Princeton University Top Questions

When entering the college application process, keep an open mind. It doesn't matter where your parents went or where they want you to go; it's your life and should ultimately be your decision. Obviously cost can be an issue, but it should never be the most important factor; your education is priceless. Once those letters of acceptance arrive in the mail, it's time to pick your college of choice. If you find yourself broken between schools, visiting the campus can be the best way to make a decision. Pre-freshman programs are your best friend in helping the decisions because you get to really interact with core of the school: the students and the faculty. As for making the most of the college experience, treat it like a whole new world and throw out your preconcieved notions developed in high school. Take a pamphlet from every station at the activities fair; get out and get to know your school community. DO NOT sit in your dorm all day long doing work. Of course school work is important but college offers much much more academics so be sure to take advantage of that.

Everyone tries to convince you that finding the right college is like choosing the perfect meal: it must taste right without breaking the bank. When ordering dinner at a restaurant, the primary concerns for most people are taste and price. The ideal entree satisfies hunger without leaving a dent in your wallet. Likewise, the most pressing concerns for prospective college students are ?fit,? and cost. It is important to find a school that meshes well with your ambitions and personality, but it would stupid to throw money away by going to a school with a big price tag, no matter how great it is. Or so they tell you. While it is important to live within your means, when it comes to what you?ll be ?eating? for the next four years, the size of the check at the end of the meal should never be the most important factor. It is far better to be happy at an expensive school than to be miserable somewhere while you save a buck. After all, you can always go back to a restaurant to try a different dish, but choosing a college is a once in a lifetime decision.

When you walk onto campus, it should feel like home. When you experience that, you've found THE place for you.

Don't expect your admissions process to be logical or predictable. College admissions brochures may not be totally honest, but by seeing which features colleges play up, you know what features are importatnt to them. Email students (you can find them via student group websites) to find out the real story of what's going on at the college. Get involved in extracurriculars, and always make sure you don't take on so much that classes become secondary.

Choosing a college is one of the most important decisions you will ever make. Students, follow your heart. Parents, stay out of your kids' way. Did I know the financial burden I would face by choosing the school I did? Aboslutely! Did I know how hard classes would be, and how difficult it would be to also play a varsity sport? Absolutely! However, I knew the second I set foot on that campus my senior year of high school that I was home. Everything I had dreamed of about college growing up, playing a varsity sport and going to school on the east coast, culminated in a school that also satisfied my new found desire for learning and spiritual growth. At that moment, when I stepped foot on campus, I knew that I couldn't let anything prevent me from going there, not even the almighty dollar. Don't pick the school with the best academic record, or the prettiest campus, or the one that is most affordable for you. There is money available for motivated students, you just have to find it. You'll know which school is right for you, because being there will be like going home.

Make sure to visit everywhere you go - you CANNOT decide just by reading about a school or looking at pictures. Also, don't base where you go SOLELY on financial situation-if you need help, there are ways to get it. Also, it seems to all fall together. Once in college, make sure to relax sometimes--for many, this is the last 4 years of "childhood"; enjoy it, but try hard-you are shaping your future.

Parents, welcome to High School, where students compete in America's most vicious sport: Getting In to College. Forget about your fond memories of Senior Prom and Cheerleading. Today's kids have been groomed since birth with club sports and SAT tutoring. Fascinated by the insanity surrounding college admissions, I wrote a comedy , "Getting In, the Musical", and produced it at my high school. Because the main character was the 'College Admission Officer from Hell', my parents did not want me to include this play with my admissions packet. Actually, they were furious that I dropped Varsity Water Polo, "my ticket to college", in order to write this musical. LESSON ONE: LET YOUR CHILDREN FOLLOW THEIR PASSION Not only did I discover my passion for writing with 'Getting In', but I also know that my Early Admission Acceptance to Princeton was due, in large part, to that writing sample. Princeton's Creative Writing Department is amazing and turned out to be the perfect school for me. LESSON TWO: LET YOU CHILDREN FOLLOW THEIR INSTINCTS IN SELECTING A COLLEGE. Their first impressions of a school are usually correct. COLLEGE IS AMAZING: BE BRAVE, BE OPEN TO NEW EXPERIENCES ACADEMICALLY AND SOCIALLY.

The most important part of the college search is the visit and talking candidly to real students. There is no other way to get the true "feel" of a university or college.

Don't let the college process get to you: it's overwhelming and overrated. Take your time, try not to stress, and listen to what your heart tells you when you step onto the "right" college campus. But to be honest, there is more than one "right" college for each person. Also, to parents -- putting pressure on your child is not going to help them in any way to make what seems like the hardest decision in their life thus far. Instead, try to give them space and support whatever decision they make. And students -- once you finally do start college, take advantage of every second because it will be over before you know it. Make a million friends, have fun, meet your professors and maximize how much you can learn from them. Pick a major that you truly love, not what your parents have been dreaming about their whole lives, but whatever subject makes your heart beat just a little faster and whatever classes make you spring out of bed just a little sooner. But truly just remember to enjoy yourself!

The college process is a very personal one; I would therefore encourage parents and students alike to branch out from pre-conceptions of one college versus another and visit as many schools as possible in order to make their own decisions about what FEELS right to them. I would likewise encourage students to apply to all of the schools that they really love (REGARDLESS of the "reach"), while all the while keeping an open mind to options that they may not have thuroughly explored. In my opinion, the best way to go about doing this is to look at the list of schools to which you will apply as a WHOLE as opposed to focusing on a single school; make sure there's some variation of your own percieved culture and feel as well as level of selectivity among the schools on your list, and be sure to inlude some schools that might somewhat extend outside your general "comfort zone." Once a list like this is constructed, you can sit back, relax, and leave it up to the admissions process to highlight only those schools where you will truly thrive!

