Stevens Institute of Technology Top Questions

Parents should take an active roll in helping their childern search for a collage, but the final desision should be left for the student to make. Parents can intriduce the student to prospective schools but should not influence the students final decision. After all the student must be completely satisfied with their choice. If they feel they have been pressured into a school they might find it difficult to stay focused. Students must be one hundered percent satisfied with their choice in order to succeed.

During the college enrollment process, parents and students are given a tremendous amount of advice, whether it be for better or for worse. The best advice a student could receive is to follow one's heart. It may sound silly, but typically you will know the minute you arrive on campus to tour the college that this is the school for you. If that feeling is not there, don't settle on a school and don't be pressured into one. This is the place where you will spend the next 4 years of your life, and it's somewhere that will become your home. It should be the choice of the student. Along those lines, the best advice to give a parent is to let his/her child choose for him/herself, within reason of course. The child should never feel pressured into the choice of another, but should be encouraged to find what's best for him/her. Ultimately, the smartest choice is to work together and listen to each other to make the best selection possible.

Visit as many schools as you can and if it feels right, apply. At school, participate as much as you can because you're only there once!

When looking for the right college, the main thing you must do is visit the school, stay overnight if you can. You must also ask yourself, do I want to live here for four, maybe five years of my life? You must also ask about financial aid even if you think you are not going to need and/or qualify for it; there is always the possibility of your parent's income from changing. If you are going to be playing sports get to know the coaches and your future teammates, before making a decision. The two main things a student is going to need to do well in college are study habits and time management. If you are able to develop study habits then you would get good grades, which is the key in succeeding in college. By having time management you would be able to balance academics, athletics, social life, and other activities. Then by being able to balance all of these you would get the full college experience. College is not all about studying, but it is also not all about partying and athletics...trust me on that one, it's from personal experience DO NOT PROCRASTINATE!

It is important to consider the student needs, and their comfort zone. Some schools offer great social life, but not a gret curriculum, and both the student and parent should be able to recognize what is more important. The location is very important, and the type of studeny body it has. Some schools offer its graduates promising futures, and others do not. Make sure you know what your college has to offer you for your money!! Also make your own choice. Do not make the mistake to follow a friend, a boyfriend, or a crush. You might miss out on good opportunities at a different colege that would have been your perfect fit.

The right college will not always be the one you had in mind as your first choice (I ended up going to my 4th choice school, and looking back I definitely feel like it was the best choice). Apply to as many places as you can, even places you don't really think you would want to go or that you don't think you will get into. While you're at college, just keep your attitude in check. Attitude can be everything! It can determine how much you enjoy school, how well you do, and your outlook on life. Be positive and get connected somewhere on campus. A well balanced social life is the best foundation for strong academics, because if you aren't happy with where you are and what you are doing, then you definitely won't be motivated to do schoolwork!

Having gone through 2 tough years dealing with a little bit of everything, sports, fraternities, clubs, and schoolwork, I feel confident in answering this question to a concerned parent/student. College is where you/your child will spend most of the time in for the next four years. You have to know where you feel comfortable and high school is a big help for that. If you go to a big high school and the size bothers you, then you might wanna change that when you go to college. For me, I prefer a small school because every teacher you have gets to know you and that can be very helpful with the course work as well as connections for after graduation. Living on campus is also a great experience. While there may be concern about dorming affecting the student's study skills due to too much socializing/partying, there is nothing like dorming. Not only will you make great friends, but you will make great connections which can come helpful when you have a project or a hard test to study for. Lastly, you want to choose a school that has a high job placement after graduation.

Go to the campus and talk to the students.

The upcoming student needs to examine what he or she wants out of college. If the student knows what they want to do then picking a school based on that is a good way to start but college is more then just academic work. The location and social life on campus are also big factors in the decision. My advice would be to visit many school. If the opportunity arises to sleep over at these school, definitely go for it. See what kind of environment is most productive for you. Also you should look into the other activities and programs on campus such as co-op, rotc and research opportunities on campus. Many of these activates are good ways to obtain financial support as well as valuable experience before entering the work place. The price of the school is definitely one of the factors in deciding which school is best but it should not be the final factor. If you think a school is perfect for you go out and find the financial aid and support you need. There are tons of scholarships and aid programs out there. If you have enough drive you can get what you need.

Analyze your dreams, face the reality, and choose the best course of action.