"The Leadership Solutions Network is an online magazine focusing on interesting and relevant topics for the student, career-seeker, and leader."
So You Got Into College: Now What?
By
Adam Burgh
It’s that time of year. It’s not Christmas; it’s not quite summer. It’s the time of year when college acceptance (or rejection) letters arrive in mailboxes around America. Four years of homework, four years of extracurricular activities, four years of essays and tests. Then you had to fill out all of those applications, write all those personal essays, and take the SATs or ACTs, and you probably did all these more than once. For many that was the hard part, for some the hardest part has just begun. When you get all of the letters back (some good – some not so good) from the colleges to which you applied, you still have one very important choice: which college to attend.
For most teenagers, this is the one of the most difficult decisions they have ever faced. Atmosphere, academics, finances, majors, job placement opportunities, and location are just a few factors that go into choosing the best college for you. There are so many things to consider that it can sometimes be overwhelming. To make it more manageable, here are a few tips for comparing your choices and finding the college that is best for you.
Throw the USA Today rankings out the window
Classifying all our nation’s universities into one national ranking seems impossible… and it is. If you actually look at the information that goes into these rankings, you might begin to question the results yourself. Choosing a college solely based on rankings is like letting people into college on the sole basis of SAT scores. Both try to place a supposedly unbiased ranking on something that defies any attempts at standardization. Just as there are many other aspects that make up a well-rounded applicant (grades, extracurricular activities, volunteer work, etc.), there are many other factors to look at in a college. Colleges don’t select students simply by SATs, so you shouldn’t select a college simply by its ranking.
Don’t be afraid to move away from home
Most students decide to attend college in their home state or region. Some of this is for financial reasons (in-state tuition is almost always cheaper), others want to be close to their family, and still others want to stay in a place that is familiar to them. While going to an out-of-state college (or even a college outside the country) isn’t for everyone, I would highly recommend it. Most of the people that I know who went to a college outside their state (including myself) consider it to be the best decision they ever made. While it does take some courage to leave your home state or region, it is an experience that doesn’t come along often. All throughout your life you’re going to need to know how to adapt to new atmospheres and situations. Learning how to do this successfully is something that can only be accomplished through personal experience. Climate, people, social customs, sales tax (or no sales tax)…all are subtle things that you don’t notice until they are no longer there. Not only will you have the benefit of stepping outside your comfort zone and adapting to a new location, but you’ll also have a broader knowledge of our country and the different ways of life that it includes.
Take a campus visit
I know people who took a campus visit and fell in love with a campus that wasn’t originally their top choice. A friend of mine went to a “top” private school without taking a campus visit, and hated it once he started taking classes there. You won’t know if the atmosphere of a particular campus is right for you until you visit it. A campus visit shouldn’t be your only deciding factor, but it is usually a fairly good indication of how well you will fit into the campus. If you have a friend or acquaintance who currently goes to any of your college choices, call them up! Staying with a current student or walking around with someone for the day is the only way to truly experience the atmosphere of a college. Don’t go to your college’s scheduled day for admitted students, go a week earlier or a week later. Big events put on to attract students to the college are rarely a good indication of the usual campus atmosphere.
Take a look at the availability and quality of the majors offered
Rather than trying to look at the school as a whole in terms of quality and statistics (which can be daunting), try looking at specific departments or majors. Is your prospective major offered at the college? How accessible is the major to students? Who are some of the notable faculty in the department, and do they teach undergraduate courses? Some majors require a selective application process, minimum college GPA, or only enroll a limited number of undergraduates. Some universities have outstanding graduate school programs with Nobel Laureates, but they never teach undergraduate courses. A certain major in one college might be head and shoulders above the same major at another college. Look at job placement for each major and college (usually available through the college’s career center). Once you graduate you’ll need a job; how likely are you to get one after graduating from this college with that major? Consider a lot of different majors that interest you, because chances are that you’ll switch or add a major sometime during your university experience.
Choose a college that is best for YOU, not anyone else
A lot of parents pressure their kids to attend a certain college for one reason or another. That’s fine, if the college fits your personality. If it doesn’t, don’t go there. Don’t be pressured by rankings or prestige either. College is really what you make of it. If you don’t have the motivation to succeed, going to a prestigious college won’t make you any better off. If you do have that motivation, then you’ll succeed at pretty much any college you decide to attend. Remember, you’re going to be in college for four or five years, so make sure that you’ll enjoy it. If you’re still stuck on which college to attend, don’t worry about it. Success is much more about what you do while you’re in college than which college you attend. Pick a college that fits your interests, your personality, and your goals, and you can’t go wrong.
Adam Burgh, world traveller and CTSO trainer, is an Assistant Trainer with Team TRI and a regular contributor to the Leadership Solutions Network. Click here to learn more about Adam and how to contact him!
Current Average Article Rating: 5/5
Rating articles lets the LSN Staff know which articles you like best, which helps us to produce more articles like the ones you found most helpful.
|
|
© Copyright TRI Leadership Resources, LLC 1991-2004. Copying and stealing information from this website without express written permission from TeamTRI is strictly forbidden and an indicator that you are not a leader. If you aren't a leader, then keep surfing this site: you're in the right place and we can help. Contact us at PO Box 912, Jacksonville, OR, 97530 or call 888-786-7526 for assistance.
|
|
|
Not currently receiving the LSN? Get the premier source of leadership and career knowledge sent straight to your e-mail box! Click here to subscribe! |
 Click here to see Team TRI in action in the Institute For Leaders video! |
Find out how TRI can help your organization, and learn more about the folks who write for the LSN!
"You're never ready... you're just less unprepared."
--Gene Platt |
|
