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College Search – 5 Tips For Choosing A College That’s The Right Fit For You by Gen Wright
When you are choosing a college with the right fit, you need to determine what you want from a college experience. Some schools are a good fit for certain students and other schools are not. Just because it is a big name school does not make it a good fit.
I have had a student return from a college visit to Harvard where he was accepted but said, “It just wasn’t me.” I have had a student offered a full scholarship for athletics at a west coast school who replied, “I loved the coach but I just couldn’t see myself there.” I have had a student visit her state university which she assumed she would attend. She commented, “It was too impersonal and the classes were too big. I don’t think I’d like it there.”
I guess you could say that none of these schools were the right fit for the students who were considering them. Something was missing. As a college counselor, I believe that finding a college is an important decision that can make a big difference in a student’s life. It is my goal to help students find colleges that fit them academically, socially, emotionally and financially. To let them choose schools randomly and for the wrong reasons does not make any sense.
Choosing a a college that has the right fit takes time and research. It doesn’t just happen. It’s like finding the right pair of shoes. If they are uncomfortable, you won’t like them. If they don’t fit your needs, there is no sense in considering them.
Here are five tips for choosing a college that is the right fit for you:
1.Research the schools you are looking at and make sure they offer what is important to you in a college experience. If you don’t like lecture classes, but prefer discussion, the local state university is probably not a good fit.
2.Choose schools that are a good match for you, not ones that your friends are considering. Choosing a college because your girlfriend or boyfriend is going there is making a poor choice. College is a time for an open mind; be willing to challenge yourself a bit.
3.Rankings mean very little and should be disregarded most of the time. Rankings are determined by college presidents or people who analyze data for a living. If a school is not right for you, it doesn’t matter where it ranks.
4.Look at schools you know nothing about. If they offer the programs that interest you and you like what you read about the campus community, give them some consideration. Many famous people attended schools that are not well known.
5.Apply to and visit at least three or four schools. It is one thing to read and hear about a school; it is another to visit. Keep a list of what is important to you and spend enough time on a campus to determine which colleges seem like the right fit.
When you are choosing a college for the right fit, are you willing to do the research and self-reflection that is required to find it?
Susie Watts is a college planner and educational consultant and the founder of College Direction in Denver, Colorado. Go to her website at http://www.collegedirection.org for more help on choosing the right college or to receive a free copy of the College Direction monthly college planning newsletter.
Article Source: http://www.earticlesonline.com/Article/College-Search—5-Tips-For-Choosing-A-College-That-s-The-Right-Fit-For-You/987650