Princeton University Top Questions

The number one thing I would recommend to prospective students and parents is to visit the schools where you are thinking of spending the next four years of your life. Searching for the college can be a stressful process, but visiting schools and talking to students can help you more than any internet search. It doesn't matter how good a school looks on paper if you are going to be miserable there and don't feel like you fit in. As for making the most of your college experience, please take academics seriously. Remember, this is probably the reason your parents are sending you to school and paying money for you to go. Sports, music, and extracurriculars are important and provide a great opportunity to interact with fellow students, but academics should be your primary focus. Work hard and remember that professors (at least good ones) are always there to help you. Now, I am not saying to study 24/7 and never have any free time for friends. One of the most important things you'll learn in college is how to balance things and prioritize. Just remember that academics should be at the top of that list.

Flash forward to that inevitable car ride--the car ride mom has been dreading: your parents are pulling out of your new dorm's parking lot. Their arms are tired from hauling boxes up four flights of stairs. Their eyes are wet and their shoulders are slouched. Mom looks over at Dad, her head tilting and brow squinching--how does she feel? Does she feel safe leaving you, her baby, in this new, strange place? Does she have faith that this college is the right fit? And what about you, that son or daughter-- are you anxious? Excited to investigate extracurriculars, make new friends? Some fall day, the college search will be distant memory. Thinking about this moment-- when student is left alone and parent drives into the distance-- is a good way to better understand what the college search is all about: choosing a place to live, a place to learn, a place to be. Choose a college where both mom, dad, and student will be excited on move-in day, then live each day with that same excitement, making the most of your college experience by reminding yourself why you chose your college in the first place.

Do not let money affect your decision more than it needs too. Do not miss out on a great education because you think you can't afford it. Find the school you want to go to and do all you can to enter it. Seek advice from current college students and ask them about the application process.

Not everyone gets that "This is the place for me" feeling when they step onto a campus. Look at the people around you, think about whether you want to spend 4 years with these people. If there's doubt in your mind about your decision, you should probably reevaluate why you picked a school.

The most important thing to do when choosing the right college is to visit the campus. There are cases where geography makes this inconvenient, but this college will be your home for four (or so) years, and your happiness will largely be influenced by your life on campus outside of classes. See the school, get a feel for who the students are, what they do with their time, and what they're satisfied or dissatisfied about. Once you get to college, take some time to think about what you want to learn, both in your major and outside. People tell freshmen they have plenty of time to make decisions, but it goes by so fast that you should be thinking ahead. Also, make sure you make the most of the student groups on campus. You will likely never be in another community with so many interesting people your age who are likely to share so much in common with you as you are in college. Join a singing group, a dance group, intramural sports, debate team--whatever piques your interest. Make lots of friends to help you through your academic trials as well as to make lots of memories. Enjoy!

Go where you'll have the most fun.

Finding the right college isn't necessarily about academics, because you will change your mind on your major as you go along. The three most important things are housing, financial aid, and social life. As for making the best of your college experience, the best advice I can give is this: don't worry about what everyone else is doing. Worry about what YOU are doing. Everything else will fall into place.

I applied to twenty-five colleges. That meant twenty- five applications, twenty- five potential alma maters, and twenty-five potential rejections. Through my rather extreme experience, I want to assure you that you can make your own "dream school." Finding the "right" school can be a challenge. My advice is to look at college brochures, visit your top choices if you can, but do not be scared if you cannot seem to find your "perfect" school. Every institution has its virtues and flaws, and no single university is perfect, even if it may appear to be. Each college offers a distinct set of opportunities and challenges, and I feel that you create your own college experience. Take me for example. I had over twenty choices by the final stage of my process. How did I make my decision? I have a younger sister, and I knew that I needed to think about her education as well. Princeton University offered me a great financial aid package. So, I accepted, and I am so glad that I did. I have used the opportunities here to create my own "dream school." The truth is that you control the quality of your education.

The right college is the one which has the most opportunites and support structure for intellectual and artistic development. Look up the scholarship record of the professors, the size and specialization of the library and the guest speakers it tends to attract. The most important rule, though, is to be absolutely realistic about what college can do for you. If it means accumulating exorbitant amounts of debt, it's not worth it. College does not guarantee a higher paying job. Keep other options open. But if college is for you, don't let yourself be taken in by glitzy brochures. You choose the college; it does not choose you. Use the time wisely. This is not the time to laze around all day and party all night. It's the time to invest in your future.

Do not decide to attend a school just because it is well known or thought to be a "good" school. Consider what is best for you and follow that path.