University of Virginia-Main Campus Top Questions

I would tell parents to let their kids decide which college is best for them. One of the best things my parents ever did for me was be extremely hands off in my college decision. Of course they drove me to campus visits and toured schools with me, and of course I talked to them about what colleges I was considering, but their voices and opinions never overpowered mine. I appreciated this immensely. Because they weren't constantly hovering over my shoulder and steering my decisions, I think colleges got a great idea of who I am in my applications. Speaking of applications, the best advice I can give to a student looking at colleges is to work hard on the applications! Yes, GPA and extra-curriculars matter, but this application packet is what the admissions office can actually SEE. They can hold it in their hands and read about who you are, so it's important to make your essays special. You can never start writing and revising too early, and be sure to be innovative, humorous, and thought provoking. The paragraph you are currently reading, for instance, would be far too generic for a college essay. Good luck!

Take time to search, go visit, and talk to students who are like you. Don't just talk to tour guide (who are biased), but talk to real students. Sit in on a class if you can. Know what you are getting into before you go.

Finding the right place for you can be difficult. I feel like the best way to know is just a feeling you get when you are on campus for the first time visiting. If you are getting excited about school and thinking of all the different activities you can see yourself doing at that place, then you've found the right college for you. School must make you excited to be there and anxious to move into dorms and meet people.

Consider what is most important to YOU, and then pray that God will show you where you belong. Sometimes the best place for you to attend is not what you would expect.

To find the right college, you need to look at the entire picture. The quality of the professors, diversity of classes & majors, size of the classes, and how well you like the campus are areas where everyone focuses, and rightly so. They are important, but don't forget so many other things that will be important as you go through your college years. Size of the athletic program, the careers office, internship opportunities, how scheduling works, study abroad opportunities, job placement after you graduate, proximity of on- and off-grounds housing, prevalence of fraternities/sororities, school spirit, there are hundreds of things that could be vital or meaningless to different individuals. Visit the campus, stop students walking to class and ask "what do you love about your school? what could they be doing better?". To make the most of your college experience, just get out there and do things. Volunteer, play sports, join clubs, there are thousands of things to do, and you will probably enjoy all of them to some degree. The people that seem to have the most fun are the people that involved in so many things that sleep is a luxury.

Find a place you enjoy for all aspects of the school. Academics should be the main priority, yet social life, athletics, and other variables should play a large role in where you go, for they will all impact your life there at one point or another.

Take your time visitng each campus, and don't be afraid to ask questions. Parents - let your son or daughter plan an overnight trip to one of his or her top schools to see what it is really like, because a one-hour tour is hardly enough to make a decision. Talk to current students who go to that particular college or university and see what they really think. If you have any idea what you would like to major in, do some research and figure out which schools you were accepted to have the best program for what you want to do. Other important things to consider: The cost of off-campus housing, the amount and extent of extra-cirricular activities, volunteer opportunities, if your school has a ROTC program or not, the financial aid and scholarship options your school offers, study abroad programs, and what kinds of undergraduate research opportunities are offered. Lastly, I would highly recommend sitting in on a big lecture class in a subject you are interested in to get a feel for what academics at that school are really like.

In order to find the most fitting college, a student and his family must visit the university and surrounding city for a weekend to soak in each unique atmosphere before making their decision. It would also help to have a mild idea of their carreer orientation in order to see what areas each university excels in before making the tough choice. In order to make the most of their college experience, i would recommend experimenting with various clubs and organizations available on campus as well as social opportunities such as greek event. Doing so will also enable the student to broaden his social affiliations and participate in a diverse community which is key for a university to prosper.

To make the most out of your college experience, don't listen to advices that encourages you to "explore" yourself during college. If you can, you should definitely get that done before college so you could make every semester count. In UVA, for example, students are extremely competitive and one slip could mean a big detriment to your college career and worse off even your future job. Keep in mind that once you have a solid and organized goal in your mind, it will be much easier to pursue a successful college career. In the end, college is not as rosy as what people makes it sound. You will have lots of fun, but what comes down in the end is really only your grades.

Keep your options open. College really changes you and you might end up choosing a field that you never expected you would be interested in. Don't stress too much about grades, but do your best in everything. Explore, and take advantage of opportunities offered because they might not come again.