Clark University Top Questions

Pick a school that your are comfotable with. If you are at a school where you don't feel as if you belong your academic performance will suffer. Regardless of the prestige of the college it is important that you feel it is giving you the ability build a life that you want to live. There's no reason why you shouldn't reach for you dream as much in college as after it, so pick a school that can help you with that. Its all about the experiance.

Many high schoolers feel pressure to choose the "right college," but I'm not convinced such a thing exists. The idea seems as unattainable as a soul mate, that one space within the world could be a "perfect fit." When selecting a schoolit's important to consider whether it offers the kinds of academic opportunities the student feels drawn to, making sure that there is room to explore a wider range of studies. Take into account, too, the type of person the school tends to attract. The people you meet will likely play a crucial role in your college experience. However, it is also important to consider where the college is located, and what type of space you live well in. If the idea of living in a city excites you, allow that to guide your decision. If you are looking to be a student who lives at school, there is nothing wrong with allowing that to be a strong influence in your decision. Once you get to school, I encourage you to do what you can to learn about and love your environment. A strong connection to the place you live in can greatly enhance your overall experience.

My advice to students is to go with your "gut". The biggest mistake people make is falling in love with a college on paper. You don't know if you will really like a college until you visit. My recommendation is to visit, eat in the dining hall, stop students and ask them questions; this is the best way to get a real view of the campus. If you feel comfortable while visiting, the odds are you will feel comfortable living there. One of the most important things to remember when you are looking at colleges is that, wherever you choose to go, you will likely be spending 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of your time there for the next four years, and it will help shape the rest of your life. When you go home for Thanksgiving break after going to school for a couple of months, you will know if you made the right choice because as soon as you get to your house, you will feel like you want to go home (back to college).

College is college, don't get too obsessed with presitge. You go, you work, you make friends. College time is the most glorious kind of time in the world. No matter what you'll find somewhere that is right.

I think the most important thing is to visit all the campuses that you are considering, and make an honest effort just to sit and observe for a half an hour, in the university center, or near a dining area. Try to imagine yourself there, and if you would feel comfortable in that setting for four years. Also, I would reccommend, if possible, to sit in on a class related to your major of interest. I sat in on a history class and if secured my ideas about the professors at the university, today that professor is my faculty advisor and the head of the history department at my university. In terms of making the most of your college experience, you must put yourself out there, and meet different people in order to find the friends that are most like you. I reccommend saying high to everyone in the bathroom freshman year!!! I really made all my friends in my freshman residence hall- and some simply just by smiling and saying HI!

Clearly, it is important to search thoroughly. Look for schools that specialize in the things you are interested in. If possible, visit the campus. Go on tours, sit in on classes, but also, find a spot where there is a lot of social activity and sit for awhile. You can get a good sense of the type of student who goes there just by watching them interact. Remember not to be scared away by people who are different from you. Sometimes they can make the best friends. Try smiling at people who walk by. Note if the majority smile back or not. If possible, speak with a current student and ask any questions you have. No question is too silly. Another thing to notice while you are on campus is whether there are notice boards and if they are full of reminders for activities. Some schools have so many extra curriculars going on that their boards are completely full. Others have only a few notices posted. Most important is what you make of the school once you are there. Wherever you go, you will find your niche so just make sure to have a possitive attitude and you will succeed!

Make sure the school is right for you, check out everything. look at academics, faculty, students, surrounding area, political views, and religious views.

I would definately advise students to visit the colleges they are interested in and if possible, to stay with a host student overnight. Also, remember that the name of the school really isn't that important. My school is not very well-known but it is basically perfect. I am so happy here and feel that it's a good academic fit for me.

To both parents and students: don't be discouraged if you don't make it into your first or even second choice school. This is not the end of the world. I was rejected from my two top choices and believed i would be miserable at Clark. Turns out, I have had the most amazing professors, met some great friends, and learned more in one year here than in the entire 4 years I spent at high school combined. Keep an open mind about wherever you end up...even if it is your first choice. We tend to get these preconceived notions sometimes that don't always meet our expectations and that can be disappointing...but I find most of the time it becomes a blessing in disguise. And as I have learned in my short time here at Clark, it's not always the biggest, best known schools that are they most life changing ones...oftentimes it's that little liberal arts school no one has heard of that will teach you the most about the world, life and most importantly: yourself.

Although it may sound a little weird, the best advice I could give a student about the college search is to be selfish. The student is the one who will be making the memories and living with the choice. Don't choose schools based on what your parents want or your friends expect. Find places to apply where you think you'll be able to succeed, thrive, and be happy. It's easy to get caught up in the name game and develop a list of schools that you think people will be impressed hearing about. It might be difficult, but don't go through the process with other people on your mind, think about what's best for you first and then what's best for your family in a close second. It's called YOUR future for a reason, you're in control of it and you're the one who gets to have the fun living it. College is an amazing experience and it's one that you can determine just by doing what's best for yourself.

