Breanne
Be sure to take tours of several colleges. The college may look perfect on paper but the campus scene might be all wrong. Try to make the search for the right school fun instead of stressful.
Alyssa
Know what you want in a college. If you want sports, clubs, small class sizes at a school, then pick schools that have those options. As far as making the most out of your college experience, join anything and everything! Try new things, meet new people. This is a great time in your life to do things you've never done before. I didn't do that my first two years of college and I wish I did, because I wasted precious time. Luckily I still have two more years left that I can fill with new friends and exciting adventures. Be willing to go out of your comfort zone. Usually the most fun and benefical things in life are found there.
Caitlin
My best advice is to find a college in an area you will be happy in. If you like small city feelings, don't go to a big state school. Also be sure to visit the college you are looking for. Sit in a class to observe the students and professors, ask questions of current students, talk to any and every outlet possible. Know what kind of outside activites will be offered because getting involved will only enrich your college experience. Don't go to a school based off of price, or any kind of pressures, instead find a school that fits your personality and your requirements because in the end you are the person paying to attend the school so it's only logical that you are happy with your product.
Jessica
Visit colleges! Also, parents; you can guide your kids but remember that it's there life and they want to be happy too. Let them do what makes them happiest. If they don't they will regret it. Kids: listen to your parents they only want what's best for you. If they are concerned about your major choice sit down and take a good hard look at it and decide if it's really what you want to do with your life.
Clayton
Visit each college you are thinking about. Do an overnight stay and attend a class. This is the closest and best way to get a feeling for what the school is like. To get the most out of college just be active. Participate in everything you can. Join clubs, sports teams... make the most out of it.
Angela
go to the campus and visit, talk with current students, teachers and alumni
Hannah
The advice I would give a student about finding the right college for them is to make a list of all the things that are important to them. Things on this list could include something they are interested in studying, a sport, traveling abroad, and friendships. I would then do research on the Internet to find schools that have and give priority to the certain things on this list. Finding no more than 20 schools to start choosing from. I would then go on, as many school tours of the 20 that they picked as being on these campuses will help with the decision. I would then apply to the schools they have narrowed down to (no more than 10). Once at college live by the rule: have no regrets and try everything the school provides. This will help you grow as a person, and have the best college experience!To the parents of these students I would advise them to try and stay out of the deciding process unless asked for help. College is about growing up and being able to make your own decisions. As well as, no matter what support your child in the decisions they make.
Samantha
The best advice I have to give to parents and students who are deciding which college to attend is to let the student make the decision for her/himself. Choosing a college is the first true adult decision a student has to make, and it sets the tone for the start of many students? hunt to figure out who they are going to be in this big world. Ultimately this decision decides where the student will live for the next four years, and the types of people they can meet along the way, both of which are going to mold, bump, and grind out a person that will be uniquely them. People always say to ?choose the college that?s right for you,? however, I feel this saying should be changed to ?choose the college that is you.? Choose the school that you cannot get enough of, that when you visit you can tell you never want to leave, with an environment that brings out your best. In one year at college I learned more about who I was than I had in my previous eighteen years of life, and I thank that to the college I choose.
Cassie
At the end of the day, I think you should choose the school that let's you be who you are. In this day and age, an undergraduate degree will not define your future, you often must continue on to higher educational institutes or it's what you can make of your undergraduate degree in the real world, so I believe you should go somewhere that allows you to get the most you can get out of an undergraduate education. That means, you need to be yourself and enjoy what you are doing. If those two things are not in place, how can you expect to enjoy passing your time at the institution for a potential four years, as well as expect to be passionate about your future career? Sounds like an unnecessary and difficult battle to me that can easily be adverted by choosing what feels right to you, and what will ultimately let you flourish to your full potential.
