you would be entering. Once you've made your choice, the college experience is all about balance: yes, this is your time to reinvent yourself and have a great time, but make sure it is never at the expense of your longterm goals. And for some, the advice is reversed: don't let learning get in the way of the knowledge gained by meeting and interacting with different kinds of people in social situations. Enjoy learning and embrace all the opportunities that college will give you, for the reward is immeasurable.

I think it is very important to tour the area around a potential campus. Along with knowing what is available to you on campus, it is important to know what is right at your fingertips outside of school. I would also suggest looking in to the resources that are going to be available to you. If you are a theater major, like me, it is important to know who is teaching you and what techniques they teach. If it doesn't coincide with what you believe yourself to be as an artist, it is not the school for you. Also, I think parents as well as students need to know the potential of getting a job with that particular school on your resume. That was very important for me. If you find a school that has opportunities that fit your needs around every corner, resources that indulge your interests, and teaches you the skills you need to get what you want post-college, apply! You won't regret it.

Exploration rather than affirming or negating. Conservatives or liberals tend to stick with ideals that prevent individuals from exploring new things. Exploration allows for students to learn more about themselves and who they are. For parents, I would advise not to force so many ideals onto the student, but rather express to them that they are free to make decisions on their own. Students should not focus so much on small things, but go out into the city and see all the things the university offers. For when an one explores what is above and beneath him, one will be well rounded. Therefore, that is what I feel makes the college experience the greatest. In terms of choosing the right college, students and parents should sit around the table and look at not statistics of grades, size, or tuition, but rather at what they offer in extra-cirricular, alumni relations, job acceptance rate, religious programs (if the students feels it to be necessary), and many of the social aspects the univeristy may hold. From my experience, I find my academics to do well anywhere I go, as long as I'm having a good time. Make college a great time.