Loyola University Chicago Top Questions

Make sure you tour plenty of colleges. There different sizes, types and locations when it comes to universies. Also, allow your child to shadow to get an example of day to day life at each university. make sure you feel comfortable and learn as much as you can about both the acadamec opportunities as well as social opportunities. Treat school like a job devoting hours to studying, but allow for social time as well to prevent burn-out. Have fun and enjoy yourself. they are the best years of your life where you shape who you will become. College is a wonderful learning experience, and don't be afraid to try new things, whether it be food, clubs, music... Its your chance to experience the world uninhibited. Love what you do and experience as much of your university as you possibly can. The resources at your fingertips are invaluable and it would be prudent to make the most of them.

It is the student's decision, not the parents'. Choosing the right school really is crucial to having a great college experience. Go where you feel comfortable. Stay open-minded. Maintain a balance between your social life and your academic one. Talk to as many people as you can. Remember, sleep is optional. Explore your environment. TALK TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN. Keep a smile on your face. These are the best times of your life -- I can't express that enough. You're free to be your own person. Live in the moment. Enjoy.

Go to the college first; explore the campus and see what educational programs, extracurriculars, and research or internship programs they have to offer and make the decision from there. It will definitely be worth it instead of randomly choosing to go to any school you get into.

Make sure they visit the campus, and if possible, spend at least one night there. Try to explore the campus, and talk to all the student about their experiences, and ask them specifically if they have encountered things that you are either looking for, or dop not want from your school. Try not to just focus on academics; if that's all you look at, you might burn out too soon. Social and extra-curricular activies give you the gas required to perform academically. After the decision has been made, when the student goes to orientation, I highly recommend that he make as many contacts as possible and stay in touch with them through facebook, phone, etc. The more people you know coming into college, the easier the transition is! When you do get to school, try not to get too sidetracked by all the social activities. While they are there for your entertainment, your sole purpose is studying. Find a place where you can really study, and go there often to finish off assignments earlier during the day. That way you have time to socialize at night and are less likely to skip assignments.

Consider carefully, and always do your best the first time around. Do not rely on being able to bring up your grades.

Be as picky as you would like about school: whether you want the school to be closed or open, all males or all females, division 1, or 2, or whatever. Finding the right type of school helps you with your studies, whether you believe it or not. The environment can easily have an affect upon your studying. Also, be as involved as possible! Make friends with people in your classes because they can help you with notes or anything else you need. You'll be surprised to find that a lot of people are pretty nice. You might also not want to take a lot of credit hours your first semester. It's going to be a difficult transition into the college life so you should take it easy. And the last and final thing, HAVE FUN!

College really is everything that you make it. Always leave time for homework, but make sure to join organizations or sports teams. Even if you had the worst professors and the worst classes, the college experience is something that can never be replaced or outdone.

Spend a day at the school talking to the students to see what they think the pros and cons of the school are. If you start each day with a positive attitude and optimistic viewpoint, you will notice all the great things life has to offer rather than the downsides of everything. If you don't like something about your college, do something about it and try to change it. Your college experience is what you make of it, so go out and participate in your community and extracurriculars instead of spending all day in your dorm room. Make friends with similar interests and goals who will help steer you on the right track to who you want to be and will be there for you when you have doubts and want to give up. Listen to what advice your upperclassmen have to offer and make sure to share what you learn with those younger than you.

make sure if you cant afford to help you student let them know before hand so they arent stressed in the middle of the school yaer.

A college visit is very important. You are able to see the facilities for yourself and to talk to actual student. A college visit can also make the college-choosing process more real for prospective students and can often help to get them pumped for school or make up their mind if they are thinking about multiple schools.

Go with your guy instinct. I loved Loyola the moment I toured the campus. I even didn't get the most financial aid here, but I still came and it was so worth it. A lot of my friends from high school went to a certain school just because they got a scholarship or great financial aid, but they weren't happy. I am paying for college on my own and I am so much happier to be at a school that I knew I would like. Plus, you are likely to succeed more in college if you are happy!

I have always thought that I would want to live far away from home. I wanted new experiences, new friends, new everything. Then I started applying to colleges and though I didn't really want to go to school near my home, I agreed to at least apply to some. When I found out I got into Loyola, a university half an hour away, I was a little skeptical. But I visited Loyola and immediately fell in love with it. What made me change my mind? The surroundings, the professors, the people... The whole atmosphere of the school was amazing and I immediately loved it. I think that the advice that I would give to parents and students is to not focus on how far or close it is from home. Instead concentrate on how comfortable you feel at school, the education you will receive and the people that will surround you for the next 4 years of your life. No matter where you go to school, you will meet new people, have new experiences and even find new things in a city which you may have lived in your whole life. I did and I love my new experiences!