From the start, one of the best things you can do is try to be as familiar as possible with schools before you apply, and only apply to schools you'd realistically want to attend. Once you're accepted, visit the schools if you can, and take advantage of all the orientation programs and information available to incoming freshman, it really helps a lot. Once you've picked a college, be enthusiastic! If your school has some kind of pre-orientation trip or event for freshman, go on it. It'll help you get comfortable before the year starts. If you know ahead of time who your rommates will be, get in touch with them over the summer. Once you're moved in, an upbeat attitude and a phone call to Mom can be the key to avoiding homesickness. And then, dive in! Take classes that sound interesting to you. Get involved in extracurriculars-- keep up with something you enjoyed doing in high school, but try something new too. Most of all, find people you enjoy spending time with and a subject you enjoy studying, and you'll make your college fit you, not the other way around.

There is, sadly enough, a great deal of luck involved in finding the "right college." You can tour all the schools you want, talk to professors, students and alumni, but in the end, it's a completely personal decision. However cliche it may sound, often enough you do get a special feeling when you find "the one." The school will feel like home, like there's nowhere else you ought to be. Above all, my advice to someone looking for the right college is to trust your instincts, regardless of school's prestige or reputation. Remember that reputation is simply what other people think about the school, and not necessarily what you will think. That being said, the college-finding process need not be a stressful one. In all likelihood, you'll be quite happy wherever you end up; the students at nearly every school will be motivated, unique, and fun, and you will most certainly be able to find classes that interest you. Remember that once you're there, the hard part is over-now all you have to do is find classes, friends and activities to do that are exciting and challenging. That's where the fun begins!

The best way to find the right college is to go with your gut feeling. Visit the school, get to know the kids, and if you don't feel comfortable, even if you don't know why, then I wouldn't consider that school. You will know the feeling when it comes, but it should be "love-at-first-sight". When I visited Princeton, it was pouring and cold. That can really ruin your outlook on a school, but I still fell in love. Every part of campus was screaming my name, and I knew it was a perfect match. In addition, it is always a great idea to go to the information sessions. They clarify a lot about the college: you can see how the school is organized and what resources are available. Also, make sure you are proud saying that you go to that college. It shouldn't be something of which you are ashamed. College will be the best time of your life. I didn't believe that before I came to Princeton, so take it from someone who had been clearly mistaken. Get out, try everything, you won't be able to once you've graduated.

Be sure you are choosing a school for the right reasons. Don't choose a school because of it's name or because of ideas you have about it. Visit the school, learn about the good AND the negative aspects of it. No school is ideal but you should be able to find one that optimally suits you. Also, don't be too pressured by others. That is not to say that you shouldn't consider the opinions of others when deciding on a school but ultimately it is you who will have to learn there for the next four years so make sure it is a place where you can thrive. "Above all, be true to yourself" --Hardy D. Jackson

During the search for the perfect college campus, I remember being bombarded left and right with advice from people whose opinion I trusted. Amidst the vocal chorus of suggestions, the most resounding piece of advice was, ?Make sure the college is the right fit for you.? But what does it mean for a college to be the right fit? For me, I realized I wanted a college in which I would be most able to achieve my goals, mainly entrance into medical school. But every student is different, that is why the most important task in finding the right college is for the student to reflect about him or herself. Make a prioritized list of your ambitions, goals and values, and then envision yourself at each university to determine at which college you will fulfill the most items on your list; because at the end of the day it doesn?t matter which university?s labs are better if you are not interested in research. Understanding your own desires will allow you to choose a college in which you will be able to grow and develop the most, and ultimately a college that will be the right fit for you.

College can be an amazing experience. I am a firm believer that if you follow your heart, wherever it may lead you, whether it be your state school, a small private college, or something completely outside of the norm, you will be happier and more likely to take advantage of what your school has to offer. Do not get too caught up in the 'name' of the college and how it makes you look to others. Your college decision is completely yours. I believe that anyone can exceed at any college if you put effort into it. It all depends on how you as a student invest your time in your studies, whether you get to know your professors and other college faculty, your ability to utilize the hundreds of resources available to you through different venues, and your efforts to become involved in social activities that will provide you with friendship and support. In the course of only four years, you can accumulate so many memorable experiences by doing what you love, putting your whole heart into all that you do, and creating the networks that will carry you far in to the future. Good Luck to you!

Students should pick a school because they feel it is the right match. Parents should be productive in helping the student through the application process, but ultimately the choice should boil down to the student's desires. There is so much to consider that it feels overwhelming, and many schools may seem like good fits. My advise is to go to the campus, talk to the people there, attend a class or two in your interest area, and get a general vibe. Your insticts will most likely lead you in the right direction, and your scholarly years will be thoroughly enriching

College is first and foremost a time for self discovery. Your experience will be not be defined by the name on your diploma or a GPA, but rather by how much insight you gain into yourself. Never be afraid to search for and purse your passions, even if they seem trivial or frivolous or unrelated to your primary studies or goals. It may be difficult, but keep yourself out of the daily rut. Always be open to trying new things and taking on new challenges and responsibilities. Because the worst feeling in the world is to be standing in that cap and gown receiving your diploma, and being flooded by regret for the things you didn't do, for the challenges you backed away from and the experiences you missed out on. Any multitude of schools can provide opportunity for exploration and self discovery. Ultimately the duty falls on you to take control of your education, to seize the opportunities your school offers, to push yourself constantly to reach and surpass your limits and limitations. With that attitude, every college is "right" and you will succeed in your passions no matter where they lie.

Send your kids to the best school academically, even if they don't like it socially.

Spend the time exploring who you are and what you want . Don't rush yourself to get on a specific "path". I would also highly recommend that incoming college freshman take a "gap" year before college.