My College Guide» College Campus

Private College Vs. Public College-Factors to Consider

admin — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 05:41:37 +0000

Want to find the right college? If you are like most students, the quest to find the right college is at the top of your list. After all, you will be spending at least four years at your choice, and you will also be spending a considerable amount of money as well. This makes taking the time to properly research your college choice time that is very well spent.

One of the single biggest choices you will have to make is the decision between a private college and a public one. That decision may have been made for you already due to cost factors. The simple, but highly unfortunate, fact is that college costs are simply soaring and doing so at a rate that is far outstrips the pace of inflation. Going to college is becoming increasingly expensive and is putting more and more students under increasing levels of debt. This means that the first choice you will need to make is whether or not you want to take on this new, higher level of college debt.

With some private colleges now demanding in the neighborhood of $50,000 just for tuition alone, it is necessary to ask yourself, “just how much extra benefit will I gain from a far more expensive private college?” Many students are beginning to ask that question in earnest. However, there may be direct federal student loans and financial aid and grants available that could dramatically alter the financial picture for you.

Are you planning on attending graduate or professional school? If so, then realize that you will be attending college for many more years than your undergraduate peers. This means that you have no choice but to think long term about your student loan debt! If you are planning on being in college for six, seven or even ten years, then you might want to “go cheap” for your undergraduate education.

Ultimately, you will have to decide as to whether or not you are actually getting your money’s worth. This answer is, of course, completely dependent on your own situation, what you plan on studying, whether or not you plan on going on to graduate school and your chosen career path. The bottom line is that you shouldn’t necessary select an expensive private college or university just because you got in. Your pick needs to reflect your needs.

The value for your money and how well the given university or college will help your career goals need to be paramount in your decision. Other factors such as “X school has a great football team” should mean little to you unless you are playing on the team and are getting a scholarship.

Picking a college or university can be hard, but there are ways to make the process a bit easier. One of the first steps is to evaluate what factors are truly important and what factors are not. Once you have accomplished this, you are set to make a great decision that you are far less likely to regret.

What Should You Do with a Bad College Roommate?

admin — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 16:39:54 +0000

Part of knowing how to survive college and make the most out of your dorm life experience is having a good or at least a working relationship with your roommate. You are likely spending a good deal of time thinking about college, and may even be wondering how to find a college roommate. If you are living in the dorms, then your roommate will be selected for you. Yet, it is important that you don’t just live with the bad results of a random matching process. If you are feeling as though you just can’t live with your roommate, realize that there are steps you can take. Now, let’s take a look at a few of the ways that you can deal with your bad roommate situation.

Few things can be quite as painful as having a bad roommate whether you are in college or are living in your first apartment or even your tenth apartment. In short, a bad roommate can sour your entire life! Step one in dealing with a problematic roommate is to see if your problems can be resolved. If you pause to think about the problems and the conflict at the heart of those problems you may find a solution. Sometimes good communication can smooth over poor relationships and start things heading in another direction, yet this doesn’t always work. If you first make attempts to resolve your conflict points with your roommate and are met with no success then you may have to consider getting the university involved.

Before you begin discussing your issues with university or college officials, it is usually prudent that you’ve first discussed your problems with your roommate. The reason for this is that the officials are likely to ask, perhaps even as their first question, “Have you discussed this with Roommate X?” If you answer “no,” they may conclude that you haven’t tried hard enough to resolve the conflict, and this could put you in a bad light. However, if you are able to detail and outline your attempts to resolve the situation, you look mature, capable and reasonable.

Are there exceptions to this rule? In short, most definitely. If you fear that your roommate is dangerous or may lash out at you in some damaging way, then you are better off going straight to your university or college officials.

Visiting your college advisor so that he or she can help guide you towards your next step may ultimately be your only move. Once this process begins, it is best that you work with college officials to resolve the situation quickly and find you another room or roommate if at all possible. No matter how the situation works out, try and stay calm and keep from making an enemy for life! Situations of this kind can be heated. Remember that your goal is to get a new room or a new roommate and not to teach your roommate a life lesson or to change his or her personality. The important thing in this situation is to quickly get the roommate issue resolved so you can get back to focusing on academics.

