University of Tulsa Top Questions

You can get a degree anywhere. Going to college is less about the prestige of your campus, and more about the person you become while you are there. Does the learning environment suit you? Do the class sizes? Do they even have the major you're looking for? More importantly, does it seem like you could fit in with the campus citizenry? These are the kinds of questions you should really be asking yourself. Being able to get up in the morning (or afternoon), and not lament your classes of that day, or not having to regret coming to the school you chose- that is a good feeling. If you're able to find a college where that can happen, a fantastic experience is the only possible outcome.

The most important part of the college search is finding a good fit. Take the time to narrow down what qualities are important to you, both generally and as they apply specifically to colleges. Some of those qualities involve the typical questions: Do you prefer urban or rural? Would you like to be close to home or as far away as possible? What activities would you like to try? What is my price range? But, if you spend forever looking for the perfect match to all these criteria, you will never go to college. The best way to find a good fit is visit and stay overnight at a college. Experience the atmosphere first hand, because that, more than anything else,will affect the level of your college experience. Once in college, key into the reasons for choosing it, but don't hesitate to get out of the box a bit. College is the perfect place to discover who you are without the binds of high school reputations and parental overbearing. So, tune into yourself (not the peer pressure) and get involved on campus doing what fits YOU!

Finding the right college is a lot like pretending to be psychic, you do a lot staring into the crystal ball. However, the more you study your options, the more you realize what you like about certain schools and what you dislike. Often, people forget what a good education is: an investment. Whenever you make an investment you study all of the companies numbers, earnings statements, and most importantly future outlook. Looking at a college should be treated no differently, in fact it will most likely be the biggest investment of your life. You must find the right balance between price and quality, this is particularly important if you know what your course of study will be. If you find that your degree in a certain major will be more prestigous coming from X school than Y school, you might want to pay the extra price for the good school with a better program. The biggest reason that students find themselves out of college and without a degree is because they did not do their reserach. College is an interesting time, take advantage of every opportunity you see, starting with the application.

While touring campuses, ask students what they think about the school and the surrounding area.

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Well, honestly you have to go where you really think you are going to be happy, but for petes sake, do not go to a college that you know your parents cannot afford. There is no "one" school that you HAVE to go to that will make you happy because if you really want to , you can be happy anyway. You just have to make the most of your college experience. No one is going to make you have fun or go to class or join clubs. Get out there, don't complain and have a good time. As far as for the parents, do not buy into your child telling you that he/she must go to this school because of its great program or what not... if you cannot afford it, tell them like it is. I saw a friend's mom take a second morgage on their house for him to go to a really expensive college... selfish on the kid to do it, and dumb on the parents to let him. It is all about the experience....

Figure out what you're looking for, and find the school that fits that. There are so many choices between big or small, public or private, religious or not, how the academics are focused, etc., that hopefully a school will fit what you are looking for. Don't be afraid to ask questions or make as many visits as you need to. Also, think of costs for all four years before figuring out which universities will be affordable. For making the most of the college experience, don't be afraid to go out and meet people. At the same time, remember to be level-headed. Find friends who will be lifelong friends, not just the friends who are the most crazy on the weekends.