Rather than choosing a school for its name, absolutely make sure that you've visited the campus during the school year when they are students there. Apply for as many scholarships as possible. It may seem like you don't have a change at getting them, but many people think the same thing and don't apply. Get involved. Don't join too many clubs, though. You want to make sure you have time for school work and social life.

make sure your visit the college first, and speak to people who currently attend there.

Talk with almni.

get involved

Make sure you actually go visit the colleges. Don't just choose one based on the pamphlets you recieve in the mail. When you visit the college that is right for you trust your gut feeling. You will know which one feels right. Also talk to current students and see what they think the best and worst aspects are of the school, you will find out alot of helpful information to aid you in making your decision. When you do find the right school, be outgoing. It is not unusual for students to knock on random doors and introduce themselves. This is very helpful for meeting people, even if it does seem a little strange at first.

When I first started attending Loyola University Chicago I hated it. I didn't really know what I didn't like about it though. I loved being near a big city like Chicago where there's always something to do, I loved that campus was always busy but not crowded, I liked my classes and my professors, I made a couple of good friends, but I was absolutely miserable. In the end it turned out that I was just homesick; however, the best decision I ever made was to stick it out for a little while. Eventually I got used to being away from my friends and my little brother and started having all the fun that I knew I should be. The best advice I can give to parents and students searching for the right college is to start with the basics. Think about the size of school you want to be at and what sort of area or neighborhood or city you want surrounding it. Eventually the rest will fall in to place, even if it takes a little time.

To all the students looking for a college, Loyola is a good school when it comes to college experience. But honestly, there are way better schools out there.

Make sure you consider the cost.

My advice would be to start looking as early as possible. Deciding what to study is not the main focus, rather focusing on the environment is more important. Most universities will offer degrees in whatever interest you develop, and you are very likely to develop new interests after taking basic classes, so by focusing on environment you do not limit yourself. In terms of making the most of the college experience I would say one of the most important things to do is to try and meet and become friends with as many different people as you can. Learning about a person, especially someone different from yourself is one of the best ways to expand and improve yourself, and it is alot of fun. I've never regretted introducing myself to anyone, but I have often regretted not doing so.

Even though finding the right school seems like a stressful task, do the research! Visit multiple times; find out what current students have to say about the schools you're interested in; ask yourself, "Is this the right place for me?" Don't settle! Tuition is expensive--get your money's worth! Don't stress about your major going into college, but have some sort of idea of what interests you. College is all about finding an equal balance between work and leisure. Make the best of your situation, and have fun!

First of all, I would suggest having an idea of what you want to do. Secondly, see how much financial aid is offered to each student on average. Thirdly, research the staff and find out what students have to say about the school. Lastly, check what's around the campus. Sometimes when you're homesick or just plain tired of studying, a good night out is all you need, but it also helps if it is near campus.

be sure to visit the school first.

Visiting a college should be a comfortable experience. That doesn't mean you have to love every single detail, but you have to foresee yourself living and learning at that certain school. Decide one, two, or three things that are the most important to you in deciding college and focus on finding those. Once you are at college, join clubs and do things you wouldn't normally do, like an AIDS walk, where you can meet as many people as possible who vary in ideas, goals, and perspectives than you. Focus on your school work but remember to take breaks and have the best time possible. College can be the best or the worst experience of your life, it is totally influenced by what you decide to give your time to. Just make sure that you remember wherever you go, if you make the best of it, you can't go wrong.

I would tell parents and students not to choose a school based on location or what promises the admissions department uses to get you to attend their school. I would talk to students who attend the school, but are not involved in the student ambassador program. I would tell them to get a "real look" at the college by talking to just the average student to learn of their experience. I would also tell the person to research their possible majors and make sure the school has exactally what the student may be interested in.

Make sure to visit the schools at least once, more than once if you can (depending on location), because after you see multiple school going back to the "favorites" really helps in making a decision... Make sure that, once you are at school, you go out and meet people. Be outgoing! Have fun (but be safe)! Also, DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO BE ON GOOD TERMS WITH YOUR ROOMMATE/S! Good Luck!

It is imperative to do a college visit - don't just pick your school based on the brochure. And, when you visit the school don't just take the guided tour. Ask other students you come across on campus what they like/don't like about the college because the students who are giving the tours have pre-made answers for about all of your questions and it's their job to sell the school to you. If you ask just some random student there you might get different answers that will tell you more about the college you are considering.