3 Things to Consider During Your Campus Visit

admin — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:34:58 +0000

Picking a college can be complicated, and there are many steps to the process. Find the right college and your college experience will be far more rewarding. All the work that you invested in researching financial aid for college tuition, pre college summer programs, college counseling services and all the rest will seem like time well spent if you find the right college. A major part of selecting the right college should be a campus visit.

Your concepts and notions about what a college may be like could differ greatly from the reality of the situation. Selecting a college without first visiting the campus could be a decision that you might regret. A college might look great on paper, but when you visit in person you may find that aspects of college environment, such as college dorm life, may vary too dramatically from what you want out of your overall experience. It is difficult to perform well when you are not happy. This is why selecting the right college is so important to your eventual success both in college and in life.

1. Do You Feel Safe?

During your college visit, you need to take many different factors into consideration. The first consideration is whether or not the environment is a safe one. In this regard, it is important to look at the environment around the school and try and gather some insight into how safe the campus is and how well it is policed. A sad reality is that many college campuses are seen by criminal elements as target areas. Your physical safety needs to be at the top of your list.

2. Do You Like the Overall Feel of the School?

Another important factor is how comfortable you feel at a given university or college. If you visit five colleges and one has a “weird vibe” to it, then don’t ignore that feeling. The simple fact is that if you don’t feel comfortable, you should pick a different institution.

3. Are the People Friendly?

Whether or not people are friendly is an important issue for many students. Every university or college comes with a different vibe, and this will radiate out through the student body as well. So when you visit a college campus, simply sit back and try to evaluate how happy your fellow students seem. If everyone seems miserable, you have a key piece of information.

Don’t hesitate to ask around. You should ask a variety of students about how they feel about the college or university in general. If most people have positive feelings, that is a great sign!

Perhaps most importantly, you should not base your entire decision on what university officials or tour guides have to tell you. Their job is to only paint the university or college in the best possible light. Making the best decision for you means taking in a variety of information before selecting your college of choice.

Are Extracurricular Activities Worth It?

admin — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 12:56:52 +0000

One key point that must be made about extracurricular activities is that the sooner you begin doing them the better off you will be. If admissions counselors feel that you got involved at “the last second,” your activities will be seen much differently than they would have been if you’ve been involved for years. In this article, we will look at why extracurricular activities can be very worthwhile when it comes to getting into college.

College Admissions Can Be Quite Competitive

It can be difficult to truly understand how competitive college admissions can be without first understanding the number of students that are applying right along with you. For example, in 2010 Harvard received more than 30,000 applications! This amount is particularly alarming when you take into account that the school only accepts 1,600 freshmen each year. These statistics can be a bit scary, but that doesn’t mean you should give up on getting into the school of your choice. Instead you need to focus on finding different ways to help yourself stand out from the crowd and a great way of doing so is to take part in extracurricular activities.

What Kind of Extracurricular Activities are the Best?

Deciding what kind of extracurricular activities are the best for you can be quite tricky. In part, the answer lies in what you feel the most like doing. You don’t want your extracurricular activities to feel like a burden and nothing but extra work. If you take this path, you may not get the results you ultimately want.

It is an easy trap to pick the extracurricular activities that you feel admissions counselors will want to see, but there is a problem with this approach. For example, if you don’t like the extracurricular activities that you pick and are only becoming involved in them because you think these activities will “look good” on your application, you may not stay involved. If you don’t stay involved for a substantial amount of time, the end result will be that your extracurricular involvement was of no real help in the long run.

The Three Ways Extracurricular Activities Help

A good aspect of extracurricular activities is that by participating, teachers will have an opportunity to get to know you better. This factor can translate into a great letter of recommendation. A second way that extracurricular activities can help your efforts to get into your college of choice is that those activities will give you something additional to discuss during your college interviews and on your applications. Finally, extracurricular activities will help you demonstrate to admissions counselors that you got involved in your school community and did not just “drift through.”

Three Ways Extracurricular Involvement Scores You Points

1) Teachers get to know you better and that means better letters of recommendation
2) You will have more to discuss in interviews and on applications
3) Extracurricular activities show that you get involved

Are There Times You Should Not Participate in Extracurricular Activities?

