Elizabethtown College Top Questions

Think long and hard about the cost of your education compared with the availability of your major: don't go to an expensive private school when you can get a liberal arts degree most anywhere. Graduating with a degree in education and $80,000 in debt isn't worth it. State schools offer excellent programs for a fraction of the cost of their private counterparts.

Go on a tour of the school and do a stay over. It will give you the best experience with seeing how you feel about actually being there. Don't be afraid to make lots of new friends. Sometimes the ones you make at the beginning of the semester aren't the best ones for you, and you may feel lost. By having other friends, you can find where you fit and really enjoy your time.

Visit all your choices more than once, and not only on perspective student days. You'll feel the fit when you are on the right campus

Finding the right college may seem like a daunting task, but don't get too overwhelmed. There are hundreds of colleges and universities out there, and each cater to a different crowd. Be sure to identify colleges that will match your needs. Think about what your priorities are for your education, and what characteristics you?re looking for in a school. Consider cost, location, size of the student body, strength of the curriculum and availability of extra-curricular activities. Use sites such as Collegeboard.com to compare. Staying over night at a prospective school is the best way to see if it?s a good fit for you. Once you decide on a college, be sure to immerse yourself in a variety of activities and take advantage of everything they offer.

I would suggest talking with students who are not being paid to give tours or represent the college. They will be able to give you a realistic idea of what the college is really like. They can give you both sides of the story whereas college employed students may only present one side. My advice to students is to really think about what YOU want out of college, not your parents or anyone else. College is about gaining an education to enhance career opportunities. You have to be true to yourself and really figure out what you plan on pursuing after college.

STAY OVERNIGHT before making your decision. You can get a lot of information about a college from staying overnight, and getting an overall sense of how it would feel for you to be attending that school. Visit multiple times, if you can. Try to go on a day when the college isn't schmoozing you with food, gifts, or other things, such as on an open house day. Visit on a regular day to see what really goes on.

Start the search early, and take the time to carefully consider each college. It's where you'll be living and learning for the next four years. Make the most out of every day- take the chance to explore on your own, make new friends, join clubs, get a job, study real hard but have fun. Take nothing for granted.

Look at as many colleges as possible and have an idea of what you want in a college. You do not need to visit every single college, just look online and ask friends or others about it. When you find the right college, you will know. Try to let the student choose where to attend and not where the parent wants them to go. It is better if they go where they want because then they will have a more positive experience.

College is a life experience. It is not solely an academic institution, a career preparation, or a social experience, rather a combination of all three. I think the biggest mistake that parents and students make when searching for a college is focusing on one of those aspects and not the big picture. Yes, the academic reputation of a school is important, but if students do not feel comfortable in or are not satisfied with their environment they are likely to have that affect their grades. A student who chooses to go to the same college as a friend, or significant other may find themselves at an institution that does not offer the major they desire. Parents and students need to look for colleges that fulfill the needs of the student in all three areas and not just one.

Just go with the college that you just feel right on when you visit and talk to the people on campus. Make sure the school is reasonable with their cost and financial aid, however. You do not want to be paying back student loans for the rest of your life. Small class sizes is also very important to direct your education in a way that is most beneficial for you. Also, try and have as much fun as possible while not going too crazy and getting in trouble--it really is one of the best times of your life.

In order to find the right college, you really should do and overnight. Most colleges have overnight programs where you can stay with a student, go to their club meetings with them, go see the sites in town, and eat with them in the dining hall. You really get a firsthand look at what defines life on campus at that particular school. You should also sit in on a class of your particular major and go on a tour of the facilities with your parents. Dorm and Classroom quality can have a serious impact on your ability to learn. Furthermore, to make the most of your college experience, you have to consider it a time of re-identity. In college, you are no longer bound to the reputation you earned in high school. Be exactly who you want to be, not who your friends conform you to be. Finally, take advantage of all the benefits the school offers. Often tutors, academic counselors, and professor one-on-one advising is often covered in your tuition, so there is no reason not to take advantage of it. If you really want to succeed, you can't be afraid to ask for help.

Honestly, finding a school that is right for you has to do with only one thing, find a place where you feel like you will fit. You need to be comfortable in the school setting, you will be spending the next four years of your life here. Walk around campus, not with a tour guide, not with your parents, but on your own. See how the students interact with you. Do you like that reaction? Eat in one of the campus eateries. Could you see yourself eating this food everyday? Find out about different living options on campus. Make sure you see a dorm room, and more importantly, a dorm room bathroom. You will be living here; make sure you are comfortable with everything you see. All in all, just find the place you fit in. If you fit in, you will be happy.

