Reed College Top Questions

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior there is so much I would try to impart upon that imressionable teen. I would first and formemost tell her don't be afraid of the unkown, fear will hold you back in every aspect of your life if you allow it to; not just in your transition to college life but in regard to relationships and career paths as well. I would also tell her to be confident, be nice to yourself, no one is perfect and no one expects you to be. Don't be afraid to risk embarrassment and failure to acheive the things you want to acheive. Failure and embarrassment are transitory but the risk you take may change your life in th most amazing ways. Make as many new friends as you can but also continue to cultivate your existing relationships with friends you made in high school or earlier, they know you better than you think and will be great friends for life. Lastly, learn everyhting you can and be compassionate in everything you do.

Live on campus. Don't date your freshman year, or at least not seriously- instead focus on making a lot of friends in different groups. Don't rely on a small handful of friends, and DON'T live with them. It's better to live with a compatible roommate who you never hang out with, or to live alone near friends, than to live WITH friends if your living style isn't similar. Really consider what you want to study so you don't end up bouncing around. Take a gap year to explore different subjects if you need to. Find time to study abroad (another great reason not to date.)

I would tell myself to be prepared for how drastically and sometimes how quickly my priorities can evolve, and to understand that this is usually a benefit if well-conceived. I would also advise myself to appreciate the potential for learning and maturing from the experiences I'm having at the time, rather than expecting these opportunities to be unique to my life later. Perhaps most importantly, I would tell myself to monitor my priorities for how long-term they are--that is to say, to consider whether it will have been more important to have gone out with friends or to have studied. The larger point is not that the individual case will be of great importance, but that the individual case is indicative of important habits.

Be more comfortable with yourself- this place is perfect for you and you should remember that the people here are the best of the best, and you are too.

In this video I tried to find a couple of ways that I think most Reedies save money while on campus.

Finding the perfect college is like trying to choose Barack Obama's dog. There's a lot of hype and research you can find in all media, and almost everyone has an opinion on which one to choose. But ultimately it will be up to one person to do the decision. It?s frankly a very difficult decision to make if you are still unsure which out of the vast list of American colleges and universities to apply. Thankfully if you prepare a couple years ahead there?s plenty of time to carefully delve into the world of higher education. Take the time to research the schools you feel like attending and search for school you might not have heard, you might be surprised. Once you whittled down the vast list of American colleges and university then send in your applications. Applying to 4 or 6 schools is at minimum, 12 or more schools are unnecessary. And from that point, even if your first choice does not accept you, if you did your research then regardless of which school accepts you, you will still be able to get the education and the right college experience you want.

In recent years the process of college selection has industrialized. From publications claiming to be able to rank the "best" schools in the country to the extended process of standardized testing and essay writing expected of each college applicant, significant amounts of money, time, and energy are spent on the production of materials such as study guides and college pamphlets intended to aid in the college selection process. Considering the level and extent of anxiety that this commercialization and commodification of upper education causes students, the best advice I can give is to not worry. It is of course important to consider your goals and aspirations, to understand what a college offers and a little of the campus culture, but it is nearly impossible to determine how these same aspirations and desires might change based on the college experience itself. But it is also important to remember that if a school isn't working out, there are literally thousands more that want you as a student. I doubt that a "right" college exists. Making the most of a college experience means testing the boundaries. This may reinforce your ideas, nuance them, or outright change them. Do not be afraid.

I have applied to over 20 colleges in the last few years and I currently work in the Admission Office at Reed College. Still, the college search process is a relatively baffling one for me. Students face incredible pressure when applying to college, and parents seem to either exacerbate this pressure, or fail to understand it. Make no mistake about it, the college search is not a scientific process, it is an artistic one. Numbers simply cannot grasp the feel of different colleges all across the country. My personal experience has taught me that the best school is that which makes the student happiest. Colleges have infectious personalities to them. Reed makes me want to study harder than I ever have before--a motivation that I would argue is found at few other institutions. So, allow yourself the time to explore a variety of colleges, never be afraid to apply to a school for fear of rejection, and don't be afraid NOT to choose the school that US News and World Report considers the best.

In my junior year of high school, I submitted my high school test scores and GPA to websites designed to rate your college with the "best fit." For one school, it said that it was a good match, but with my numbers, it wasn't likely that I would be accepted. Despite--and perhaps because of --what this website said, I became determined to go to this school. When I visited the campus, I knew that it was the perfect fit, and I knew that I wouldn't want to go anywhere else. Two months later, my application was accepted, and I was enrolled in my dream school. My point? It's not all about numbers. I was perpetually involved in extracurricular activities, and my drive to be accepted itself pushed me into the top of the applicant pool. Don't let something as meaningless as a GPA stand in your way. Apply to your dream school, and settle for nothing less. If you don't try, you will never succeed. But if you do try--as scary as that may be--you will learn so much more. Good luck!

It would be ideal to be able to go to college twice. Once to find out what you believe in and once again to learn how to be what you believe in. Since this isn't an option for most folks, I strongly recommend taking time before college to test yourself and discover what you are all about. Instead of rushing right into college, travel, work, read books, volunteer, think hard and take time to reflect. Think beyond careers, salaries and what the guidance counselors told you. What do you want to learn? What do you want to change? Colleges are expensive, but they provide inumerable resources. How will you use them to thir fullest? When you have some ideas about what you'd like to devote your work and your studies to, find the school that help you be the change you wish to see in the world.