Usually participating in extracurricular activities is a good idea, but there are exceptions. If you think your grades will suffer as a result, you should skip the extracurricular activities. Additionally, if you are working a part-time job after school, you likely shouldn’t stretch yourself so thin. Ultimately, extracurricular involvement should boost your chances of getting into one of your top picks.

Should You Go to A College Near Home?

admin — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 13:10:42 +0000

Deciding where you should go to college is clearly not an easy decision. Of course, sometimes this decision will be made for you in terms of what colleges and universities accept your application. However, the odds are good that you will have a variety of options, especially if you applied to numerous schools, (and this is something you should do!)

Once you know what colleges and universities have accepted you, choosing your final pick can be tough. One of the factors that can impact this decision is trying to decide whether or not you will pick a college near home or one that is farther away. You might feel that it’s an easy choice. In fact, maybe you have been dying to get as far away as you can from your parents for as long as you can remember. But before you make a final decision, take a look at the pros and cons.

The Emotional Factor

One factor to consider is whether or not you are emotionally ready to move very far away from home. Often people believe that they are ready, only to discover that they wished they were closer to home once it’s too late. Even if you are happy to be away from your parents, you may feel that you are too far away from your friends. One way to check out how you truly feel about moving away from your friends and family is to do a “dry run” where you visit your prospective new campus for a few days alone. If you stay at the campus and still feel great about the idea of attending school away from home, this will help you make your decision.

Reputation and Quality of Education

A second factor to consider is where you feel you can get the best education. If you get into two colleges but one is clearly better for you or has a better reputation, then this is something to consider. The college with the better reputation may open up better job opportunities down the road.

Money, Money and Yes More Money

A third factor is cost. Many students choose to live at home while in college to keep costs low. You may be ready to strike out on your own, and that is understandable. But take into account the soaring costs of a 4-year college degree; you will want to at least consider how much you could save by staying at home. Now on the flip side, there is no denying that your college experience will be drastically different if you don’t move away to go to college. Ultimately, this can be a tough decision. On one hand you have saving lots of money and on the other hand you have the freedom that comes along with moving away from home.

Apply Early and Apply Often!

In the end, having multiple schools to choose from is a very good situation to be in. If you do want to have the luxury of picking between a college near home and one that is farther away, you should apply to many different colleges and universities so that your options will be open.

5 Reasons A Summer College Visit Is A Smart Idea.

admin — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 12:49:07 +0000

Make college visits now so you can make the right choice later.

When it comes to getting ahead in the college admissions process, scheduling a summer college visit can be a smart move.

Why? Read on to find out.

You can schedule “practice” interviews during summer college visits.

While your college interviews will go farther if you’ve already applied to the schools in question, speaking with admissions counselors in the summer can help you prepare for more formal visits later.

Your campus tour can be more in-depth during a summer college visit.

It’s true that most colleges schedule fewer campus tours in the summer, but this can be a good thing! Without the time pressures of back-to-back tours, your tour guide can take his or her time, giving you a clearer picture of what the campus really has to offer you.

During summer college visits, you can get a preview of what classes are like.

No question about it, summer classes at most colleges are different from those during the regular school year. But you can still get a good feel for how classes are taught. And since the professors on campus usually have fewer classes to teach, they often have more time for other things—like meeting with potential students. So summer could be a great time to get some one-on-one time with a future mentor (one who might be able to help you at application time)!

You’re surrounded by other motivated students during summer college visits.

There are bound to be fewer students around when you visit colleges during the summer. But those who are? Are more likely to be serious, ambitious students—just like you. By talking to them during your college visit, you’ll get a more complete picture of the academic scene at that school—and what life could be like for you.

You have time to return for a second look if you start with a summer college visit.

Choosing a college is a major decision—one that could very well be deserving of more than one visit to a campus. Take a look at all your options during the summer. Then, before you make your final decision, return to those you liked best. That way you get more than one view of the campus!

Of course, college visits are just the first step in the admissions process, so make sure you’re getting all the latest tips and tricks for shining all the way through. Subscribe to our blog!

