What is the best way to research a college?

Question

Do you like to research colleges by visiting the actual campus? Or do you think it is best to research online first? Do printed publications that are mailed to you help make your choice easier? Would publications on the Web site be better than printed publications?

Answer 1

If you have no idea whether you want a big school or little school, country or city, then you should pick out a couple schools near you and visit them. Once you have an idea of what type of environment you want to spend the best four years of your life in, then you can seriously start to think about the exact school.

OF course you arent going to a school that doesnt have your major, but you have to be careful about this - a LOT of students change their majors once they are in school. It is hard as a high school senior to know what you want to do for the rest of your life. So, you might get to school and totally change your ideas - many students do that. In a lot of schools you dont even have to say what your major is until the end of your second year.

And you have to match the school with your own abilities. If you are the top of the top students, you will be right at home at the Ivies, Duke, Stanford... but if you are a very good student, but not quite the top, then you can look at the second level schools like Reed, BC, BU, Tufts, U Richmond, American U, etc There is a long list of very excellent, respectable schools. And if you are an average student, then there are still plenty of excellent schools that will take you, both public and private.

There is a right school for you. a school where you will be comfortable, get a great education, be challenged without being blown away, and meet lots of terrific kids who will be your friends for life.

Do your college homework, and then go for it!

Answer 2

Depends on how far away the school is. If it is a long trip it can save money to use the internet to start with. I would narrow your list of colleges to visit to anywhere from 5 to 10 MAX using the internet (don't be affraid to email people at the school too and ask what they think!). From that list i would call each one (or, sometimes online you can request further information) and ask for admissions information and data about the school. Check out the city it is in as well don't limit yourself to the school only. The usual advice is to visit your top 3 to 5 Universities and then to apply to your top 7 or 8. If you get accepted at one you did not visit, you can always go visit at that time. All you do is call the admissions office and ask for an appointment.

Things to pay attention too:

Size of School
Size of City/Town
Location, Location, Location
Majors offered
Who are the professors (degrees, interests, etc.)
Graduation rates
Career/Job placement rates
Financial Aid information
demographics of student body

I am always willing to share about the schools I went too (Northwest Missouri State University, University of Nebraska at Kearney, and University of Kansas). Feel free to contact me!

Answer 3

All colleges have internet sites and are more informative than a leaflet as it is cheaper to add content than to print.

Usually what is in a publication is also on the site, but for a real feeling of the college a visit to the actual campus will tell you loads.

Answer 4

i think you should first look at whether or not they offer your major.
that narrows it down.
then go into the location, out of state, in state out of the country....etc...
also look into the class sizes (i thought this would be irrelevant to me but I really like having like no more than 16 people in my classes because it makes everything much easier than if it were a class off 200)
most of this is easily done online.
then once you have potential candidates for colleges, go visit the ones you can. i personally never did it but i hear it's really helpful.
some schools, though, have like DVDs that give you a tour and stuff. those are cool and fun.
the printed publications are very helpful but of course they dont tell you the negatives of the school.... so be careful with those.
Stick with facts and location and where you want to see yourself in 4 years.
good luck!

Answer 5

I think it would prove both beneficial and convenient to conduct research on-line. You can comparison shop.

Should you find any colleges to your liking, you might want to follow up with a visit to the college. Some sites may have download able catalogs and virtual tours, but you might want to check it out for yourself anyway ... visit the college!

I located a site that may prove help. It will open up to a pdf file that has a listing of varied information and clickable links. It has a wealth of information on the page.

I hope it proves helpful.

Answer 6

Start online and with printed items (you may not received from all your college options though) then definatly visit the campus and talk to students there. If you only look online, you may get there and realize you don't fit in.

Answer 7

Research online first.
Read their catalog second.
Third -- chat with students there who are in your intended major!