Loyola University Maryland Top Questions

I think parents need to find a balance between letting their kids pick a school that is what they need and want in a school and also keeping them in check with reality. For example, as much as I am happy that I went to Loyola and got to go abroad for a year etc, I wish my parents would have made me more aware of the financial constraints this put on them and perhaps guided me towards only going abroad for a semester, or finding a school that would have been less of a financial burden. I was shocked when I had to take out loans my second semester of my junior year abroad and all of my senior year and I am paying for it now. There definitely needs to be good communication skills on both ends between parents & students of all factors when considering colleges. But keep in mind, ultimately, it needs to be a good fit for the student. If they are not happy at school, they wont' succeed. I am ultimately extremely pleased with both my and my parents decisions regarding my college experience.

Dont believe what the tour guides tell you, they mostly lie when they talk to you. Always talk to someone you know who goes there

Turst your yourself. You know what you want from a school and make sure that the school you choose has those things. Do not compromise and ask tons of questions on tours and of realy students. Ask the students you are not working for admissions--askk the kids you see in the eating lunch.

To do some soul searching. What do you value in yourself (or what should you value)? What school reflect what is most important to you? Get involved! Make the most of your college experience by trying new things- and I don't mean drugs.

For the students the most important step in the process of selecting the right college is visiting the school while it is in session. It is not beneficial to go during the summer when no one is there. Going during the school year allows an individual to get to know the true feeling of campus life, the type of people that attend the school, and the true size of the school. It is also wise to speak to a professor that works in the department that you are considering majoring in. This allows the student to better understand the expectations and the program that the college offers. In order to make the most of your college experience stay on campus and limit the amount of time you go home. You meet more people this way and build stronger friendships that make college much more fun. For parents, I recommend being supportive of the students choice but financially realistic. It is a difficult decision for the student and they need their parents support. But at the same time do not be afraid to suggest a similar school with a lower tuition cost if their choice is too pricey.

When considering which school to choose think about what activities there are to do on the weekend, for example, do you want a city. Another thing to keep in mind is the size of the classes. I love Loyola's small classes and how helpful the professors are which is mostly why I love the school. Think about whether you feel at home when you walk around or out of place. And finally when your child goes to the school make sure they are open to others and socialize as much as possible. Freshman year is the only time you can do that without feeling strange.

Make sure you look into what you want to major in before you pick a school, and the type of people you are choosing to surround yourself with. Also, find out if it is a bar school or a house party school, bar schools are a very expensive social life!

Think about it for as much as you can, but don't make yourslef crazy. Students,w hen making your final decision, think about laying in your bed the night before move-in day and think about where you'll be most excited to go. You're the one who has to live there, so you're the one who has to love the place

Make sure to look into the surronding area, it ends up being a lot more important than you may think.

Be yourself, branch out, go abroad!

I would tell parents to visit a few different kinds of schools. Schools of different sizes, religions and see what fits best with the student. Then once they've chosen a school, the student should get involved. It's really the only way to make friends and make friends with similar interests. If you stay in your room and only go to class, you'll never meet anyone and wind up hating the school. Schools are not that much different and you should try to make the most out of the one you've chosen because it's probably the best fit for you .

Parents and students should realize that students will find college an experience of self-discovery and personal growth, along with academic growth. Students should choose colleges that will help facilitate them in this growth by recognizing the factors they deem most important in their self-development. Examples of these factors are availability of religious programs, quality of sports teams, community service opportunities, networking possibilities, opportunity for social growth, and degree of academic challenge. Ask yourself: What kind of person do I want to be when I graduate, and what areas of myself do I want to focus on developing most during my college years? The answer to this question will vary significantly for each student, so determining your individual values and priorties will help you decide which aspects of college are most important to you. Remember, college can be an amazing experience, but it is ultimately an investment in your future. Therefore, look to the person you wish to see yourself as post-graduation in order to determine the direction you need to go in to get there.

The most important thing is feel. Unless the school has a notoriously bad program for the major you're interested in (or if it doesn't have one at all), you'll dofine wherever you go.

You have to go somewhere where you can be yourself and be happy to be there, always!

Honestly, really check to see if they have a strong program for what you what you want to study. If you have any idea about what you may want to major in in college, research whether the college youre looking at has it and how successful it is. I new i wanted to be Pre-Med and that was the number one factor when deciding between schools for me and my family. Second, a lot of prospective college students want to "go far from home". I was one of them. I ended up going to school a little over an hour away from home (driving) which isn't too far. I go home in the same state as I live. However, I never go home. It's close to home, but not too close. I thought my parents would be visiting me unexpectedly on the weekends. But they don't! My point: don't go looking for schools so far from home that you have to fly/take a pricy train trip. You can still get away by going to a school fairly close!

Make a lot of friends. Academics are important, but your social life is what you are going to carry with you for the rest of your life.

Find a place where you can be yourself, and easily identify with people who go there.

Fully research all programs taht are offered. Class size, campus aragangement, and other activities are all important to notice when looking.

People say that choosing the right college is the biggest decision of your life and that where you go will set your life's path. I agree that picking a college is a momentous undertaken, almost certainly up to that point in your life. But what will set your life's path will be the little decisions you make everyday, the decisions that will determine what you do with your time. College is where you learn the things that you need to succeed in your life, whether they are simply knowledge and methodology, or good friends and values. That is why its the little decisions everyday that matter the most, because over time our actions become habits and our habits become our character. The college we choose is important only if we make those everyday decisions to utilize all the good things colleges offer since a slacker at one college is little different then a slacker at another.

