University of Colorado Boulder Top Questions

Make sure that you visit all the colleges that interest you before making a decision. It would be a good idea to spend a weekend there, getting to know people, sitting in the classrooms. It is important to know exactly what you want and researching everything about the school and getting s feel of the enviroment is the best way to do that.

The most important part about choosing the right school is starting out with no limitations. If your parents want you to be a lawyer but you have your heart set on being a broadway performer, make sure the places you choose have an opportunity for both. There is no way you will be able to enjoy what could quite possibly be the best four years of your life if you are there for the following reasons. Once you are there, be sure to take advantage of all the lies before you. Hundreds of professionals and guest lectures visit campuses all around the country for free and quite often students miss out because they do not seek out these events. Seldom do opporunities like this occur after college life and it is shame to waste them. I would say try and find one event every week outside of your major field of study and attend. You will find that you have a more well rounded and more enjoyable college experience. Best of luck!

Location, location. Go some where that makes you feel good. Places where you have interests.

Look at everything a school has to offer. Are you interested in sports, music, strictly academics? Sometimes even if you are only interested in going to school for academics, a school that has a lot of extracurricular activites can be great. Also, look for the overall feel of the campus, is the campus inviting, does it "feel like college." Some students do not do well with big schools and large lecture style classes, while others excel. At CU-Boulder, there was a variety of classes and class sizes, I found that I could get lost and be introverted when I wanted to, but I campus always felt a bit smaller because I always saw someone I knew walking to and from classes. Look for positive dorm life, and live in the dorms your first year!!! This is when everyone is just as scared as you are and you bond in a way that will last for a life-time. High school friendships fade, but it is the friendship you make while at college that will last forever. Get involved in your classes, take them seriously but enjoy them too! Take a "hobby class" and mix up your schedule. Good luck!

Take a week off school and visit the schools you're seriously considering during the week while classes are in session--not a weekend, not a break, not summer. If you don't get into or can't go to your first choice school, don't get a chip on your shoulder about it. College is so much more about what you put into it than where you are.

Look at what you want to do with your life and select a school initially based on which schools have good programs for your major or area of interest. Visit those schools and walk around the campus and if possible look around the classrooms. If you like the feel of the campus, it has a good program for your major and is in your price range go for it!

Don't let your friends determine where you go, do what you think is best for you; you won't regret it.

Focus on your academics. Whatever you're interested in studying, students there will share your enthusiasm, so it's easy to find and make friends. Some people I know are so worried about their social life that they are missing the big picture of what college has to offer; the education. It's what tuition is for, so get the most you can out of it. This is the step in life that really matters, that will send you soaring into your future if you play your cards right. I only emphasize that you take time to choose your school based on what you want to learn, not who you want to hang out with. Once you start attending, look around to join clubs you might be interested in. These places are the hot spots for making lifelong friends and networking that will help you out years from now. Participation always looks good on resumes too! Depending on the club, they have nearly free trips around the country or even the world. Hard to go wrong mixing school and fun at the same time. But above all, appreciate where you are, most don't have the opportunity to get here.

I would encourage all parents and students to consider their personal expectations and desires for college while choosing their school. I believe that visiting several different types of schools will allow you to imagine yourself in each individual setting. You will quickly develop preferences as far as location, size, religious affiliation, etc. and once you find the right school you will be able to picture youself as a student there and know it's for you. You will need to take into account your major, hobbies, personal comfort level, location, and climate, among many other factors when choosing where you will spend four of the most influential and critical years of your upper-level education. In order to make the most of the college experience I would suggest becoming involved on campus. Whether that means becoming an activitst, joining a student group or organization, getting a job, or conducting research, etc. Many people find their niche on campus through becoming active and involved. Through joining these campus groups you will likely be surrounded by other students who share your same interests and beliefs allowing you to form key relationships and connections and increase your personal networks and future opportunites.

The student needs to select the school, not the parent. Your initial major course direction needs the students sole input. Don't be discouraged if you have learning disabilities as there are numerous excellent colleges and universities that will happily accommodate your needs in both testing and study areas.