North Park University Top Questions

Parents and students..... Do your research well in advance. It's best to have your choice colleges picked out by the end of your Junior year. Make sure to apply to a lot of colleges, as you may not be accepted into the college you want to go to due to higher demand. Do not make grades the reason you are not accepted! Do WELL in high school so that grades are not a factor in deciding whether to accept you or not. Take several SAT and/or ACT preparation classes. The higher you score, the better your chances of getting into your dream school. Once in college, remember to have fun, but make sure your school work is done first! The friends you make here will be friends for life if you choose to stay in contact with them.

I would tell students to choose the school where they feel like they can connect the most; to the professors, the other students, the programs the school offers. I would tell students not to worry about the financial burden because although sometimes great, the final results and overall experience is totally worthwhile. I would advise parents not to pressure their kids too much, and give them some freedom as they make their own choices, and to support them in whatever they decide to do. Even if they are going to make mistakes, they will have to learn from them in the end, and you can be there to help them up when they fall. I would tell students to really take advantage of their time. Get invovled in activities on campus, and be invovled in the community surrounding it as well. Don't be afraid to try new things, rather embrace new experiences. Get out of your comfort zone. Make the most of every opportunity. Definetly apply for an internship and use it to your advantage. Be open to people that are different from you and seek our their friendship. Overall, have fun and soak up the learning.

I would definitely recommend that students and parents participate in thorough visitations of their prospective school choices. It is important to guage the schools' facilities, this is easier if students know what field they are going to be studying. Checking out the school's library and computer labs says a LOT about the school, and make sure to check out the dorms and apartments. Visit the school when students are actually living there and attending classes, see how they interact and what the atmosphere is like.

Go with your gut. Take your time and look if you are unsure but make sure you find a place that is good for you. If there is something even small that you don't like about it... keep looking. You want to be at a school where you have chosen and want to be.

First and foremost, I would tell the parents and the students to sit down and find as much information as they can about the schools they are considering. Try and find people who have either gone there or graduated and ask them questions about financial aid, campus activities, professors, on-campus housing and how welcome the school made them feel. If they are christian, I would tell them to pray about it before they make their choice. If they don't rely on God for answers then do process of elimination. Sit down with the parents and see which school upholds the same values as they do. See which school seems like they live up to those values by taking a campus visit, and most importantly, while on the campus visit, try and talk to students that already go there. Talk to every single race if you can to see if everyone is treated fairly, to see how each race likes it, and to get an idea of what the atmosphere of the campus is like.

Visit the colleges, make sure that the school you are considering doesn't just sound good but, feels right.

Go with your gut instinct. The first impression is often the most important impression.

The most important thing to do during the application process is to visit the schools you are most interested in and if possible stay with a current student in their campus housing. This will allow to get a better experience of what it might be like to go to school there. Although it sounds cheesy, what really helped me choose North Park is that I could picture myself here. The people I met on my visits were a lot like my friends at home and the environment is one I felt comfortable in almost immediately. Ask a lot of questions and make sure you get a chance to explore and feel out the campus.

No matter what college you are looking, you will always find what you are expecting. If you expect a party, you will find it. If you expect an academic challenge, you will find it. If you are looking for a social life, a spiritual experience, a place to belong or a place to rebel against, no matter what, you will find it, because it is what you are expecting.

Don't come to North Park University, find a school that appreciates their student body, and would like to work with them, instead of being simply interested in their money.