Whitworth University Top Questions

Don't let the campus make or break your college decision. Sure it's important, but in the grand scheme of things it is not the most important issue. Look at academics and location as far as the broad geographic region.

Make a pro con list for every college you are looking at.

When chosing a college, research colleges that not only have exellent areas of study for your interests and career goals, but chose one that has campus life and extra curricular activities that you enjoy. Go on campus visits, attend classes, stay in the dorms, talk to current students about their college experience, and try to get an idea of what it would be like to attend that school. Don't shut your parents out of the decision process- they want what is best for you and will help you make the decision that you will be most comfortable and happy with. Also, have fun and RELAX! It should be a process that you can have fun with and really think about what you want in the next part of your life. When you get to college, try new activities and social events to meet new people and enjoy yourself. Keeping your dorm room door open when you are there is very helpful with this. Also, study more than you party.

Be open minded and confident when deciding where to apply and make sure that you have given a lot of thought to what exactly you want in a college before you decided where to go. When you get there, get to know as many people as possible; don't get stuck with having all friends with the same major!

Find a college that makes you feel good when you walk onto campus. weather it's the energy on campus, the scenery, whatever. go with a gut reaction of how you feel when you get there.

Take advantage of college visits and talking to current students at the schools you are looking at. I was a little unsure about my first choice until I talked with attending students and they showed me that I really had made the right choice. They gave honest opinions about everything and not everything was positive. There was plenty of negative parts and those weren't enough to outweigh the positives. Real, honest opinions can take you very far in your search. Also, check in with the professors and students in your field of study to find out about opportunities within your major and the programs offered by your school. Find the school that matches both your social and academic preferences the best. It is this combination that will lead you to a sucessful end of your search!

Go where you feel that you fit in and feel really welcomed. Don't worry about the price tag, go where you feel you will succeed and where you feel at home when you visit. Go with the feeling you get when you are on campus and with the people that go to school there!

Go and visit the campuses to get a feel for them and ask questions. Make sure you understand the environment, after all the student is going to be spending most of their time on campus. Look at the financial aid package and ask questions about the options their school has for financial assistance. With the economy the way it is, it's imporatant to know how much money can be given and all the options there are. Also, if prospect student knows what he or she wants major in, ask questions about the curriculum and make sure it is up to date. Compare whahte they offer to other schools to see if it has everything needed to get the maximum learning experience. It is important to know that you do not have to commit yourself to any major right off. In fact it might be better to not declare anything until your junior year. The first two years of college is really about exploring the fields out there and seeing what is right for you. Try to complete as much of the required courses and take some that interst you and what you would like to do.

If you have specific interests, look into smaller schools that place strong emphasis on that area, and then narrow it down from there. If you don't have a specific interest, then look into bigger schools that are more apt to have strong departments in all areas. Make the most of your college experience by ballancing out your schedule. Keep an even load of classes throughout, not having work hard semesters and take-it-easy semesters intermitently. First of all, you will perform better with consistency, and then, you will be able to commit to extra-curriculars, instead of participating only when it's convinient.

Make sure that you talk to the students, and not only the teachers or advisors. Take a campus tour, you learn so much by seeing how other students respond to prefrosh. Make sure you can afford it and you get accurate information relating to financial aid. See if you can stay with a student on campus for a weekend to really get the feel of the campus. Overall, don't be impatient, know what you want, and find it. Write down a list of things that you want in a college that you are willing to compromise on, and another one that you will never compromise. Find an appropriate balance that works for you.