Photo courtesy of the University of Denver.

4 Questions To Help You Choose Where To Go To College.

admin — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 13:30:14 +0000

What does your ideal college look like?

Deciding where to go to college is a big decision – and an exciting one! But in a world full of awesome schools, it can be hard to narrow down your list of places to apply.

The trick is knowing what you really want and need from a college. And to figure that out? You need to know the answers to a few key questions.

What do you want the place you go to college to look like?

Close your eyes and think for a minute. Is the college of your dreams lined with oak trees, or do palm trees dot the scenery? Are you surrounded by a big city, or are you in a small town? Are the buildings old and covered with ivy, or new and modern?

The environment where you go to college in is a big part of the whole experience, so think carefully about where you want to spend the next four years. And remember, you’re just dreaming right now. Practicalities, like financial considerations, can come later.

How many people do you want to go to college with?

This is an important question. After all, the experience you’ll get at a school with 40,000 students will be vastly different from the one you’ll have at a college with only 1,200 attendees. Do you want to be part of a crowd, or would you be more comfortable if you could know all your classmates by name?

When answering this question, think also about the size of your future classes. At a big school, lecture halls can sometimes hold as many as 400 students, which usually translates into less personal attention. At smaller colleges, you’ll probably get more one-on-one time with your professors, but there may not be as many classes to choose from.

What activities do you plan to take part in when you go to college?

If you’re an athlete, you’ll want to make sure the college you choose has a strong athletic program – both competitive and intramural. If theater is your thing, you’ll want to check out the drama programs at colleges you’re considering.

So think about how you want the things you love to fit in. No matter how specialized your interests, there’s sure to be a college or university that’s a good fit!

What do you want to study when you go to college?

If you already know you want to be an orthopedic surgeon, you’ll want to be sure that the college you choose offers a good pre-med program. But if you have no clue? You might want to focus on colleges that offer a robust liberal arts curriculum. It’s important to know what you’re looking for!

No matter where you want to go to college, we can help. Try our college search to find schools that match your interests, or subscribe to our blog for all the latest college admissions information!

Photo courtesy of Let Ideas Compete.

5 Tips to Survive (and Thrive) Freshman Year

admin — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 14:00:06 +0000

Making the transition to college—well, it isn’t always easy. But, there are things that you can do to help ensure your college success. My College Guide has five tips to guide you as you begin your college career.

Don't let the work pile up--schedule in study time!

Ensure Your College Success

Network – College is a great time to network. It’s not only a good idea for what comes after college (you know, real life) but it’s doubly good in case you miss a class due to illness! If you can’t be in class, you will have someone else that you can call to find out what you missed—and to have a set of notes from the day’s lecture to copy!

Eat Well – Now more than ever your college cafeteria offers a ton of meal choice. Sure, you can eat French fries and a burger every single day—but don’t! The Freshman fifteen is avoidable but more than that, a healthy diet can keep you, well, healthy!

Get Involved – The wall flower will never have the college experience they had hoped! College is a time to try new things: Get involved in clubs and activities, don’t be afraid to chat up anyone who sits beside you in your college classes, and make your Freshman year everything you wanted. Bonus: If you miss class due to illness, you will have someone around to fill you in on what happened as well as give you notes to copy.

Know Your Professors – Your college professors aren’t just there to lecture, pass out assignments, and assign research papers. While it might seem scary, introduce yourself personally after class (maybe come up with a question about the course as an ice breaker). Knowing your college professor can be really helpful if you run into scheduling conflicts later. If you join the ranks of the majority of college freshman and end up changing your major, having a mentor in the field that you are interested in is invaluable!

Study Time – This might sound a little silly but you should think about scheduling yourself time to study! It’s very easy to fall into the “I’ll get to that later” routine and later never seems to happen. College isn’t like high school. You will have lots of reading and studying to do just about every night. Stay on top of it early to keep it down to a minimum because cramming for a test at the last minute? It just isn’t fun.

Next Year

Don’t stop there! Make a mental note to carry out our advice throughout your college career. Good study habits, networking with others, and having a back-up plan in case of illness is always a good idea, no matter what year in school you are!

