Stephen F Austin State University Top Questions

The most important advice I would give parent and/or students looking for the right college would be to make sure the college you are looking at has you major. Also make sure that the school of you major is a good one. Do research about their past and what is in the future for you school. I would also make sure that you like the town your school is located in. Knowing and like your town is important because you will spend a lot of your off time around town. Be sure it offers you enough to keep you busy in case you stay the weekends. Those are my top two advise tips I give to every student or parent, like the town, and be sure you majors college is worthy of your time.

I believe the most important things one should consider before picking a college is size, money, environment, and distance. Size is important to think about in more than one way. First is classroom size; Do you learn better in a class of 30 or 300? Second is campus/town size; Would you rather make close, possibly long life friends, or just casually meet a lot of people? How far it is to get to the places I'll need to go? Money is important to think about because no one wants to throw money away. Therefore, one must think, "Where can I get financial aid that works for me? How much money do I have? Is it worth it to spend more/less money here when I can get the same/better education there?" Environment is important because if one does not like a certain kind of weather then obviously you will not be happy staying somewhere that has a lot of it! Finally, distance is important to consider so that one can figure out what kind of transportation they will need and be comfortable with and how often one can go home and how easy it will be.

Make sure it is a place where you feel welcome and like you could be a part of that campus before choosing to go there. I recommend finding out if you want to get involved in anything and making sure that that particular school has that group you want to be involved with before going there; whether it is greek life, religious groups, or just a fun club. Of course academics should be part of the choice as well, make sure the school has the right degree plan you want for your major, just ask questions to get the right answers. Just be yourself at school and make sure that whatever school you go to it is willing to offer whatever you need so you feel at "home" and if something is not available look at other schools or see if you can make that certain thing available. Also if you need financial assistance be sure that school has what you need so money does not become the biggest problem. Just remember you will pick a school for a reason, just know who you are so that the school fits you and you dont have to fit into the school.

There are so many colleges out there that finding the one that fits you seems overwhelming. The teen and parent really need to figure out what the preferences of the future college student are. Do they like a small town atmosphere? Would they not fit in at a school that has a highly active Greek system? Using this information really helps the teen find a perfect fit. Visiting the colleges is a must. Never visit on a weekend or during a break, you want to get a feel for what the campus is like during the regular academic year. Talk to random students, ask them what they like about the school and dislike about it. Use every available source for financial aid out there. There were a lot of scholarships I qualified for that I didn't know about. To really get the most bang for your tuition buck, use the classes to their fullest potential. Show up for lecture. Do the readings. Study. After all, you or someone else is paying for this. Finally, get involved. This is the biggest mistake I made. Most universities have organizations for everyone to help you make friends. Most importantly: be yourself!!

Dont always go for the most popular school in the state try and find one that is just right for you and you will be as happy as you can be. I thought that i wanted to go to a huge school but i ended up going to a school of 11,000 and am very pleased

You have to find the place where you feel most at home. For me it was a small country town with a beautiful campus. Check them all out because you never know which school might suprise you.