University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Top Questions

I would tell parents and/or students that the right college is the one that leaves no doubt in your mind that you will recieve a beneficial education when you attend. There are so many things to experience in college and so many different lessons that are learned. No one should waste their college experience or consider not going to college. The friends you make at colleges and the experiences you go through will last a lifetime.

The most important advice that I would give students about finding the right college and making the most of the college experience is to be absolutely comfortable in your school environment. When you are comfortable with your surroundings everything else comes a lot easier from the learning process to embracing a new social setting. Make sure that the school that you choose fits your personality not only from an academic stand point but for the other aspects that impact your life. Going to college isn't just about getting good grades. It's an overall experience that teaches you outside of the classroom as well. So, when finding the right school don't let anyone choose but you because you know yourself better than anyone.

I would make sure that there is a strong alumni base at the University. Currently I serve at the President of the most influential alumni associations on campus, and have seen firsthand the opportunities that the alumni can give to students. Also I would be certain of a structured plan for payment at the institution. As for academics, of course research should be done to best accommodate your learning style, whether large classes would be beneficial or small classes for more personal contact with professors. The college approach is multifaceted. The institution should first meet the personality criteria for the individual, then should focus on research or graduate programs. Once that is all squared off, there should be provisions made for financial assistance to ensure that the student will graduate on time and as accredited as such, to pursue a successful career.

The key to finding a school that is a good fit is actually going to the school and spending time there, possibly an overnight. It is even better when the child can do this away from their parents. In doing this you get to live on campus and see if it feels right. Many things can look good on paper but not feel right. College is alot of time and money wasted if it doesn't suit you or your needs. Also by going to visit the campus you get little insights to how everything works before hand, you get to see where people hangout, what people do, where to go for certain needs and if you're lucky enough to sit in on a class you get to see what the professors are like. If a trip can't be arranged by sure to e-mail or call to find out about things. It makes a huge difference.

My only advice is to try to look outside of your comfort zone and don't strive for schools because they are "Ivy League" or "known" because you can get a good education everywhere. It all depends on the effort you put in, not the school you go to.

My advice to parents and/or students would be to choose a college and attend undergraduate studies with an open mind. You can never be too sure what you want out of life, because it can always change. Going to a larger school with more resources and a variety of options of classes and opportunities can be good for someone who isn't quite sure what they want to do with their life. Therefore, it's not a good idea to go into school with the mentality that you are going to be pre-med and nothing else; you might take a history class and really like it and find that education is your calling. You must be willing to identify what's best for you and what you enjoy so that you'll be happy with your life in college and after.

take college tours before you attend the colleges. sit in on classes before making a decision. don't go to a school simply because it is convenient.

Visiting the college you plan to attend is always a good idea. Knowing where you would be living for the next four years is important.

Find one that just feels right when you visit and check out all it has to offer. Ask yourself a lot of questions about your daily life and what your expectations are.

I would advise that you pick a college that you can see yourself living at for the next 4 years while reamaining focused on your studies. You may not know exactly what college this may be but you should genearlly listen to your first reaction about the environment and how it struck you. I liked Pitt to begin with and liked it all the way through to graduation but I did make the mistake of going against my own personality and opted for a more social lifestyle (lived with friends, went out all the time). This was a fun path and I made many friends but I didn't have the kind of personality to separate fun from work and my grades suffered. I knew this about myself going in but I just went with the flow of the campus "vibe" wihtout regard to how I would perform best. I could have chosen a different living situation and still had fun while keeping out an excessive amount of distraction. So knowing yourself and making decisions based solely upon how you will best thrive would be my advice.