University of Pennsylvania Top Questions

Honestly, it is a very personal decision making process. Each individual needs to find the right place for them, and that will most likely be based on different criteria for each person. If possible, I would recommend visiting the schools and asking the students and faculty questions. If it is not possible to visit the schools, investigate to see if there is means to email students to ask them questions, so you can truly get a feel of campus life. Before looking at schools, it is definitely important to decide what things are important to you, as they are different for everyone.

The most important part is making sure that you are comfortable with the environment. Make sure that there is all the support systems you need (ie specialized medical attention, dietary restrictions, etc). The rest can be filled in..

Think about what you want environmentally, think about what interests might be explored and where exploration would be take place or be facilitated.

Visiting the universities that you apply to is very important. While you are there, talk to impartial students who are not paid by the university to recruit students. Also, once at school, do not fall behind in your work...it is impossible to catch up.

Education in general, and obviously a college degree, is most notably a means of achieving qualification for whatever career we choose. I believe it's therefore important to seek the colleges that specialize in your interests, and have the faculty most talented and knowledgeable in your field. However, coming into my junior year at Wharton Business School, I've noticed that my curriculum was very meticulously planned out (by me) to be completely career-focused. After completing internships and interviewing for many others, I've realized that though it's absolutely essential to have a firm foundation in whatever knowledge base your field requires, the people that succeed the most are those that have a broad understanding of the world as well. If I could give one advice to students on making the most of their college experience, I would ask them to pursue all their passions- and not to limit themselves to the one that is most relevant to their career choice. In this way, learning and therefore the academia aspect of college is more rewarding, both personally and generally.

Be honest about where you fit in. Don't go somewhere because it's "prestigious;" go somewhere that you honestly believe that you'll have a great time.

The best thing to keep in mind is finding a good fit. Personally the prestige of the school also factored into my decision because I wanted to gain the best education possible. However I also picked my school because I could see myself being comfortable in the environment I saw it provided. The major factors to consider are social life, academics, school size, location, and how compatible you are with the student body. In my opinion finding a school with the right balance of social life and academics is crucial. You need both of these aspects to have a fulfilling college experience. School location, size and how much you identify with the student body are very personal factors. i would suggest visiting colleges you are considering and interacting with current students in order to form an opinion on these traits. You should devote a good deal of time in investigating colleges the investment of both time and money requires it. Ultimately your decision should come down to happy you think you would be at a given school.

Rather than spend so much time focusing on what college is the best "fit" for you, whatever that truly means, sit down and decide exactly what you want to get out of college. Most people spend a lot of time thinking about what school has the right size, look or location. The real place to start is with what you want in college. Are you looking for the television version of college? Do you want that intellectual community feeling? Do you want to spend your years in a cultural hub? Once you know what you want from a school, then you can start worrying about the finer details of size and location. In the end, the thing that will define your college experience will not be whether the buildings have ivy growing on them, it will be the other students and the "vibe" of campus. Those are are the things that matter and you will never discover them unless you get off the beaten path: go walk around the library and see how busy it is or go sit in on a class that is not in the school's "best" department. Then you will be prepared for your decision.

Choose a school with the best career prospects, but also one where there is an environment for learning. Don't forget to have fun, but make sure to put school work first.

I think one of the most important things to think about when picking the right college is listening to your gut. Different people will try and sway you towards one university or another, and the truth of the matter is that the differences are usually so minute that they most likely will not affect you in a major way. If you visit a campus and something about it really screams out to you or makes you feel uneasy, do not ignore that feeling. Personally, I was pushed to attend my university, between my mother, financial aid, teachers, you name it. I knew I didn't have a strong feeling towards it and it ended up where I was extremely unhappy in all aspects. Do not let anyone else decide where the best place is for you - only you know where you will be happiest.