SUNY College at Geneseo Top Questions

The most important thing you can do when trying to find the right college is to visit the campuses. Once you have narrowed down your choices take overnight visits. This lets you experience what the classes and professors are like as well as the students.

I would definitely recommend to potential students to visit the campus that you are appying to. Once you step onto the campus, you can decide if it is a place you could see yourself living at for 4 years or not. Also, get in touch with current students to see how they feel about the school and what they recommend. I talked to my high school counselor and they recommended this college to me for it's Education department. That is one of the main reasons that I decided to come here. And once you select a college and decide to attend, join up with clubs and find out what the campus offers. That way you can meet different students and do something besides academics all the time. Get to know your professors and don't be afraid to talk to them if there are problems or you are confused about something in the class.

It is important to visit several different types of college campuses and take a tour to get all the information they can provide. Compare views on what fits you best. Do you want a large campus, small or medium? Do you want it to be in a city type area or more rural? Whats around the campus and whats the town like? What sports, degrees or clubs are offered? Are classes large or small and is the faculty nice and helpful? These are important points of interest that each prospective student should take into account. To make the best of your college experience, come with an open mind. Talk to as many people as you can and join activities that you enjoy so you can meet people with similar interests. Keep your door open and be friendly to everyone. Take advantage of clubs, or activities offered and get out and do something you enjoy!

I would tell students to take their time in selecting their school and not to worry about where all their friends are going. You will make friends no matter where you end up. Also, you don't need fancy dorm rooms if it means sacrificing the quality of your education. Don't be afraid of a community college. They can be a great way to save money especially if you are not quite ready to move away from home. Parents be patient with your child as they look at schools. They will probably change their mind a hundred times before the end of senior. If they want to look at a private school keep in mind that they often offer better financial aid than a state school. Make sure before you visit a school that your child has looked at every page of their website, there is a lot of information to be found that could eliminate some schools. To make the most of your college experience just try everything at least once and hang out with as many different groups of people as possible, you are probably going to meet some of the best friends you will ever have.

Finding the right college is a tough decision. There are so many factors to consider: size, location, choice of major, extracurriculars, cost, student culture, faculty culture, and more. College is more than studying and getting good grades, more than frat parties and drinking, more than Saturday football games and Friday night hockey games, more than intramurals and community service, and more than group projects and study guides. College is about figuring out who you are, trying new things, challenging your perspectives, finding your voice, becoming who you are (and liking it), expanding your mind, engaging in the learning process, exploring your career goals, making connections, questioning yourself and others, and taking charge of your life. It's an experience of a lifetime and should be one that prepares you for a lifelong learning and engagement in your studies, your career, your community, and our society. It's up to each one of us to make the most of our experiences, so I would offer this advice: take advantage of both classroom and extracurricular activities, engage yourself in your learning, and be purposeful about what you do. Do this and you will be able to optimize your college experience.

Go on as many visits as possible to get a feel for all the different schools.

Parents need to really take their children's personalities into serious consideration. If the student is outgoing and someone who is social butterfly, that student will flourish within a highly populated University as opposed to a student who enjoys quiet spaces and relaxed environments will grow within a small college with only five thousands students. Academic purposes are extremely important, however, college is just more than grades. It is about discovering your own individuality, strengths, and weaknesses as a person, student, and as an adult. You learn about responsibilities, leadership, and how to obtain the necessary survival tools to fend for yourself in the pre-real-world stages. College is where students learn about themselves as well as others. This is where ignorance diminishes and where knowledge is endlessly gained. Memories from college is a lifetime gift to yourself. Like a snake shedding its old skin, students entering college will leave their childhood skins behind to embark on a new journey focused, motivated, and determined to accept the tools college has to offer.

Be true to yourself. A college choice should be made with the best intentions keeping in mind who you are as a student, and also who you want to be years down the road. If you can coincide your goals with your identity, then you can find a school to meet your needs. There is much more to consider besides the best program for your field of study, because that can change, and even if it does not, your social life and organizational involvement will define who you are for yourself and to prospective employers and graduate schools. Find a school that allows for sufficient personal growth and the right type of community setting for what you need in regards to independence or nurturing. Find what works best for you, and then get involved. Study abroad at least once. Volunteer in the community. Use all the resources and facilities your college has to offer. Rush with the greeks. Try a non-alcoholic on campus activity. You might think you fit in with some group but if they do not accept you, you will find your own nitch if you made the right college choice.

In the process of deciding whether or not you would enjoy attending a school, there is no more telling a sign than to enroll in the school's Overnight Experience program. In an Overnight Experience program, you are paired with a student (usually a sophomore or a junior) who is currently enrolled in the discipline you're looking into. You follow that student around for a day and spend the night in their dorm. Doing so allows you to get a feel for what actual classes at that school will be like, as well as what the on-campus housing is like. Experiencing a college firsthand is more telling than any pamphlet or website could ever be. Once you have found a school you think you will fit in, you need not worry about the College Experience. Socially speaking, if you put yourself out there, you will inevitably find a group of friends at any school you choose to go to without trouble. From this group of friends, there will be people that help you to define who you are as a person, and will remember them for the rest of your life. Don't panic. You'll be fine.

It's undergrad. It doesn't really matter what your GPA is so long as it gets you into a well-known, well-respected grad school.