Northeastern University Top Questions

Deciding what college to attend is a major life decision. There are many factors that play into that decision, such as financial aid, feeling comfortable, safety, extracurricular acitivities, job placements, academics, etc. The best advice anyone can give about choosing a college, is finding the right fit for yourself. You have to make sure that you feel comfortable wherever you are going to be. Make sure the college or university's policies and goals match yours. Do they offer financial aid? Do they want you to succeed in your field? Are they focused more on grades or on life experiences? Academics do play a big role in the college selection process, but attending school is part of your life's path. Make sure that the school you choose provides oppurtunities for the things that you want to do with your life. And while financial aid is something to think about, there are scholarships and oppurtunities that can help you go to your desired school, if money is a restriciting factor. Research, community service, sports, hobbies, adventure, whatever it is you want to do, it is important to make sure that attending that school was the best decision you ever made.

My advice would be to look at every aspect of the university. Think about what is most important to you, and then rank each school according to your list. Don't pick a school based on only one or two things. Can you see yourself at the school? You'll get a feeling if you know you are at the right place . Don't worry to much about making the right decision. Whatever decision you make will be the right one. You can be happy anywhere you go. Once you're at college, don't sweat the small stuff. Study hard, make a few good friends. And just enjoy it.

Searching for the right college seems like the most confusing and intimidating undertaking a person has to take on. For me, the most valuable part of my search process was making college visits. While at Northeastern, my tour guide turned to us and said, "Honestly I think while you are standing here some of you will just know that this is the place for you. I know when I visited Northeastern I just knew in my soul that this place was right for me and it was where I wanted to be." It was true. I visited other places that I liked and I could see making myself happy there, but when I was at Northeastern I just knew that it felt comfortable and it fit. So many colleges have so much to offer that you can make yourself happy. No matter where you decide to study, don't second guess or sweat the small details, just take advantage of every opportunity that seems to fit you and make it your own. When you embrace your new home enthusiastically, you are bound to create a great and exciting experience for yourself. Have fun!

whereever you will get the most career-oriented experience

Choose wisely, but if you choose the wrong college you can always transfer (which is sometimes easier to do if you don't get into the right college the first time around). Enjoy it but work hard because your future is at stake. Remember to make as many connections as you can.

Make sure you weigh all of your financial options before choosing a school. If you know you want a big or small school you should only apply to school of your preference. If you want to go out of state and your parents feel it's too expensive, always know that there are ways to get by that. I am from Georgia and I go to school in Boston. It hasn't been easy but I know I made the right choice. Go to a school that you love or know that you can fall in love with.

I would advise college students and parents to visit as many colleges as possible. Visiting a college really helps a student decide if they could fit in there or not. Also, it is never too early to start looking. Visiting colleges for weekends with slightly older peers is a great way to see if you can be happy at a college. You can see the types of people that go to the school, see the ins and outs of campus that aren't shown on tours and get real answers to your questions from students who aren't trying to advertise for the college. Also, you can possibly sit in on a class to see if you like the class settings and teachers.

look for a setting that you can relax & be yourself

Pick a college that best suits your personality. If you are shy and may not put in the effort to make the most of your experience, consider trying out a smaller school. Talk to students that are there now, whether that be by going on a campus tour or joining an online forum. It is important to look at the type of students that go there. My first college was a very religious based school-in which Catholicism was incorporated into the classroom and social life. Even though I was raised Catholic, the environment was very overwhelming for me, especially since most of my classmates went to Catholic high school and I was not used to this type of school. Also, drinking at bars and on campus was a primary social focus so there was very little to truly divert myself from how uncomfortable I felt. So make sure you can see yourself fitting in at the school and really examine the population there. Sometimes you can go on an overnight in which the prospective student stays with a college student overnight-I highly recommend that. Also, consider the expense-that will be a large factor in your happiness.

Finding the right college is a process which is different for everyone. What may seem ideal to you, may seem like the worst possible choice for someone else. Finding the right college should mean looking for a school that fits you, not what your parents want or where all your friends may be going, but a school where YOU want to be because at the end of the day it's really going to be your opinion that matters. As far as the college experience goes, study hard and play hard. What I mean by this is take your classes seriously, really study for those exams, make the extra trip to the library at 1 in the morning if you need to, but do everything possible to pass your classes and from there everything else will fall into place. Once you're doing well in your courses, you'll be able to have fun with your friends, to take part in all the school activites, and meet new people.The college years are the only time in your life that you get to do a little of everything without worrying about kids, or the bills, so enjoy it!