Northeastern University Top Questions

Be honest with yourself about where you'll fit in while figuring out who you are and what you want to do with your life. Don't go somewhere where you WANT to fit in, go somewhere that you feel a connection with and can imagine spending an important part of your life. Once you're there, get involved whenever you can - you are rarely going to wish you hadn't gone to something, but it would be a shame to miss out on a memory.

Parents: Don't try to make your child relive your college days. Take a step back and let your child make the decisions. This is their experience and it needs to be the right fit for them not you. Be open with your child about how much you can afford, don't let them get their hopes up for nothing. Encourage them to seek finacial aid and explain how it could help all of you. To stay connected once your child has left, send snail mail or write an email. The most important thing to do is give your child space. They still love and appreciate you even if they don't call every night. To the students: Go stay with someone at the college. Make sure you talk to the advisors in the field you are interested in and get a feel for what kind of people are in the department. Listen to your parents; they've done this all before and they just want whats best for you even though it may not seem that way. Do not let anyone tell you you are doing your college experience incorrectly. This is your life and your time to explore.

The best advice I can give is to take your time. Figure out what your basic creature comforts are, and pick a school that you think will best address them. You also must be open minded. Keeping an open mind will help you to make the most of your experience, and make you a better, more well rounded, individual. As a parent, it is important to respect your son's or daughter's wishes when choosing a school. Ultimately, if your child is not happy or comfortable at the school they have chosen, he or she will not be able to acedemically perform to the best of their abilities. Do your best to be an open ear, and ask questions that will help your child figure out exactly what it is that they are looking for in a college. Try not to be too opinionated, and let this be a growing experience for them.

Let your son/daughter choose! Do not coerce them into going to a school you would like to see them at. Allow them to make the decision themselves. Afterall...they will be the ones attending the school. Not you.

Visit every college you intend to apply to. By doing this, you will have seen the campus life first hand and it will be easy to see whether a college is the right fit for you. Try to meet as many people as possible during your freshman year because after that, people are less open to making new friends. By sophomore, people have their established group of friends and it is more difficult to make friends if you haven't already. Check out as many clubs as possible in the beginning and then narrow it down to one or two that you really enjoy. Joining student groups early in your college career gives you a great chance to run for office later on.

When it comes to finding the right college I would recommend that the prospective student take a weekend trip to the school. Go on a friday morning so you will have the chance to witness the school in motion. While in the city or area of the school get a hotel and explore the area around the school. Oftentimes the environment around a school is jus as important in how the school fucntions. My school, Northeastern University is in the middle of Boston, because of its location students can get whatever they need. They are ample grocery stores, drug stores, restaurants and other amenities that you would expect a world-class city to have. After you have spent that weekend you will know for sure if that school is the fit for you. As for making hte most out of your college experience, I'd suggest you pick the right friends. The people you surround yourself with are in a way a litmus test for the kind of individual you are. Party on the weekends are guaranteed, but make sure that during the weekdays you are a hermit. Work hard during the weekdays so you can afford to party weekends.

The only advice I would give is to explore every option, do not limit your choices, visit every school you can, and go with your gut feeling. I originally only visited my school because I was visiting other schools in the area, I never thought that I would like it or that it would be the one for me. Within the first ten minutes of my tour, even though it was slushy and raining in the middle of February, I fell in love with my school and I knew that it was the one for me. Give every option a chance and go in with an open mind. You will know the feeling when the school is meant for you.

To find the right college, you need to get the feel of the campus and the surrounding city that it is in. It is important to feel comfortable in your surrounding before choosing the right school for yourself. It is important to look at the academics and the ratio of student to professor to understand their learning environment. Also, it is important to see the various programs they have that includes academics as well as the extracurricular activities and various student organizations. Overall, it is important for the student to speak to other students about their experience at this university as well as the parents to speak to their child of weighing out the pros and cons to each school they have visited to find the best college for them. Always encourage your child/student to explore their surroundings and the various organizations that are provided at their university and be a part of the community around the campus. "Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself. " -Winston Churchill

Try to speak with as many different varieties of students as you can. Encourage them to give you a very honest opinion of their experience.

Your choice should not be based on the money. The choice is up to the student not the parent. If you put your mind to it, you can make your dreams come true.