In order to follow a career in college, make sure your student makes college visits and checks colleges online by making the best choice. To select the right college, you must know what you are looking for in a college so make sure you take a compatability test to indicated the best colleges for you.

Apply to as many colleges as you want. Before applying, so to websites and request information. A lot of colleges send out free or online applications for free, so take advantage of those. Go look at the colleges you're interested, you'll know the right college when you see it and spend time there. Don't be afraid to take your time and always have a backup plan.

Visit, and talk to as many people as possible. Understand what it is you want out of a university: from academics, to a social life, and certainly location. At 16 or 17 it is hard to have enough experience to understand what you want, but do you research. You are likely paying a lot of money to go to one of these places, make it the one that fits you best.

College is an experience. Yes, you are learning and preparing to get a job, but make sure you pick a place where you can develop your social skills and have a wide variety of new experiences. Your resume will only get you so far in obtaining a job. You also must impress and connect with the person you interview with. It is the experiences you have had in life, not just the grades and the classes, that make you desirable to a potential employer. So take advantage of this time in your life when you are allowed to be selfish and experience as much as you can. When looking for the right college, make sure it is an environment where you feel comfortable and that offers many new experiences.

Just go with your heart

When I was looking at colleges, I read a lot of books and magazine reviews to find which school would be the best fit. Although these resources did help me to narrow down my choices, visiting each school I was considering allowed me to make a well educated decision. No matter how many satistics you read about the school's incoming freshmen, retention rates, or faculty-student ratios, nothing gives you a better idea of a school than visiting it. Some schools I visited had impressive architecture and state of the art science resources, but the student body did not seem united and campus life seemed bland. Visiting schools helps you to get the best feel of what the students and campus life are like. Once you have chosen a school, it is important to get involved in order to make the most out of the expereince. Every school has great things to offer so don't just sit in your dorm room watching movies. Get out on campus! Join organizatons, find a place to volunteer, introduce yourself to new people, and learn more about the subjects you care about! College is what you make of it!

Definitely visit the school and if you can spend the night with a current student. Make sure the school is affordable to you and that you feel safe in the area. Do not pick a school because that is where your friends are going. Go to the school that feels the most right in every aspect. I knew Loyola University Chicago was right for me because I love the city.

One can never know if the school they choose will be perfect for them. It is all about taking a chance and knowing that everything happens for a reason. Choose a school that feels right during the visit. Yes, many may consider going to college arduous. One is stripped of all familiarity and dives into an unknown location far from one?s comfort zone. Thoughts of uncertainty may arise as one feels essentially naked in this new situation, and challenging courses have the ability to make one feel inept. However, despite the difficulties, going to college and making new friends while learning to live on your own is one of the boldest, most exquisite, and rewarding experiences one can ever encounter. To make the most of the college experience, go out and explore the city. Education is not limited to the classroom, you can learn just as much, if not more, outside of campus. Above all: Have fun!

Students: when choosing your future college, make sure that EVERYTHING there will help you succeed in life. Do not attend a particular school merely because your parents attended it or your friends will be; go to a school because it has available resources to enable you to discover your future self and have the ability to benefit you wholly. Know your interests when choosing a school whether or not you know what you would like to do with your life, i.e. career. College is incredibly expensive so choose wisely! Visit various campuses, interview current students, sit in on classes that you could possibly enjoy, and talk to counselors!

To be wise. Choose a path, DO NOT wait until junior year.. Know what you want and work, work, work.. because no matter where you go, there will be competition... not just within the school, but within the state, and country... and if you waste college time and money partying, you wont get very far... learn to balance your education and leisure

I would tell both the parents and the student that he or she should attend a university that is affordable. Yes it's true that most of us want to go to a prestigious school to impress others, but most of the time these universities tend to be very expensive. It's all worth it in the end, but sometimes not enough financial aid is given to those that really need it. Also I would say that it's ok not to know what he or she might want to major in because he or she will find that out by taking different classes. PIck a major that he or she is interested in and don't try to major in something just because your parents want you to. Pick something that interests you because you'll waste less time and save more money that way.

I would tell them to choose a place that has the perfect balance of academic integrity and a social life that appeals to the student. The tuition should not be a factor in choosing a university. The experience and education students get out of college should not have a price tag on it. Parents and students should be willing to keep tuition out of college decision making and they should be willing to make the proper sacrifices and take the proper actions to make the school affordable if it isn't.