Don't ever think that money can keep you from doing whatever you have your mind set to. Most colleges will work with you to offer a great financial aid package, as well as inform you of possible government assistance. And don't forget about students loans! Just be sure to fill out all of your paperwork on time and pay any all of your bills on their due date! This will boost your credit rating and hopefully will allow for a much easier (and lower interest rate) loan approval. Once you're safely and securely in that special college, remember: it costs an ungodly amount of money to attend this school and every class you don't go to is like tossing your cash out the window. The same goes for your credit load. You're paying for 18 credits whether you take that amound or 12. Remember: It's ONLY four years and you can do it!

Make sure you know what you want to get college. Figure out if whatever school is the one that will help you get what you want. Visit the potential schools on a school day and weekend possibly more than once.

I would tell them to search every where and think about all possibilities. I did not even look at the school I am at now at first because of its location. But I love it because of its location now and the offerings we have.

The best advice I could give parents and perspective students is that it should be the student making the decision. Parents may think that they know their child well, but they need to allow the student to decide what is best for them. For students, it is truly important to know yourself, by this I mean do you enjoy crowds? Do you like to know everyone? Do you like to talk with professors one on one? How important is nightlife to you? Most of my friends from high school who went to college and ended up coming home did not spend enough time visiting the school and picturing themselves there. Know yourself and make the best decision for you, not anyone else.

Take the time and research the different schools that you are looking at. Go to the schools have a overnight or a weekend visit. when you do pick the school you want, your freshmen year, do not stay in your room. Become involved, join groups, clubs. Make new friends.

My advice to high school sudents is to "BE YOU"! You want a college to accept you. Yes. But more importantly you want to be accepted for who you are and all you've accomplished. When you're being interviewed don't play a role or put on a fake image of the person you think the college is looking for. Tell the truth. You won't have to prepare as much and it's easier to remember. When I was interviewed I said "I listen to country music and I enjoy reading a good book now and then." It turned out being myself paid off because the interviewer liked country music too. All parents should worry about their children getting into college. It's one of the biggest steps in their life that will take them into adulthood and shape their minds for the future. Parents are a driving force for high school students to even think about attending college. A child's goal in life is to make their parents proud and one way they can do that is to get into and graduate from a great college. My advice is to help your child make you proud.

My advise to prospective students and their families would be to look at numerous college a long time in advance before the student graduates high school. There are so many colleges out there for a young adult to choose to attend, and it is important for a student to look at many schools to see what he/she actually is looking for in a college. The positive side to looking around at school a long time before the student graduates is that he/she can find their favorite colleges and apply for early admission so that they are eligable for the greatest amount of grants the school has to offer.

Be a part of the decision making process. Guide your son or daughter but do not make them go to the college of your choice. If at all possible stay for a weekend at that college.

For those looking at colleges now, I would definitely recommend visiting the colleges you are leaning toward the most. If an overnight stay is permissible then that is even better. After getting to college, join clubs because they help introduce you to your peers outside of class and it is easier to get to know them.

I would advise students to search out colleges that provide majors of interest to you - even if not the "exact" major you are looking for. You're still very young and most likely not positive about "what you want to be when you grow up"! If you have been fortunate enough to grow up in an environment of happiness (home, family and activities ) then search for a college in an environment that closely resembles that. If the opposite is true with regard to your upbringing - then look for a school that offers what your home life did not. For parents - I would advise you to be involved in your son or daughters life long before this important decision making time. Then you will be able to act as not only an "advisor" but as a confidant as well. Encourage your child to a field and environment you feel they will prosper in (socially, academically and personally - not JUST financially), but in the end - AND IN GOOD FAITH - let them know it is their decision and you will be behind them 110{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} (even if you have to "hold your breath" and "cross your fingers" - without letting them know - at first).

First to have a good idea about what you would like to do or become. Know whether you want to be in a big school, small school, diverse school, or good school and do lots and lots of research. I would advise spending a weekend and a day when classes are taking place, so that you have a better idea of how the college or university is. I would advise finding all the information you can about financial aid, tuition, and so on. Find out about things that would interest you inside and outside the classroom, so you won't find yourself sitting in your dorm room all day. Basically, find out all of the necessary things that will assist in keeping you happy and what you will need to do to reach graduation and overall success at what school you'll attend.