SUNY at Fredonia Top Questions

Make sure the school is the right size (in population) and place (urban vs. rural) where the student can feel comfortable meeting people and studying. Also, pick a school that offers the courses that the student will be interested in learning.

To parents, my advice would be to help guide your child to make a decision that is best for them; not to sway them towards what you would like to see them do. Give them a fair chance to find themselves as well as the profession that they wish to pursue. Growing up under that constant influence makes it difficult to branch out and act on your own accord.

In choosing a college, i advise you visit it, more so then just getting a walking tour. You need to experience the atmosphere and environment of the school. Most people that i know that were unhapy with their school and/or depressed and could not make friends, where so because they did not "fit in" at the school. You have to spend 2-4 years of your life there, you need to make sure you will enjoy living there and be able to make friends and enjoy your life and time there or you will be unhappy and therefore your school work will suffer. I would also make sure to meet the staff, if possible. I LOVED my professors and that makes all the difference. After all, they will be teaching you and their believes and philosophies about your field will be taught to you over and over. It is important you agree with these and connect with your teacher otherwise your pinion on your field may be changed. You must make sure you know, trust, like, and agree with the people you will be working so close with.

The most important piece of advice I would give to parents about finding the right college, is to let their children decide which school is the right fit for them. Students, don't pick a college just based on the programs they offer, look at the community, the people, the extra curriculars. Put some thought into the choice, the school will become your home for the next few years and the people attending will become your family. Don't be afraid of what people will think of you, be yourself at all times, chances are you will learn a lot about yourself if you do. Enjoy the college experience, but don't forget why you are there, stay focused and have fun while doing it! College only lasts so long, so take it in and don't hold back!

My advice to parents and students about finding the right college is to figure out which school has the major the student is interested in by going online. Then make a list of their top ten choices, and then go on campus tours. Tours are great way to see the campus and get a feel for it. If you do not like just the feeling on campus you know that that place is not right for you. Also on a tour it is a great way to understand what the college's finicial aid policy is. It is also a great way for the students to network and meet some professors and other students on campus.

I would have it so each major was rated and you could compare it against the average, or have the person accessing the site take a personality test to see how compatable they are with certain colleges.

You want to find a college that makes you feel comfortable and has a program that will keep you interested. It also helps to visit around to see what the college has to offer. I would advise that the student get involved in as much as possible because it helps to meet new people and get to learn more. These extra activities and the people that you meet will give you life long memories and experiences that you couldn't get anywhere else. It truly is a great experience!

Visit all of the colleges that you apply to and plan to apply to. This is very important becuase if you decide to attend one college without visiting it first, and you end up hating the area, campus, etc., then you might have to transfer to a different college and go through the process all over again. And if you visit colleges, you will get a sense of what the atmospheres are like. Plus, you might discover that dream college of yours is the one you really want to go to, or is the one you definitely do not want to apply to. As for your college experience, get involved in at least one club/activity that you are used to, and get involved at least one more that is completely different. This way you will meet different people and make friends. You might even discover you like something new. But do not get involved with too many groups or else your academic work will suffer. Also go some parties to relax and have some fun, but do not get pressured into performing acts you do not want to do. And save the parties typically for the weekends.

When finding the right school, the most important aspect is flexibility, both on the part of the school and on the part of the student. Some students go into their college experience with a clear goal, and they know exactly what they want to pursue. They push through, they work hard, and they succeed in their chosen field. From my experience, however, most students don't begin their college experience with such a clear goal. Oftentimes, students entering college either have no idea what they want to purse, or else they find out after a semester or two that they don't like the major they chose quite as much as they thought they would. For this reason I think flexibility is key. A school needs to offer several programs of study, in many different areas. This keeps the student from getting trapped in a dreaded major, with transferring out as their only option. I also mentioned flexibility on the part of the student. This too is crucial. If a student is flexible he can make friends anywhere he goes and he can make important decisions without excessive amounts of stress or worry.

Find a college that offers many extra curricular activities that apply to the intended major. These clubs and activities are what make the student go above and beyond the rest. It also creates friendships that will last forever and build up a list of cotacts for future use.