Syracuse University Top Questions

Money shouldn't be the only the criteria to send off a student to a college they do not want to go to. Just because one school is offering more financial aid than the other doesn't mean it's the best choice for the student to attend. What the student wants to study is the most important because that choice will stay with them for the remainder of their lives. Majoring a subject that the student doesn't want at a school they don't wish to attend will start the blaming game later on when he/she is either jobless or unhappy. Both the student and parents should carefully analyze what the student want and which school would match with the student's interests. Even if the school is expensive, the student can pay them off when they graduate with a degree they wanted and as a result, get a job they enjoy.

The best advice I can give is to not believe everything you hear on the campus tour. What really goes on at a university happens in places that the tours definitely do not tell you about. When you visit a campus, you have to try to dig deeper. Find a random person on campus and ask them about what they do in their free time. If you feel comfortable enough with them ask them if your son/daughter can hang out with them for the night. Seriously, this might sounds crazy but that is the only way you can be sure that you are going to the right place. It is incredibly important to know things like how big Greek life is on campus, because this can seriously impact your entire college experience. It is also just important to know if you click with the people here. Although there are always a lot of differernt types of people on college campuses, you can try to get a feel for the people by interacting with as many students as possible.

After graduating and looking back on the amazing experience that I had at college my best advice is to find the college that feels the most like home to you and everything else will just fall into place. I feel that it is important to look at many colleges and consider all the positives/ negatives, prices, etc. but to in the end find the college that you feel at home at. I searched for colleges based on programs and cost and extra-curricular activities and ultimately the school that was best for me had all of the things I was looking for and the community and culture that I was looking for. So that is my best advice- don't just settle for a school because it has ONE thing you want, find the school that has EVERYTHING you want and you will never regret it!!!

If the person that I am today could meet the person that I used to be in high school, I would tell her not to be so afraid. College is a place where you can figure out what you like as well as what you don't like, but you will never find which is which is you don't give it a try. I would tell me to apply to that school I didn't think I could get in; that internship I though I wasn't qualified for; I would join that club that thought I wouldn't't fit in; i would have spoken to the students that I thought wouldn't like me because, in the end, you really only regret the opportunities you let pass you by.

The advice I would give to parents and students are to ask lots of questions about how your financial aid will (not 'may' because it WILL) change over the course of your matriculation at the college/university of your choice. I would also encourage parents and students to explore what the debates or contentions at their prospective school are based on the student publications at that institution. School tours, as I'm sure everyone understands when they take them, are PR pretty, so if you want the whole picture, either ask the students, or collect those items that disclose our deepest sentiments about our soon-to-be alma mater. That may help the most in terms of making an educated decision about whether a school is really meant for YOU. SATs are wonderful (or horrible), but they don't predict student satisfaction once they're getting the degree.

As I said in my sentence description of SU, it is the perfect medium-sized school for a student who wants to enjoy endless activities, experience challenging and thought-provoking academics and a traditional college campus. When I applied to SU, it was in my top five, but I wasn't sure if going all the way to New York from California was the best idea - not to mention as the only child. My spring visit to SU was what sold me. Everyone was and still is really nice and helpful. The faculty were understanding of my mother's and my fear of being so far from home. I really felt like I wasn't just a number, like students sometimes are at larger schools. SU really went the extra mile to make me feel at home and it was easy to make friends and get involved on campus. I've grown a lot as a person here and I'm going to miss it all. To this day, I have never regretted my decision. GO ORANGE!

Parents: Let your kids make their own mistakes, the lessons they learn are more meaningful that way Students: Make friends, don't be afraid to be different and study more than you drink.

In choosing a college I would take into account a number of variables. First of all it is important to have a school that fits your academic interests. If you are unsure what your academic goals are choose a school with a variety of opportunities so that you can develop goals while you are attending college. The second variable to consider is location and enviornment. Enviornment is extremely important especially if the student is going to college away from home. A student should be comftorable where they go to school so take into account if you want to be in a big city, or have a school in a rural area where campus life is mainly revolved around the campus or maybe something in between. Lastly remember that college is what you make of it. Public school or private school wonderful opportunities are available while getting an education and no matter where you decide to go you will only gain from the experience as much as you put into it! Getting a college level education is one of the most exciting and important experiences in life so work hard and enjoy the process, instead of just working towards graduation.

Experience the school for yourself. Try to erase all misconceptions and stereotypes before visiting a school so that you can go in with an open mind. Try to see why people love the school and why people hate the school. Make sure it?s the best school for you not your parents or your best friends or whatever because when it comes down to it you?re in this for yourself. Don?t settle but be realistic. College is expensive and time consuming and by looking at only the rankings or stigmas that surround the school you could be making a big mistake. Make sure that the school is a good fit for you and that you are a good fit for the school. Don?t be afraid to ask questions! Make sure college is what you want to do because it is a big commitment, and finally have fun this is truly the best time of your life- if you want it to be. Good Luck!

If I were to look back at the process of selecting a school for undergraduate study, I would emphasize the word PREPARATION. I think a dual-effort between parents and prospective students is needed to fully understand each campus' attributes, characteristics, and highlights / lowlights. In my search, I fell in love with one university from the start, and thankfully it worked out in my favor. I have seen many students fall in love with a campus, and not logistically be able to make it work. Do not put yourself in personal, financial, or academic turmoil just because you think a campus is "pretty" or "perfect for me". Do your research. If you want to be a scientist, find the best fit for your academics and financial capabilities. The college EXPERIENCE will arise with any institution you choose. You will meet friends for life REGARDLESS of whether you are paying 40,000 or 4,000 per semester. Good luck, stay positive, and invest time and energy into your search for the right college....it will pay dividends in many ways.