Saint Joseph’s University Top Questions

My advice to incoming college students and their parents are to make sure the college has a mission and vision that is compatible with your lifestyle. Make sure the school's core values match up to your own, and most important make sure it is a school you will feel comfortable at and will enjoy!

To spend some time on the campus, visit it often; colleges are always at their best when they know that you are going to be there visiting. Talk to students, sit in the cafeteria and try to get a feel for the type of people you will be around everyday.

Dig deep into each possible college to get a feel of the student culture. Also, try to sit in classes that you may take to see teaching styles. Most importantly don't talk yourself into spending double or triple what you want to on college because you think you found some diamond in the ruff. There are many schools that can fit your needs, find one that is affordable and doesn't leave graduates with an obscene amount of debt.

You can get a great education anywhere as long as you are committed to the educational process. The texts are the same so you may want to save money by going to a state school for your undergraduate degree and then get your Master's from the professors who wrote the book.

I would suggest that future students and their parents take a tour of the universities and colleges that they are interested in. When you see the campus and are exposed it, you get a feeling about whether or not it's right. When I started looking for schools, there were a few things that were common among them all, but what separated them for me was the experience I had when visiting the campus. The moment I stepped onto SJU's campus, I knew it was the place for me. Additionally, I would encourage students to look into the activities that the campus has to offer. Is there anything specific that attracts the student? If not, maybe it's not the right school. Becoming involved with the school itself is a great way to learn more about yourself and have positive social life.

When I began searching for a school, I didn't have a good idea about what I wanted to choose as a major or a career. I figured that there was no reason to borrow 30,000 a year to attend a private school when I could complete the majority of my gen ed requirements at a state school for next to nothing. As a result, I ended up attending a school that I hated. I struggled with trying to figure out my course requirements and program planning all by myself. There was hardly any help available. Those who were supposed to aid students in making important decisions were often rude and unprofessional. I was unable to get help from professors outside of class, and I failed several classes. This experience set me back an entire year. I wish that I had decided to spend the money up front to attend my first choice school. Since I began at St. Joseph's, I have maintained at least a 3.2 gpa. There is no doubt in my mind that I would have met with more academic success in my first year had I begun my college career here.

When looking for a college, the most important advice I can give is to keep an open mind. Without this, I never would have visited the amazing school that I currently attend. In researching what different colleges have to offer, and which is the best fit for you, there are many helpful websites only a click away. For instance, my high school advisor suggested that I visit the College Board web site, which allows you to search a database of all the universities in the nation according to majors, location, size, admission requirements, costs, athletics, activities, and other factors. The site allows you to save your favorite universities, compare them against each another, and find similar schools. When I was a college freshman, I made sure to attend all of the different informational fairs offered by my school. By doing this, I was able to discover what options would be available to me over my four years at college, concerning courses of study as well as campus clubs and organizations. The Career Development Center is a great resource when it comes to helping you plan out your four years and finding the path that will ultimately be best for you!

Let the student choose, they are the ones that have to live at the school and with their major.

My advice to students who want to find the right college and make the most of their college experience is to try to visit as many as possible! Many colleges let students stay over night. During these overnights, prospective students are assigned to actual students who attend the institution and may share some of the same interests. This gives the prospective a day in the life of a student at the institute, such as visiting classes, social events, and touring the school. The student is given a concrete idea of how their future college experience can possibly manifest. The student, based off of this engaging experience, can decide whether or not if the institution is where they can make the most of their college experience. This experience can definitely play a big role on the perspective's final decision. Also, students should research the type of area, demographics, academic, and social aspects of the institutions they are interested in. Evaluate which one fits with their expectations, and then try to visit the institution.

check everywhere big and small schools, east coast and west coast, private and public