University of California-Berkeley Top Questions

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As the college application season looms closer, students may find themselves forgetting that applying is more than simply letting Admissions pick a resume from a mountain of papers ? it?s about discovering if a school is right for you. I encourage students and parents to not only visit target schools, but also find out what students are like by visiting the school in session. Sit on a bench, take in the atmosphere, and observe the people that walk past, as well as their interactions with each other. Ask yourself, would the environment provide the best opportunity for academic success? Take a tour around the campus and peek inside classes to get a taste of how it would feel being a student there. If possible, ask the guide questions, like what they enjoy the least about this school and what they enjoy the most. Finally, relax and enjoy the college experience. Once you?ve settled down in a school, take advantage of all that college has to offer. Take interesting courses, join clubs, attend campus events, and make new friends, but don?t forget to manage your time efficiently. After all, college is all about learning to balance your life.

Know your style. Are you someone who gets bored with material quickly? If so pick a school that operates on a quarter system not a semester system. Do you require a lot of individual attention? Pick a small school with access to professors, not a large institution. Take chances and make the most of your time, it goes really fast. Get involved, the worst that can happen is that the activity you choose is not for you, but if you don't try a thing you'll never know. Talk to people, don't wait for them to talk to you, your networks will become extremely valuable once you are gone. Seek diversity in the people that you talk to, you wil learn the most from those who aren't like you. Talk to your professors- go to office hours, they do want to see you.

To make the most of the college experience, it is essential that students find the perfect balance between a life of work (academic or not) and a life of enjoyment (socializing with friends, volunteering, etc.).

The college must have great academics, but it must also have a fraternity/sorority system, otherwise college social likfe will be boring.

I would encourage youth and adults to research the college, especially the programs. The program is the first priority because it must match up well with the student's personal goals and intrests. As I think there are too many people that attend schools for the prestige and because of parental pressure, I strongly encourage students to examine their heart to focus in on what excites them, what they're passionate about--even since childhood. I would then encourage them to seek the program that best connects with their heart and apply for that. There may be two or three colleges that have similar programs; in that case, there may be a first, second, or third choice, the order being determined by convenient housing, financial package, and academic and social support programs present at and near the school. In regards to making the best out of the school experience, I strongly encourage a student building a strong support system for themselves. This is done by way of being proactive with meeting/interacting with professors, staff, and students--not waiting for people to aproach, but doing the approaching, anywhere and at anytime. Talking to strangers potentially yields friends, access, and success.

Be very clear in what you want out of the experience and what that college will do to fulfill that. You're not checking boxes, its a more organic process. You probably won't know that you chose the right college until you are already there, or you may never know, you might question it even as you hold your diploma. You might find that you really like the location, parts of the academics, but the social life doesn't live up to your expectations, but you can work around those and it shouldn't ruin your college experience if EVERYTHING doesn't check out. A lot of students seem to get bogged in the details, fretting about the potential major classes or why its so hard to meet friends outside of class--well there has to be some way members of graduating class are all celebrating out together--they made friends, they finished their course work. Talk to other students, even if it might seem awkward, even if you don't know if anything will come out of it, but you have to figure out the mechanics. And use any sort of campus advisor you can find.

Talk to students and alumni of the school and find out their thoughts. Visit the campus and surrounding areas and soak up as much information as you can. Make sure you like the climate of the location. Audit a class. Find student groups that you are interested in.

You'll have to really think about your personal preferences and not exactly which school is, persay, the most prestigious. Where do you think you'll really enjoy yourself? Where do you think you'll really develop and find what you like? Where do you think you'll have a worthwhile experience and acquire the skills for success?

After three years at college, I've felt appreciative, frustrated, exasperated, and proud of my school. I've often considered what it would have been like if I had chosen a different school. At one point I thought I'd made the wrong choice after seeing how much my friend was enjoying herself at another school. I had also been accepted into that very same school and was very close to choosing that one. However, I realized that she and I are different people, and so it would have been impossible for us to have identical experiences, even if we attended the same school. I think that it is the individual that makes the difference in what kind of college experience you have. It's my impression that college is where you meet people from all different walks of life, and as a result, there are many possibilities to learn and grow. If I've ever felt dissatisfied with my college experience, I have ultimately discovered that it's not the situation that is limiting, but myself. In the end, the opportunities are always out there, but it's up to you to do what you will with them.