Stanford University Top Questions

You must visit any college you are considering attending. You really want to get a sense of a place so that you can decide if it is a good fit for you. Don't let any one factor outweigh the others when considering a college. Make sure it has a good balance of everything that is important to you. You are going to be living at this place for 4 years (or more) of your life, so you need to make sure that you will be comfortable. After you have visited all of your choices, take some time to think through what you've seen and heard. Then, once you are ready, go with your gut. You will know what's right for you. Once you are actually on campus, make the most out of your college experience. The best part of college, for me, was getting out of my comfort zone and exploring new things. You should try to jump into as many experiences and opportunities as you can. College is a time for unfettered growth, and you should take time not only to learn about your chosen course of study but also about something even more important - yourself.

I think the most important thing in the college search process is to avoid (and, I know it's hard) looking at the school's reputation. I may have graduated from Stanford but I did not choose it because of it's USNews ranking; I chose it because of the quirky nerdiness of its student body that made me feel right at home. In the same way, the college search should, like a job search or dating, be about finding the best fit for each individual. If you can do that, then I guarantee that you (or your child) will succeed no matter where you go!

If a college seems right, then go with your gut feeling. Also, chances are that if you keep an open mind towards new experiences and meeting new people, you can make any situation (in college or otherwise) a positive one. So even if you didn't get lucky enough to find that elusive "perfect" college, there is still an amazing opportunity to learn something (or some things) new, meet unique and surprising individuals, and have some of the best four years of your life. It all sounds ridiculously cliche, and I know I heard plenty of similar tidbits of advice when I was looking for colleges and when I was going into my freshman year, but it's actually some of the hardest advice to bear in mind and follow through with. So perhaps the best advice is, in fact, to remember the cliched statements; remember everything you ever rolled your eyes at, and just know that there will probably come a clarifying day in your future when you look back and realize that most of those cheesy things have come true. But the best part is realizing how happy you are that those cliches have become a reality.

Visit and talk to students. See how people treat you when they don't know that you're a prospective student.

Do your research before applying.

Make sure you pay a visit to the institutions that you are interested in, because while a place may seem perfect on paper, it is not until you have actually emersed yourself in the schools environment that you have a better idea of what life would be like for you. Also, do not get caught up in the "name game." There are wonderful schools out there whose name may not carry as much weight as others. But I promise you, choose based on where you feel the most comfortable, because if you do well and distinguish yourself, it is not going to matter what school you attended, because you have set yourself apart from the rest of your classmates. Lastly, dont study/do what you think you SHOULD do, rather be passionate about what you WANT to do. Whether you have graduate school aspirations or not, that last sentence will take you a long way. Employers and schools alike are all looking for people who are truly interested in the work they are doing. Not everyone has to be a doctor or lawyer, there's a niche out there for all of you.

Be sure to visit the college and ask as many questions of current students as you can. The information provided by students who aren't volunteering to support the visit can be quite insightful. Additionally, be open to everything. If you enter college thinking you want to be a hard science (chem, bio, computer science, etc.) major be sure to take at least one interesting humanities (psychology, poli sci, engish, etc.) class (something you're curious about but don't think you'll love) and vice versa. You'll meet people you otherwise might not meet in an environment you might not usually be in. Finally, take advantage of all those lecture and guest speaker events. After you graduate, the opportunities to hear famous, well respected people give their opinions will be few and far between. You'll really regret not being able to say you participated.

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VISIT, VISIT, VISIT!!!

Everything happens for a reason.