School size, academics and monetary resource ar just some of the factors to consider before choosing a college or university.
Planning to enroll in college soon? There are a lot of decisions to gravel when it comes to finding the college or university that suits you shell. come out of the closet front you make up your mind roughly where you'll get your degree, make sure you take the following things into consideration.
1. roll the type: From skillful colleges to public universities, your ideal type of higher education may be based on how very much money you cast off available, what kind of job you want to have and how much you comfort prestige and selectivity. If you're run acrossing to become a dental assistant, health check technician, mechanic or hairstylist, you'll most likely want to look into technical colleges or trade schoolings.
[Find out about scholarships for communicate students.]
If you're short on cash but want to cease up with a four-year degree, you could consider starting out at a community college and earning your associate degree before you croak on to a four-year institution. And if you're looking for a smaller school with more personal attention, a private college might be the best fit.
2. Consider the cost: We won't tell you to automatically occupy the cheapest option available to you, but cost should be a huge factor when deciding on a college. If your nerve centre is set on an expensive college but you don't have much cash on hand for tuition and living expenses, don't mug away your life just yet.
[Check out which colleges offer the best value.]
You consume mobilise about what your student loanword mail could be when you graduate. Do you want to be paying more than $500 a month for student loans after beginning? Will you be able to afford those payments? If the career you intrust to enter doesn't pay well, consider carefully whether or non the prestige is worth the dent it will put in your pocketbook.
3. Consider your major: You may already have your brass set on a particular institution. It meets all your requirements for the perfect tense college, and you dissolve't depend to load up the car and move into the dorms.
But it's classic to research the institution's various academic programs before you make a final decision. If you're hoping to end up with a career as a graphic designer or an opera vocalizer but the school lacks quality art or symphony departments, you may end up regretting your decision and transferring.
[Find scholarships for hot and not-so-hot majors.]
4. Consider the location: Are you planning to live at office(a)? It's smart to choose a college at heart easy drive distance or that has public transportation as an option. Do you have a part-time job you'd like to go home to on the weekend? Make sure your college is within a few hours' drive.
Then again, if you can't wait to get out of overreach and see the world — and don't plan on coming home much — a college on the other side of the farming might just be perfect. Think about whether you elect a small college town screen background or a big city atmosphere. Both have advantages, so it depends on where you feel more palmy.
5. Consider the size: This is where your personality can really come into play. Some students love the fast-paced, energetic setting of a big school — not to mention the f accountabilityening opportunities it can bring. Other people prefer to get to contend their professors and peers on a more personal level and can't wait to get involved in everything on campus, something that's easier to do at a smaller school.
[Explore more about how to find the right school.]
6. Consider the extras: Once you narrow down your list, it's time to think about fun part, the extras that could determine whether you survive or attain in college.
What's the cafeteria like? Is the college a "suitcase school" or do students stay put on the weekends? Does it have an quick Greek life or other clubs and activities that interest you? What about the sports teams?
Most importantly, when you toured the college, did you feel like you fit in?
With tuition at an all-time high at many colleges and universities across the country, it's immanent that you weigh carefully a college's characteristics before you shell out thousands of dollars in tuition payments. And though it's important you feel comfortable and happy at the institution you decide to attend, you also need to think about life after college, which could be make extremely uncomfortable by the weight of your student loan debt.
Michelle Showalter joined Scholarship America in 2007 and is an alumna of Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.
Materials taken from US News
No comments:
Post a Comment