Choosing a college takes a lot of consideration. There are several points you have to consider before you decide on just one. Sometimes you may not get into the one that you felt was the perfect fit for you. A lot of things can happen no matter your grades, extracurricular activities, and much more. Getting a rejection letter from the college you want to attend will hurt, but it may lead you to a better opportunity. Here are a few things that you want to examine when determining is the college right for you.
Does the college have your major?
It might seem obvious, but a lot of students will start out improving their academic life in a community college or a college close to home before they seek out a place that offers their major. The first year of college is often about getting the basic classes out of the way for any major. English, mathematics, history and other core classes are still required to earn an associate, bachelors, and masters degree. These classes are usually in the 100 or 200 level, which only serves to get a portion of the credits required.
It can be smart to go to a community college for the first year, get these credits and make sure they will transfer to a college that has the major you really want. It can certainly be a money saving option if you have no scholarships and quite a bit of need for student loans.
Choosing a college with a good reputation
Education is a funny thing. Many A-list corporations are going to seek A-list colleges. They will job hunt at places like Yale, Harvard, Stanford and the others. Yet, the reality is even if you attend an A-list college it doesn’t mean you will get a top paying job. Grades are no longer important when you graduate to most corporations and other job placement locations. Instead, they want internships and practical job training to back up the degree you earned. They want to interview an intelligent individual and not someone who has trouble answering easy questions. Above all an eagerness to work any hours is necessary. So while it is nice to have a college education from a place with an A-list reputation there are hundreds of other colleges you can choose from that will be just as impressive.
Scholarships and Student Loans
It is great if you can get a scholarship for all or part of your education. There are said to be thousands upon thousands of these, but there are just as many students trying to get the scholarships. Only few people can get a full ride or even a partial scholarship from each place willing to offer one. Some only offer one scholarship a year.
You may have to turn to student loans and at 7% interest and increasing it can be very difficult to pay off these loans later on. Consider a schools that charges $100 per credit. If you are taking a 4 credit class that means you pay $400 per class. To be a full time student you need at least 12 credits, which means $1200 per semester for your classes. This does not count books, room and board. Most A-list schools are closer to $100,000 per year and rising.
The lesson here is go with what you can afford, but also make certain the college provides you with the education you hope to gain. You want to know the professors are able to teach you what you hope to learn.
Exploring the professors
Not everyone is designed to be the best professor. Not all of them are going to be honest either. There are some professor’s that tell you point blank something will not be on the test and yet that very question is on the test. It is aggravating and nonsensical. You can also learn to interpret the words your professor speaks, but how do you know going in that a college has the right professors?
There is an easy answer. Alumni are often easy to find particularly those who are student ambassadors for their school. You can also visit the school and interact with students to find out what it is really like living there and getting an education there.
Depending on what your major is going to be, you can also search through electronic library resources to see if your potential professors have published any material or if they have made great strides in their profession. This will indicate the professor knows what they are talking about.
Public records such as determining if a professor at the college is able to get research grants for their studies is another way to determine if you have chosen a college that will provide you with the education you want and deserve.
Internet colleges changing perception
In 1999, it was a must for anyone who wanted a steady career to attend a college and get an education. The better the reputation of the school and the higher on the A-list it was had to be what a college student looked for.
The Internet as it has exploded with distance courses and total online universities. This change to being able to work while also getting an education or getting an education from home has changed the perception of being in a classroom for 12 credits a semester plus at an A-list school.
The world is not quite ready to accept all online courses and for science there are definite needs to be in a lab. However, with the perception change about Internet colleges there has come a change in the entire industry.
You can get the education you want, the career you want, and be able to choose a school on merits that fit your budget, major, and professor requirements. All it takes is interviewing the school not only staff but students to determine if it is the right college for you. You can have four or five back up schools too as a way of choosing the top colleges for you.
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