I did not follow the usual steps in completing my college search. My junior year of high school was the hardest time in my life, and my school work and social life were put on hold for health related reasons. That said, I was not focused on my college search. Which is kind of unbelievable to think now because it is such a huge decison to make. When i first chose to go to Loyola I was not thrilled with my decision. I thought the school was totally wrong for me. After being here for over a year I can truely say I could not have been more wrong. This school has taught me so much and changed my life path in so many ways. The college search was a bumpy path that everyone should take more seriously than I was able to. But, once at a school you can find a way to make it your own. It may not be clear as soon as you get there, but if you look you can find so many things that you never would have thought you would have enjoyed. Become involved! It really makes all the difference!

Find the right place, and make use of everything given to you by your college experience (friends, opportunity, FUN, connections, professional experience, memories)

do not choose a school based solely on it's reputation, I chose a top 50 school instead of a top 10 school and truly believe that I am happier here than i would be anywhere else.

Just go with it... Visit the school and determin whether or not you love it. That is all.

Choosing a college is a difficult decision. After all, if you're choosing a college far from home, you are essentially choosing a new home. It's especially important if you are choosing a college that no one you know attends - but it means that you can reinvent yourself. If you were shy in high school, for example, then in college you can break out of your shell, and no one would guess that you were once so shy. But a lot of it depends on what your college experience was like. You have to make sure that you feel as though you could see yourself walking through the campus, attending classes, and socializing. College is a new culture and a new life. Talk to as many people as possible and learn the CONS of the college as well as the pros, which will always be presented first. Ask questions, talk to students. And make sure you visit the campus when it is in session - it's the only way to see the campus in its true light.

The most important things for students to consider when choosing the right college are what they want to gain from their college experience, what kinds of activities they want to be involved in, and what kind of people they want to be around. Identifying these elements and then finding them in a college is essential to a great college experience. It's important for the student to find a place where he/she will feel comfortable yet challenged and not to choose a college for the wrong reasons (e.g., solely financial reasons or what a parent wants). College is a time when a young adult grows and becomes the person he/she will be for the rest of his/her life, and therefore, choosing a place that will foster and nurture this growth should be done with careful consideration. Once students find their perfect match, they can make the most of their time at college by taking advantage of the enriching cultural and academic environment that college offers. They should actively pursue the opportunities available and embrace the college life by learning from their academic community, becoming involved in programs that interest them, and contributing their talents and ideas.

Visit the college before making any decisions. Make sure to visit during the school year when there are students around campus. See if you feel comfortable there. Do you feel at home? Do you see yourself hanging out with the people around you? But be honest with yourself. Are these the people you wish you hung out with, or really would see yourself hanging out with? Would you be comfortable or always feel the pressure to act a certain way? The main thing is to be honest with yourself about who you are. There are many great schools around, but not all of them are right for everyone. Make sure that you think about these questions before you go on your visit and examine them while there. Don't try to reinvent yourself becuase you'll never feel at home at that school. Just be who you are and be honest with yourself about it.

When looking for a college find one thing that means the absolute most to you. If it is whether you major is offered simply focuse on those schools that have it. If it is size don't attempt to make yourself fit into a small school if a big school is what you wanted or vice versa. I desired to go abroad and went to a school that was well known for the options it provided and the ease of which you can plan your academics around this. I was able to go abroad and it has made attending Loyola completly worth it. The other things that do not mean as much to you can easily be adjusted to and looked over if you are able to get the one thing that is ideal for your college experience. Transfers from college tend to happen because someone tried to fit themselves into somewhere that wouldn't fit. In addition, money is a concern for attending college but as someone who has a ton of student loans I can attest that the amount of which you go into debt is worth getting the education and your number one thing from college.

I believe that finding the right college for you is not about the standings of their acceptance rate, or where they fit into the yearly edition of America's Best Colleges. Fidning the right college for you is not knowing who you are and thinking you fit that colleg's "mold." Because believe it or not as a senior you don't know who you or where you should be. All you know is how you feel at that moment. That is why I believe a vital step to finding the right college is visiting many and just asking yourself how you feel walking acros the campus. I knew Loyola College was for me not because what my guidance counselor told me about it, but how I felt a I walke across the academic quad for the first time. And that feeling is assured ech day as I walk across taht same quad.

My advice would be to do all of the research that you can. Visit the school, talk to the professors, and make sure you talk to some upperclass students. Talking to students who have gone through their freshmen year and experienced the same issues when trying to find the right college really aids the process. Finding out everything you can about a school can really help in deciding if it is right for you and relieve loads of stress when your freshmen year starts. Above all, make a list of things your looking for in a college and make sure the college that you chose has the most from that list. There are many choices and there is no reason that you cannot find the college of your dreams. You just need to look.

PIck a college and town that wil make you happy. The surrounding town and other collgeges will be important becuase you will have to interact with it eventually. Visiting is very important because you sometimes just get a feel for the college which is more important than ever. If you happen to be financially secure then these are the major things to think about, but for then most part the cost is a big factor unfortunately. Find schools that give nice financial aid packages or a state school. No matter where you end up it is up to you to find you niche and make it your own. You can find the best out of anything!

Do not go by what everyone else is doing or saying is the right decision for you or your child. Look for colleges that provides a muiltitude of majors that your interested in, research what students say about the college , find out about student bonding experiences such as trips and orientations remember that the people you meet here may very well make your entire college experience worthwhile, remember that academics are the reason your attending college so be sure to research faculty credentials, rankings, and overall methods of teaching. and most important of all, do not stress after the applications are submitted, what will be will be and with the right outlook anything is possible and your college career will be unforgettable.