Megan
I would tell High School students and their parents to not fret when deciding between their college choices to find the PERFECT college fit. Almost every college offers an amazing variety of opportunities on their campus. No matter where you go I know that every student can be happy and feel at home, it is what YOU make of it. If you spend time in your dorm chatting with old friends you're not making a great effort in finding/becoming apart of your new college community. Sign up for clubs, take chances, emerse yourself in your studies with classmates, try new things. Because what you put into your college experience is what you will receive from it. If they do this they will make the most of the college experience and after (hopefully) four years will leave with friends who have become their family, an education, and a community for a lifetime.
Kelly
When I was searching for the right college, I was unsure of what I was looking for in a school. I visited and applied to state schools, private schools, large schools, and small schools. I would encourage those who are searching for the right school to keep and open mind in order not to limit potential options. Do not be afraid to take a chance- it might be the best decision you will ever make. While leaving home and your comfort zones may be scary, some of the best experiences come from taking chances and trying new things. For those who are worried about cost, apply to the expensive schools anyway. Financial aid is available both through the school and through programs like this one. While some schools may end up costing too much, the opportunity will not present itself unless you give it the chance to. The most important process in finding the right school is giving yourself multiple options through visiting and applying and having an open mind about what the future may hold.
Jillian
The best advise I can give is to visit the campus, and make sure you like it, get to know the city its in, and talk to the faculty and students in the program that you are interested in. They really do know better than anyone what sort of experience college for you might be like.
Valerie
I would say that it is very important to find a school that you truly like for your own personal reasons. Do not follow your friends or significant other to a school, and never let your parents make the decision for you. Do a lot of research on all the school you are interested in, such as looking up clubs, fraternities and sororities. Make sure that if you want to major in a certain subject that they offer it. Once you get to college, be responsible. Going out and meeting new people is very important, so if your shy try hard to break out of the shell a bit. Try hard at school and do not skip classes for no reason. You are paying to go here so make the best of it!
stephanie
Find out what you want to do later on in life and declare your major soon so you don't waste a lot of time and money in school eventually you do want to get out of school and into the real world.
Alison
Get a good college councelor.
Katrina
In order to find the right college, it is crucial that campus visits be made. Colleges and Universities can make themselves sound as good as they want online or in a pamphlet, but a college is only as good as they really are. One can only know how well they like a place if they are actually there. it is also important that visiting a college campus can give an opinion of actual life on campus. Reading about a college online cannot accurately show or describe the many students and how they interact with one another. To make the most of a college experience, one has to feel comfortable. getting to know the campus, faculty, students, as well as the surrounding areas makes an experience that much more comfortable. Getting to know what you are going to be in for will make a campus arrival an easier adjustment. Every person is different. In most cases, just stepping into the right campus will feel right. Never choose what the parent feels is best or where your best friend is going. Never ignore what the heart desires. The decision lies within the perspective student.
Huy
College should be something that every student looks forward to after graduating from High School. College is where one makes lifetime friends and edge themselves closer to their career and life goals while having fun. You want to select a college that is right for yourself. This means looking at the financial aspects to make sure you don't have to worry every year about paying for tuition. You want to clear your mind of any stressful financial dilemas and concentrate on your education. On that note, one cannot just pick a college if the only aspect you enjoy about the college is education. You are choosing to live there and assimillate into the community, so you want to select a campus that accomodates you and not the other way around. Therefore, you have to make sure it's the right sized campus and if the atmosphere of the college makes you happy. When I applied to the college I am currently attending, I knew it was the perfect college for me. I made sure that the college was affordabe, the education exquisite and pervocative, and that the feel of the community and the location met my needs.
Erin
College is what you make of it. Any college that you pick you have to make the most of it. Be out going and willing to be open to new ideas. It is the time you learn the most about yourself. Good luck and have fun! =)
l
Make sure that whatever the prospective student wants to study for the time frame committement, is genuine. Be committed, work hard with integrity b/c this education is something that the student gives to themself and that it can not be taken away, ever, by anyone!!! and last but not least GIVE BACK TO COMMUNITY.. b/c remember, you did not get here alone..you got help...
Elizabeth
Encourage your students to work on campus, live at home, and take full advatage of scholarship opertunites.