What are the things to look for when looking for colleges to go to?

Question

I am a High School Freshman and I am looking for a place to go to college. I live in Orlando, FL. What are things to look for in colleges? Should I stay in state or out of state? I have a 3.8 unweighted GPA. What should I be focusing on right now? If I go out of state, how far should I go? Do I really need the community service? I am a permanent resident right now but I aim at getting my citizenship sometime in 2009 or 2010, will that limit my choice of scholarships/financial aid since I became naturalized and not born here?

I also have no idea what I want to do when I get there, I have been thinking alot but nothing seems right, any ideas?

Answer 1

Since at this point you have no idea of what you want to study (that is pretty normal at your age, and may still be true when you get to the point at which you need to apply to colleges), one thing you will be looking for will be schools which are strong in a number of subject matters so that you can choose without feeling that you are either compromising quality or have to transfer because what you decide to do is not offered at the school you chose.

I would start with the U.S. News & World Reports Listing. They have a national listing, of the top 50 schools in the country, and then the others are listed by region, in order. Regional schools can be well-respected, but if a school isn't listed at all, I would be very careful.

Every college has a mission statement. These are written statements designed to describe what the college is all about and to guide its own decisions about where to put their focus. They range from, "We aim to provide access to the educational system for those who would otherwise not have a chance," to "It is our goal to glorify God and deepen faith in everything we do." You can find these mission statements on just about every school's website, usually under the "About University X" tab. It may be a good way of narrowing your choices, in that you can immediately eliminate those which seem focused on things which don't matter to you.

If you decide to go out of state, realize two things: First, you will be away from home and from your old friends, so the best candidates for out-of-state colleges are usually the more independent types of student (my favorite freshman right now comes from halfway across the country; she has gotten involved in all kinds of activities, in addition to being a strong honor student, and has made all of her fellow students comfortable as well). Also, traveling home will be more expensive, so your family's (or your) financial situation may also play a role.

Look for a college which shares your perspective - I think as an undergraduate, it would be uncomfortable to be at a conservative religious college if you are more of a liberal, secular person. On the other hand, just the fact that a college is Church-related doesn't mean that it will be unpleasant for anyone outside that religion - you just need to respect their beliefs, unless it is a very observant campus.

Look for what they are proud of. I once went on a tour of a college in our area with a high school student (and not a particularly good student), and at the end of the tour, she commented that the tour guide had talked about the beautiful dorms, the good food, the great social life, the lovely scenery - but hadn't said a word about school, which was true! Even she was turned off by this!

Listen to (or look at, on their website) what they consider to be a successful student. The top awards at some schools are purely based on GPA; at mine they are based on a combination of academic achievement and social service.

Ask about things like class sizes (these can range from a few to thousands), and realize that this affects the type of learning which takes place. If you have a class of ten or fifteen, you can expect discussion; if it is 1500 (as I recently heard about from some students at a local university), you can expect impersonal lectures, albeit perhaps from "big name" professors.

Look at facilities - classrooms, studios, labs, dorms. Do they seem to be adequately kept up, and do they contain the kinds of equipment you would expect? "Smart" classrooms, including digital projectors and data cameras, are the norm these days, for example. If the faculty are limited in their teaching by the equipment available to them, there may be problems.

Look into activities and opportunities available to students. Do they have an active study abroad program? Are there clubs supporting various majors and how active are they? Do they offer things like Alternative Spring Breaks? Even if a particular activity doesn't appeal to you, knowing that it is available might indicate that they care about providing students with opportunities. On the other hand, I recently visited a school which told me that an extremely high percentage of its students were involved in athletics, and I had to wonder how a non-athletic student would fit in.

Look at how involved the faculty are with students. Ask your tour guide, who is probably a student, about his/her relationship with teachers. You can learn a lot outside the classroom, if they will spend time with you. You might also note if you actually meet faculty, and if they are friendly to you.

As to your question about community service, this will depend upon where you want to go. You will need to have activities to get admitted to just about any college, but community service is more important at some colleges (religious schools, private ones with service as part of their mission statement) than at others.

And no, being a naturalized citizen will not hurt your financial aid chances. A citizen is a citizen, no matter how you got there.

You have a long time to go, so my best advice to you would be to do as much as possible to keep your options open. You want to be the one choosing the best college for you, not someone stuck with going to the only place which will have you. Have a great high school career, and you can take your pick!

Answer 2

You have four years to work through this decision. Maintaining your grade point average will help to widen your choices. If you are a resident, in-state tuition is generally less expensive. Most schools are good at general education. There are a few specialized universities thathave prestiges programs, like Harvard Maedical and Yale Law. It is perfectly okay, however to get a degree from almost any school. Don't be too impressed with the exclusiveness of any one school. The more picky the school, the more expensive it tends to be.
Community service looks good on a high school record, but it is not a major factor in admission decisions. AP classes help a bit as they show an ability to do college level work. Most important, don't worry over it too much. You are not supposed to know what you want to do in your first year of high school. That is where the term freshman comes from.

Answer 3

the citizen thing might be a problem, key word might, because everything I sign in college always asks for that, and I know if I weren't they wouldn't give me the help I need and what not so yeah... now on to the other part of your question. You're a freshmen, have fun take different classes see what clicks. You don't have to make a decision now and even if ya did you'll probably change it just like the majority of people who go to college. Oh yeah and things to look for in a college would probably be like financial assitance, room and boarding, and what programs they have on campus to help you out with your homework and probably class sizes.

Answer 4

What majors do they offer. The fees and their overall ranks compared to other colleges and the location too.

Answer 5

First, check to see if they have the subjects that you want to study. Then check whether it is well-known in your field. Then check whether it is a good university in general.