Finding the right college: If you have some ideas of what you want to study, then try to pick schools that are good in those fields. If you have no idea, try to pick a school that is good for many things, which could be a big state school but does not have to be. Take a walk around campus and see how you feel. Staying overnight at the school might be very helpful as well; you can find whether you like the atmosphere there or not. Talk to students that go there and ask how they like their school's academics, professors, social life, etc. While at college, whatever you do, do not forget why you are there - to take classes. This is what you are paying for. Do not do too many extracurriculars or get too involved in your social life. You will not have enough time for classes. When you do well in your classes, you can get good recommedations from professors and you can get good internships. Also, take internships related to your field of interest! They will help get your foot in the door for jobs.

Students will always make the best of their situation. It is important to really find a school where you can see yourself for the next four years.

Finding a college that fits your needs goes beyond finding one that is an academic match; your future fellow students are what truly make the college a good fit. Of course, it is important to find a school that academically matches your needs and offers extra-curricular that stimulate and interest you. Also, the size of the classes and campus, caliber of the professors, and location of the campus are important. However, many colleges can meet the criteria one is looking for. What is really important, and how I chose my college, was the make-up of the student body. By this, I do not mean the statistics of race, percentages of males or females, or amount of international students. The feeling that you get from the students is what matters. Those are the people you will be with everyday. I visited many colleges that fit what I was looking for, yet, I did not feel comfortable as I walked amongst the students. For this reason, I think the best way to find a college where you will excel and make the most of your college experience, a college visit is imperative.

Parents and students who are looking to find the right college must visit as many colleges as possible. Visiting a school is the only way to get a true feel for the university. Students, especially those who have already been accepted to a school and need to make a decision about enrollment, should try to attend classes and even do an overnight stay at the schools they are seriously thinking about attending. To make the most of your college experience, try to get involved in your school from the beginning. Join clubs and keep the door to your room open, especially during orientation. This is the best way to make friends! Be sure to introduce yourself to a variety of people, during orientation and beyond. Be friendly and open to everyone, even those who seem to hold completely opposite views and opinions. You never know when the opportunity to see the world from a different standpoint may arise, and when it does, you should take full advantage of it. In general, keep aware of what is going on around campus to experience college to the fullest extent.

In order to find the right college, students have to take the time to visit potential schools.. This is one of the most important factors involved in selecting the right school. No matter how great a college looks on paper, it's good to see it in person. Colleges take the most beautiful pictures of the campus they can and put those on their websites instead of what the campus looks like on a day-to-day basis. I was extremely disappointed when my parents pulled up to my university for the first time and I had a good lookat it. I expected a closed campus with open lawns and sunshine illuminating the various trees. In actuality it was raining and it was tiny. I couldn't believe I had to spend the next four years here. If I had visited the university I probably would have changed my mind about attending. Visiting is one of the most important parts of selecting a college. After all, if a school offers top-notch education but is located in a swamp, it's doubtful students would want to go there.

Definately visit the school you are looking at and try to do an overnight if it is allowed for you situation. It really helped me find the school that was for me.

Always visit the campus before you apply. Also when applying to safety schools be sure you would be actually willing to attend them.

Make the most of your four years, they go by very fast!

Bring a car, explore the area around the school, ask the students what they think about the school not the tour guide.

Shop around, and remember that your mind can make a heaven of hell and a hell of heaven.

Do not go on name recogonition make sure you pick the place you feel most comfortable when you step on campus as this will be where you live for the next 4 years.

I have advice for both the students and the parents. First, for the parents. Yes, it is important for your child to pick a good school, but picking the school you think is best is not going to make this process easier. Your child knows whats best for them, and chances are, your child will know right away which school is right for them. Make your child do the research, and step in only to guide when asked. As for the students, dont panic! Use your resources, and take your time. You'll know right away when your find the right school. And like i told the parents: this is your job! Don't make your parents do this for you - this is your opportunity to show that your are a responsible student who can handle this type of situation. You know yourself better than them ,and you probably know better than anyone what's best for you now. Just listen to your instincts, and don't kill yourself over it! Save the stress for when you're actually in college! So take a deep breath, and go for it!

Wherever you end up, you will have a healthy college experience. Whether you're going to an Ivy League or a community college, every school has good and bad professors. You will struggle to make friends no matter how big or small the school of your choosing is. Everybody is scared their first few weeks of school, you are not the only one. Apply to a variety of schools even if you are not initially interested in all of them, it's good to see how different colleges work. In college, experiment with classes, take something you would have never imagined yourself taking in a million years. Be active; if you are not involved, you may not enjoy your college experience to its fullest. If you do not enjoy something you're doing, quit it and find something else that appeals more to you. Get your money's worth. Be open. Smile.

When chosing a school it is essential to visit the campus, there you will be able to feel the pulse of the school and can sense if you see yourself as part of this student body. Importantly you have to ask questions, even if you think you've read everything on the website and know all the answers, you need to ask students - they know the best. Ask what people do for fun, what options there are for things you enjoy. When selecting a school don't just visit the department you think you want to study in. You never know, half way through school you may change your major. Know what is out there, and walk around, see the place, a campus and the way students behave in public at their own school says a lot about the school, the students they admit, the values and the goals. Enjoy it, searching for college is stressful, but it can be very exciting and fun. If you chose the wrong school, remembe it isn't permenant, you can always transfer - its not a bad thing to do and often people are happy after. Do your research and have fun.