Image Courtesy of Flickr, Opensourceway.

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The Admissions Game: The Difference Between Selective and Non-Selective Colleges

admin — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 14:00:28 +0000

Browse around enough college websites and you’ve probably come across the terms “selective” and “non-selective.” It’s a very important part of figuring out where to spend your time and energy when it comes to applying to college!

Rice University

There is a difference between selective schools and Ivy League schools. In general, Ivy League refers to athletics and encompasses schools like Harvard and Yale. However, there are many selective schools that aren’t considered Ivy League, like MIT and Stanford University, that are also competitive.

Selective Colleges

While any college is more likely to accept a well-rounded student with a great GPA, at a selective college? It’s doubly important! Your involvement in extracurricular activities, community service, and other activities is a key factor of college admission—and having more than good grades is a big part of achieving admission at your dream school.Selective schools are in great demand yet typically admit a very small percentage of students who apply.

Less—Selective or Non-Selective Colleges

Don’t let the term fool you: A non-selective college doesn’t mean they let just anybody in! Like any other college, a non-selective will still have standards. They usually operate on a more open admission basis, or rolling admission, where they will accept college applications until their student body is full—which is good news for you if you decide to apply at the last minute!

Who Gets in to Selective Colleges, Anyway?

Selective colleges admit the best of the best: those over-achievers who are very involved in not only their high school or homeschool groups but their community as well. They have taken (and survived) AP classes and Honors courses and passed with flying colors. They may be fluent in a second language or have some other well-developed talent or skill.

MIT

Highly selective schools consider many factors of college admission. They look at your application as a whole and decide whether or not they need someone who fits your profile.

If they have only one cello player who happens to be graduating that Spring, and you happen to play the Cello, you might get in. The same goes for students from a particular state. If the school needs a student from that state so they can mention with pride that they have students from every state in the US, you might get in.

Again, don’t think that this means that your GPA, test scores, and community service don’t matter—they most certainly do! However, a selective college has many factors to consider. Your legacy status and notable achievements are just another piece to fit into the selective college admissions puzzle.

Where Do You Fit In?

Public or private college, big campus or small, it doesn’t matter—any college can be selective or non-selective. The key to choosing a college isn’t about shooting for the most selective school, it’s about looking for the school that is the right fit for you!

Image #1 Courtesy of Flickr, Onilad.
Image #2 Courtesy of Flickr, Francisco Diez.

College Graduation Rates: What’s It to You?

admin — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 14:00:19 +0000

Students frequently overlook a very important factor in the process of choosing a college: College graduation rates! There’s a few things that a high graduation rate means—and it’s important for you to know! Finding the graduation rates of the colleges that you are interested in can help you make an informed decision regarding your future.

College Graduation Rates

College Graduation Rates

The college graduation rate simply lets you know how many students stick through to the end. Colleges are required to publish their graduation rates—but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy to find!

Dig around on the school’s website or look for it in one of the giant college information books found at your local library. Of course, you can also get the information from college admissions.

High College Graduation Rates

A college with a high percentage of graduation rates can tell you a few things.

The college may have a very strong financial aid program in place to help students pay for continuing their studies. Low income students aren’t forced to drop out when there is ready financial aid available. This can be more readily apparent in a high graduation rate (you can check out our list of low-income friendly colleges and universities, too) but you should never cross a school off your list based on sticker price! You just never know how much add you will get.

Sometimes, a high graduation rate can mean that a college has a lot of resources available to help students achieve their goals. For example, a school with a high graduation rate may have a well-stocked college library, updated equipment, and easy access to tutors and other peer mentors. Students who can find help and support tend to stay put.

Admissions may have sought out students who met and exceeded the factors of college admission. Admissions may have admitted students who have already shown a demonstrated success in high school—and let in those they believe will keep up the good work in college!

Where You Fit In

Don’t think that a college with a lower graduation rate is something to ignore. Make the college campus visit, find out more detail about the programs and majors that your interested in, and see if it feels like the right fit for you! Sometimes, the numbers just don’t tell you everything you need to know—so visit the campus and see for yourself!

Image Courtesy of Flickr, ajagendorf25.