West Chester University of Pennsylvania Top Questions

Going to college is all what you make of it. There is no wrong college to choose and there is no right one. Every college you apply to is the same as the next until you go there and make it your new home. I can't stress enough how important it is to embrace everything around you. Meet new people, try new things (good or bad), because after these four years you may not have another opportunity to make mistakes or try these new things.

College presents a multitude of opportunities to students both inside and outside of the classroom that are usually not available outside of academia. The degree to which one finds fulfillment during their time in college is absolutely relative to the number of these opportunities of which a student takes full advantage. Don't ever be afraid to take risks, feel empowered! Failure only lends to further opportunities for learning, and fear inhibits human potential. Carpe Diem, seize the day!

Do whatever feels best for you. Do as much research as your can about a few narrowed down schools, and try to make the right decision from there. All schools have a variety of different people, you just have to get out and meet people. And if the school you choose does't work out for you, you can always transfer. Transfering really is not as complicated as it sounds. Good luck!

Do not have your heart set on one college. Visit colleges even if u know you do not want to go there just so you have something to compare.

It is ok to find a state school with a lower cost to start off with and then transfer especially if the student is not fully sure of what they want their major to be. I ended up transferring after my 2nd year to my current college and I wish I have done that sooner.

Find one that you have visited more than once. See if you can spend a weekend on campus with a buddy system. Make sure that they have a good student base with a nice town close by. Do your research and you will be fine. I have to say that they campus is beautiful but more than that the professors and advisors have been what has mad it for me. They are very informative and helpful and want you to succeed.

The best advice that I can give parents and/or students is go with your gut. I battled a lot when choosing a college because my parents wanted me to look into and apply to as many colleges as possible. I wanted to go to one of two schools and that was it. I knew it was where I wanted to be. If you have that feeling after you visit somewhere, stick with it. Don't continue looking into colleges because all it is going to do is confuse you. Other advice: 1. Apply for scholarships early, and apply for everything you feel qualified for. 2. Talk with you school guidance counselor about college. They are extremely helpful and can answers a lot of your questions. 3. Don't not apply somewhere just because of financial situations. Things have a funny way of working out and if it is too expensive, remember you're going to get a fantastic education and your career will be the pay off.

Visit the colleges you are intersted in. Take the tours, experience the campus.

Students- you only have a college experience once, so get involved and enjoy the time you have here while staying focused on school work. If the first college you attend isn't for you, transfer becuase you don't want to go to a school you don't enjoy being at. Parents- Give your student the freedom to be who they are while guiding them along the way. Know that they might have a few slip ups in college, but theyre just trying to figure out who they are and who they want to be.

Choosing the right college is an extremely important decision. I personally feel like I lucked out. I only applied to one college. My parents were terrified, but I was confident and I just knew that it was the only place I wanted to go to school. Go on tours, as many as you can. When you find the right school for you, you can feel it. Think about the location. Not just where it's at, but what the town is like, and how far it is from home because if it doesn't feel like home to you there, you might be spending a lot of weekends traveling. When you get there, give yourself time to settle in. It's a difficult adjustment, but you'll find your niche. You'll meet those people who will someday mean the world to you and you'll know that you chose right. I was very stressed in the beginning, but college was the best experience of my life once I let myself become open to all of the possibilities and opportunities it provided.