University of Vermont Top Questions

Help them find a school with lots of different programs in things they are interested in. I thought I wanted to be a lawyer when I started at UVM and I thought I wanted to leave UVM. Now I'm the SGA President here and doing very well academically.

go with your gut

The most important advice I have for parents is to trust your son/daughter's judgement when it comes to choosing a school. You may think you know what's best for them and where they would fit in and be able to succeed, but this is the first of many big steps that they are going to have to make on their own. Many people who attend the school their parents want them to attend will always wonder how their life would have been different if they had gone where they had wanted to go. And to students: the process of choosing a college can certainly seem overwhelming, but you can do it! You know yourself better than anyone else, and sometimes you just have to visit a campus and get a feel for the atmosphere, and you'll just know if that's the place for you. Go with your gut feeling, and reach for the stars! And once you end up at your dream school, don't lose sight of your goals; work hard, make friends, get involved, and enjoy what will surely turn out to be the best years of your life!

Remember that college is so much more than learning. Finding the right college is not so much matter of name and Ivy league status, but finding a community where you will grow as a person. You want to find a college that might challenge your interests, or a college that will complement them. Look for a place that makes you feel comfortable and safe. If you find yourself scanning the US Review of Colleges for their admission statistics, take a step back and look at their clubs and sports. Remember that an abscure college in Vermont can have the same level of excellence and interest as Harvard or Yale. When you enter college, remember that there are so many people in the world. You don't have to change yourself to fit in: if you look hard enough, you'll find people who will be interested in who you are. And parents: though you might never hear it from your son or daughter...we need you. College is new, college is strange. Your support and love means more to us now than you will ever know.

start a lot sooner than you think.. find a place that is relaxing for the student where they feel safe because school is a very anxiety and depressing based place.

What worries you the most? Money, social life, your environment??? Know that and find a school based on that information about yourself.

Definitely visit the schools you apply to. Don't go to college with your girlfriend or boyfriend. Ask real students what their experiences have been.

Don't stress too much or have your heart broken if you don't get into one school... you don't really know what you want until you get there! I want to tell highschoolers who are freaking out over not getting into a school to calm down, it's not the end of the world! It may even be for the best.... I wanted to go to a small liberal arts school.... I ended up at a semi-large state school. This was definitely not my first choice but I am so happy here, I can't imagine myself anywhere else.

There is no perfect college. What you need is a school with students of the same mental caliber, activities on weekends that keep you occupied and satisfied, close enough and cheap enough to justify incremental costs for travel/ school etc. If the school is far but inexpensive, you'll stay. If the school is close but more expensive, the incremental costs are minimized and you'll stay. If neither is true, the costs of money and time will weigh heavily. Based on personal experience of transferring schools.

I think that you should chose a college that is going to suit all of your needs for both parents and students. You need to make sure that your college that you are choosing has all the facilities that you would desire. You should definitely take advantage of all of the activities during orientation and your first few days at college because they offer a fun and easy way to meet other students and gives you a chance to get to know your school and what you should be expecting from your school.

I would go together and visit every single one. It's okay if your child wants to be close to home, I am and I feel like I'm 100 miles away. Leave the choice up to your student they are the ones who are going to have the experience!

when deciding what schools to apply to, make sure you visit each choice, and try to get a sense of what your life would be like if you attended that school. college is one of the greatest, most opportunity-filled times of life, and in order to make the most of it, you must be willing to try new things and be open to new situations and experiences. college is not just about the academics, but its about you and your development as an individual, so make the most of it by taking chances and learning what life is all about.

As far as choosing a college, that is a difficult matter to fully understand when in the throes of the application process. I can only offer my own experiance as guidence:. I did not ever feel a real desire to enroll at UVM, or any one school for that matter. I ended up applying to 15 different schools and was actually somewhat fickle about my final decision. Though I might have done better to become matriculated eslwhere, I stand by my past rationale: when uncertain about where you want to go exactly, it makes sense to over-apply, paying the extra 50 dollars here and there, so that you keep your options open. Better to have open doors than burned bridges I always say. Making the most of the college experience? Well that is very much a personal matter. I can speak most definitiely in regards to academics. If you know your major going into school, do that. If not use the first two years to sample various classes in different fields and also fufill your general requirements if you have them.

Choosing the right college is one of the toughest decisions of your life. The College you choose will be your home for four plus years. You are not only making the decision of what you want to study or the area you want to live in. You are deciding on who will be your new family. This decisions, therefore, should not be taken lightly. It is up to you, the student, to make that choice. Nothing else should matter but your happiness. If you are unhappywith your choice, transfer. Financial aid may seem daunting and the distance might seem far, but this is the time to take these risks, to delve into that adulthood once and for all. The College experience is an education in itself. You learn so much more from the experience than you will in the classroom. Making the most of that experience should be your main priority. Take the classes that interest YOU. Get involved. Try new things. Embrace your individuality. Even Study Abroad.There is no other time in your life that it will be more exceptable to take risks than in college. If you don't then you are wasting your time and money.

Advice that I would give to parents or students about finding the right college and making the most out of their experience is to just pick that college that feels right for you, pick the college that you can see yourself at for the next four years. To make the most out of your experience you should do as many things as possible, meet as many people and take advantage of eveything that is offered to you and really value your time at school because it goes by so fast.

There is plenty of advice that I would give to parents and students about finding the right college and making the most of the college experience. There is one piece of advice that I feel is the most important. That is the suggestion that the student must remain true to their self. When selecting a college or university, it is extremely important to take a tour of the campus, or at least a digital tour if traval prevents the student from visiting the campus. Feeling an inate sense of belonging is key to living and working as a student in any location. Accademic statistics and catelogues are also important, but I do not believe that a student can succeed in a place where they do not feel at home. Comfort in the university or college will feul the possitive energy and drive that any student needs to do well in their accademic life and social life on campus. Chosing an institution that 'feels right' was the best descision that I have made so far. Being around people who share my values and accdemic goals help me to succeed, and will do so for any student who chooses the 'right fit'.

Any college is as good as you make of it. You can get a great education anywhere. Pick a college where you feel comfortable in the set environment . And most importlantly make sure the college offers fun activties and clubs to get you through the week so your not just doing homework!

Parents: Trust your kids and support them in their passions. students: Be yourself, work hard, socialize, make good decisions, love life.

be open minded and optimistic, be very organized in the application process, its way more difficult than it needs to be, but you can do it.

I would recommend to choose a college not based on name or reputation, but whether or not it fits you and your individual personality. Does it have the right aesthetic? Do you like the programs it offers? Do its values match your own? Making the most of a college experience isn't about doing as many extracurriculars as you can or making a ton of friends; it's about finding people that you connect with on deep levels; it's about loving your academic subjects and loving the process of learning; it's about being inspired by your professors; it's about finding your passion; it's about becoming a wiser, more responsible, and more conscious individual, both in terms of yourself and the wider world. Making the most of your college experience means pursuing whatever interests you and inspires you, and only you. There is no "criteria" that one must follow; you and your aspirations are what will make the most of your college experience.