New York University Top Questions

Be honest with yourself. Don't change yourself to fit a school, find a school that completments you.

I would tell students to have fun, but make sure that they realize that keeping on top of your academics is very important too. It is much easier to slip in college than high school. I would tell parents to let their children grow up and make mistakes but continue to show their children love.

Don't think about what other people will think or say, go to a school where you'll find yourself and be happy- the people who matter will only care about that. Also visit the schools you apply to, talk to students who go there and remember this is a very special, and short three years of your life- you dont want to look back and wistfully wish you could start over like me.

When finding the right college, I believe it's essential to do research on the strength of the professors, location, reputation, available majors/minors, internships/career help, etc. I also think that researching is not enough. A visit that includes not just a campus tour but a stay and exploration of the area, and questioning of current students would be of great help. Making the best of the college experience means getting involved, taking advantage of any opportunity that presents itself to gain a new experience even if just that one time.

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First off, physical environment is so, so important. Figure out whether rural, suburban, or urban campuses appeal to you the most, and visit to make sure. When you visit, don't bother with the stock campus tour. Instead, walk around on your own, and observe the students -do they seem like people you'd get along with? Are they generally happy? Engaged? Engaging? Once you've got the scenery down, make sure the school's requirements, as well as its course offerings, fit into your plot. Make sure your plot is not too narrow. Once you're there, stay on top of your requirements, but concentrate on taking whatever appeals to you. You have the rest of your life to be practical (if you so choose); these four years are for dreams, passions, developing interests. The two ways you should prepare for your post-college future? Internships and study abroad programs. Your college should have a career center that will help you find the right internship, while studying abroad, besides providing you with what will undoubtably be an unforgettable, eye-widening experience, demonstrates independence, intelligence, and the ability to adapt, all of which are highly desirable qualities in any workforce.

Normally, when people are asked for advice by others, it serves as a good resource for the advisee and an ego boost for the advisor. With this boost in confidence or ego, the advisor tends to expound almost everything he or she knows and will slip in the more useful aspects occassionally. I will only give students one piece of advice which should serve them not only in college, but also in choosing a work place or a place to live: find the place where you feel you could most be yourself and not the person you wish to be. Many times, we are set in a certain mind-set of needing to be a certain way to "fit in" our world. There are so many colleges to choose from! Don't get stuck on the rankings, simply find one where you won't betray your true self on the way to class or while working on a project. College is a way to enhance the self, not learn how to mask it even further. Good luck!

Find what you the student is most passionate about career wise and pick a college that helps you furthur your experience in the field. If something in your gut tells you that a college isn't right don't pick that school. Sometimes you need to take a leap of faith and go with what your heart is saying. College is a big step in life. It can also be a very daunting decision to make. Trust your instincts and go after your passions. You'll be happier with yourself if you follow your dreams. This is your life and not your parents'. Don't let others influence your decisions. Also, enjoy your time at school. These next few years are the last moments of least responsibility. Take advantage of that. Grades are not everything. There is a line between academic time and social time. Remember to make time for both. To sum up, go after what makes you passionate and smell the roses along the way.

Be willing to experience new things. Don't be afraid of the unknown. By doing this you'll open yourself to so many opportunities.

Part of the college search requires being informed--studying up on a school, looking up which schools are best for your particular academic interests, even looking at the ratings and reviews--and part of it requires throwing all of that away, and really taking the time to feel out which campus is right for you, which school seems like the most logical transition from high school to college life. It helped me to take a look at my high school and identify what things I would keep about it and what things I would change. When you actually get to a school, the most important thing is to GET INVOLVED! Don't wait for the information to come to you; be proactive about what kind of experience you want to make for yourself. Get to know your professors--it'll help to establish a relationship if you ever run into problems during the semester. Hang out with the people on your floor, especially your first year, because those people will stick by you in the years to come. Finally, take the time to discover yourself--build on talents you've had before, and develop some new ones!