Am I doing this the wrong way??? (colleges, majors, etc)?

Question

All of the sites i've visited on choosing a college say that you can pick a college and then pick a major.. I'm not sure what i want to study but shouldn't what you want to study help determine what college you choose?? What are some good sites for choosing majors and colleges? If anyone has any more college info that could help me please let me know.. thx!

The problem i have is that i only want to go to just 1 school for 4 years b/c i want to play basketball... so my problem is finding a college that is small, relatively close to home, and has a variety of my not so broad majors (ranging from forensic science and technology to animal behavior and ethology - and a lot of other very different majors) since i cant seem to choose 1 or 2

Answer 1

http://www.princetonreview.com

A great way to look up schools and majors (they have a quiz for majors/careers, and can point out schools that are well-known for a particular area). They also have treasure trove of information US colleges. Free registration is required to access all of the features.

You should have some idea what'd you like to do in life before choosing a college. For instance, you wouldn't want to go to MIT and then decide you want to become an English major. But most big universities are good at multiple fields so I'd stay away from the smaller schools (less than 5000 undergrads).

Otherwise, just think of what you're good at and what you like doing and pick a school that fits well with those two things (it can be broad, too, such as "I like politics so I'll look at a school with a good government or political science program."

Answer 2

You seem to want a field in the science. I would suggest maybe finding a college that has a good science department. Forensic Science and most science careers require a Masters or higher just look into a science major for your undergrad. Then you can find another school for your Masters and so on.

Or what you can do is find a liberal arts college and go in undecided your freshman year. Take a few classes in each of the fields you want to do and see which you really have the stomach for. Don't worry average college students change their majors at least 3 times if not more in college.

Answer 3

I am an advocate of go to a community college first you get the same general education classes as any other college. Especialy since your first two years are made up of more GE the majors courses. Im california there is a web site used called assist.org that has a ton of info on colleges and mjors. You need not worry to muchin the first year especially just take transferable general classes and experiment with some other stuff to see what you like then chooses you major in your second year. On average a college student changes mjor 4 time during there school career. good luck

Answer 4

I started my college search by going to yahoo and typing "highest paying jobs" and just looking at the titles. What's the point of going to college? I researched the jobs on the list and settled on engineering. Then my search was easy (or so I thought) "Top Engineering Schools" or go to the magazine section of any bookstore and Us news Ranks them every year. So I applied to the Top school and a moved down the list to where I thought I could get in and applied to 3 schools in the 60's. You are never locked into a major. The first year or two of school is the same for just about everyone. We all take intro to Everything (English, Calculus,...etc.) When you apply to a school you apply as a General Education major in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. You can take the first two years of classes that an engineering major would take as a Gen Ed major and change your major to whatever in the third year. Or you could transfer schools to move up the list.

Answer 5

Yes, generally, what you want to study should determine which college you choose - some colleges are more renowned for certain subjects than others. That's only with larger and more prestigious colleges, usually, though.

You don't need a website to help you choose a major. Think about what you enjoy. What do you like studying? What are you good at? Where do your strengths lie; with math? English? Sciences?

Try to visit as many colleges as you can - it's not just the studying that makes college what it is. You need to know what the area is like, what the nearby towns/cities have to offer and the travel links back home, too.

Answer 6

If you don't know what you want to do already, I'd recommend choosing a school with a solid reputation in several fields that are of some interest to you. Most students change their major at least once so choosing a school based solely on one particular field of study may be a waste of time. Good Luck!

Answer 7

I had to take out loans for college despite several scholarships. I believe that furthering your education is one thing for which you should not feel guilty about incurring debt. Usually student loans have a lower interest rate and give the student a grace period after graduation before they have to start paying it off . The idea is that once you have your degree, in the long run, the student loans should more than pay for themselves. If student loans are the only way that you can attend college, I say go for it, and do your best and it will definitely be worth it. I know I don't regret having to take out loans for much of my education. It has definitely paid off. There are just some people who are not willing to take out loans for school or who feel they shouldn't, but if you are serious about your schooling, it should pay off. Hope this helps! p.s. I got a dual degree in accounting and economics.

Answer 8

What you should do is write a list of things you enjoy (careers or just interests). Then make a list of colleges that are in your level (I don't mean majors or anything... just GPA, SAT scores, location, etc).

Look up the colleges you listed and compare them to your interests. The college that has the most majors/activities with your interests is your best bet. That way, you can switch majors at the same college because all of your interests would be there.

Good luck!

Answer 9

the only thing that can decide is you doesnt make a difference what school u go to do some serious soul searching figure out what direction you want to take good luck