University of Nevada-Reno Top Questions

The first piece of advice I would give is to go visit every school you have an interest in. When I came and visited UNR, I had NO idea how beautiful the campus was- and it's one of the top reasons I ended up coming here. Also, set up appointments with professors or advisors in the field of study you wish to get a degree in. They will give you all the information and tools you'll need to know about prior to declaring your major. You should also survey the student-life. Can you see yourself chatting with people on the grass? Participating in the activities and intramural sports they offer? And lastly, find the right college that you feel you are going to get the most experience out of, and not just academically. College has so much to offer, and it makes it that much more of a life changing experience when you open your eyes to activities and ideas you had never thought about before college. These should be the best years of your life and you should undoubtedly make them count, because you don't get them back.

"College is a fountain--and the students are there to drink." Although this quote has no knowledgeable author, it can be derived that if a high school graduate is thirsty for knowledge, they need to find the right college to quench that need. In order to do so, one must research thoroughly and explore all of their options. As a Student Ambassador for UNR, I am constantly giving tours to prospective students. I don't sugar coat anything, I just blatantly tell them the truth about campus and my own personal experiences. Sometimes they are disappointed but sometimes they fall instantly in love. Finding the right university is like trying on clothes--you wouldn't pick out an outfit that didn't fit perfectly, or wasn't your style, or a good color for your skintone. Students must find the right school for them. For example, I want to be a future educator and I love dancing; so when looking for my future university, I sought out schools that offered teacher licenses and also had dance teams. I also love snowboarding so UNR was an obvious choice for me. If you're thirsty, get out there and quench your thirst!

The largest struggle seems to be getting competitive education that does not break the bank. Do no assume that only private schools boast prestige or small class sizes. Visit fastweb.com and find schools that match your (or your child's) preferances and you'll probably be surprised by the results. University of Nevada, for example has one of the most prestigious Journalism departments in the nation, and tuition here is a third of what Carnegie Mellon will charge, and one fifth of what New York University will charge. Always, always visit campus before you make the big decision. It is well worth the time and money to check out the college or university for yourself. Keep in mind websites show the best parts of the school and romanticize the experience. You can't base whether you would like to attend a particular college if all you have to go on is their marketing tools. Once on campus, jump right into some clubs. The people you meet outside of class is essentially your social life, which no matter how independent you are, you're going to need to remain sane.

I think it is important for students to find a college that offers the programs they are interested in studying (obviously), and one they can afford to attend. However I think the single most important thing to do in choosing a college is to visit several and see, in person, what the campuses are really like. Visiting a university is the only way to get a feel for its campus life. Is it the right size, in both number of students and campus acreage? Does it have a competitive, success-driven attitude or a more laid-back and fun-loving feel? Are the size and layout of the buildings agreeable? Does it offer the right kinds of jobs and/or extracurricular activities? Is it a campus that has a cohesive community? I visited five colleges my junior year of high school, but only one clicked and felt like it was the right place for me; four years later I know I made the right choice. Only the prospective student will know what they want out of college, and visiting the campus is the only way to find out which college they'll be able to thrive at.

The "right" college is not as important as what you plan to do there. Allow me to qualify this: Most major colleges are going to provide a good, solid academic emphasis with lots of extra curricular and outside activities to get involved with. It is more important that you take advantage of all of the opportunities available at whichever college you attend. My advice for college is the same as my advice for life - go at it full force, 100 percent. Get your work done, get involved, have fun, and meet new people. There is so much to do - just make sure you do it! You'll never look back and regret all of the fun things you did...what you will regret are all of the things you did not do. Generally speaking, that's the best advice I can give you for making the most of your college experience. More specifically, to make sure you can do everything you want to do, follow that old adage - "If you do the things you need to do when you need to do them, you can do the things you want to do when you want to do them."

Look around at different colleges before you pick one! Explore the campus, classes, faculty, and extracurricular activities that the school offers. Find out what there is around the campus to do in your free-time. Pick a college that suits your personality and you are comfortable at. Don't worry about whether or not your friends will be going to the same school, you will make a ton of new friends at college. Base your decision on your own preferences and tastes. After all, it's your school and you will be living there for the next four years!

Major in a science program. Almost all liberal arts degrees will not get you a good job after college. If you don't know that you are ready for college or you are not sure what you want to major in, go to a community college and find out. It is way to easy to get distracted with other things if you dont have wel difined goals and reasons for going to college. If you are doing engineering, get an A in all your math classes.

Find a college that suits the needs of your student, as well as being financially plausible for your family situation. Find a campus that offers many of the things your student is looking for and try visiting it on more than one occassion before actually committing to the college or university.

You should make sure the college has all the classes you need to take for your choice of study. You should check to see what programs or clubs are offered. Make sure the campus is willing to help you succeed in your adventure through college. Look for some place that has diversity a place where you can meet all kinds of new people and are able to get the help you need.

Research the programs that the scholl has then look at the schools themselves then apply to them all and accept the scholl that fits you best from the acceptance letters you get back.