Philadelphia University Top Questions

Dear Andrea, Right now, in high school, you have it made. You have tons of friends, get near-perfect grades, are in great shape from playing sports, and are involved in many school activities. You tell yourself that you will stay the same in college, but you wont. It is going to take time to get adjusted to college. You won't make friends right away, and you will be out of your comfort zone and shy. But that depression mood that you sink into, you need to snap out of it. Try to go to the gym and not pack on the freshmen fifteen that you currently have. Attend all freshmen events so that you meet people. And please, go to your classes. Your grades should be A's, not the B's you are going to recieve. Most importantly, you are paying an extreme amount of money for this school, so make the most of it. Enjoy your life, you can only live it once. Love, Andrea.

I would tell my self to try out programs where high-schoolers can stay with a college student over-night to get a feel of the campus and the people. This would allow me to see how other students of the college interact with me and what the social atmosphere is like.

i would start by telling myself to relax. everyone is new at th school and feels exactly the same way you do. talk to everyone you meet and be friendly. go to any and all clubs/organizations that you are even remotely interested in. participate in any and all professional events and take advantage of the area in which your school is located. stay connected with people from high school but dont let it keep you from making as many new friends as you can in college. have fun and dont take yourself too seriously. it is ok to party and expirament with new things. most importantly be yourself and you will do just fine.

Find a school that answers your questions without having to ask them. In order to decide on a school, its program must astound you as much as its beauty. Always keep your professional future in mind when exploring schools as well as your social.

Finding the right college for you as the student and assisting the student as the parent is extremely difficult. The student needs to feel comfortable in the school environment, the area and the learning environment. It is important the student feels as if they will fit in and will be able to make the most of their college career. Also, the student needs to feel as if they will be as important as they want to be to the faculty and staff, this is important when determining the size of the college the student would like to attend. Making the most of the college experience all comes from feeling comfortable at the school of choice; does the school have the clubs and organizations, the sports and the facilities that interest the student? There are all important criteria to consider when choosing a school because the experience the student will have depends on these characteristics of the college. The deciding factor should be when the student walks around the campus, steps into the classrooms and the dorm rooms is if they can see themselves living and learning in the environment of the college.

When you are seventeen, your world revolves around typical high school stuff - the prom, sporting events, parties, homework, friends, and family. It seems like such a daunting task to face the prospect of leaving everything familiar to you and choosing the right college and major out of hundreds of possibilities. As I prepared to make this major decision, I had to really look deep into my own life and determine exactly what was imprortant to me. Was it venturing out completely on my own and choosing a school several hours away, or was it being able to spread my wings but still within a comfort zone? My advice to high school students would be to: a) visit as many campuses as you can b) do what feels right for you, and not your friends c) choose a campus that has more than one major that interests you d) be true to yourself - only you have the power to know what makes you happy. Listen to yourself and realize that you will be choosing your destiny for the next 4-5 years. e) enjoy the process and learn from every experience - good or bad

Parents and students who are searching for the right college and making the most of their college experience should visit as many schools as possible during their search. they should make a description of their ideal school and think about what clubs or activities they would like to be involved in during college. then, they should visit the schools and decide which one has the most qualities that are similar to the list they made.

In order to find the right college, the student must first give the college a chance. If they just show up and decide it is not the right college, they could be missing out simply because they choose to not accept what the school had to offer. To really know if the school you have choosen is right for you it is important to make the most out of your available resources. Becoming involved in sports, clubs, and extra curriculars will help you become more involved in the school community and allow you to branch out and understand the full potential of the school. If you decide you are comfortable with those activities and feel as if your making a difference while getting the most out of your education, then your bound to be in the right place and heading in the right direction. So my advice would be to get involved and give everything a try before you turn it down, because you never know, you might discover something new about yourself along the way.

When it comes to finding the right college and making the most of the college experience, parents andpotential students need to visit the schools and do some research. Also tty and visit the school during school hours so one can get the feel of the dynamic.

The advice I would give parents and/or students about finding the right college and making the most of your college experience is to be proactive and take initiative. The ideal college for most students is not going to just come and find you. You should begin your search as early as the summer prior to your junior year of High School. Compile a list of specific things such as a school's location (urban, rural, etc) , size (1,500 students - 40,000 students), travel distance, and overall environment that mirrors your learning style. Consider rank and costs but don't necessarily let that be an ultimate deciding factor for example Harvard may be $43,000 a year but most ivy league institutions offer need based financial aid and employ a debt-free education model of financial aid which include scholarships and grants with minimal or no loans. However for the money many students as well as faculty would argue that the best overall education may not be at a Havard - like institution but schools more like Penn State University. So do your research, consider all options, don't limit yourself and you will be fine.

Since I am a university ambassador, I regularly give advice to families about their college search. Definitely visit as many schools as possible, and learn about the whole school not just the program you're interested in. It doesn't hurt to give it a try and apply to schools you're not sure about. As far as the college experience is concerned, get involved! Join clubs, attend optional lectures, get an on-campus job, whatever can help a student network with the people who are a part of the university community. Freshman year is hard, it certainly had its ups and downs for me, but give new things a try and see what you can make out of it.

Dont rush yourself colleges always pressure you about the deadlines with loans and applications. If your undecided save some money and go to community college get a good gpa and transfer to a university thats got a good program for your major.

Consider not only the major you are currently pursuing, but also other majors that you may be interested in. I chose Philadelphia University because I was planning to major in Architecture, but now that I have changed my major to engineering, I realize that the program is a lot new, and I would have considered a few other universities had I known I would switch to engineering.

Always consider what you enjoy doing the most as a job or career or what you believe is beneficial for you to learn, then choose a college with a curriculum that you know you can afford and will benefit from. Another thing to keep in mind is to visit the campus and make sure it is the lifestyle you would enjoy living in for awhile, and whether or not moving far away from home is the right choice for you. It helps to narrow down your choices then make a pros and cons list of each school based on education, facilities, expenses, location and extracurricular activities availabe to you as a student. Always meet with Faculty and students if you have the chance to get a true feeling of each school, if a student doesn't have anything appealing to say, it probably wont be a great learning environment. Staying away from schools known for partying, drugs and violence is always the best idea as well.

visit the school before deciding. that includes seeing all of the housing options. It is okay to transfer. Get involved in activies and clubs.

Choose the college that fits your personality and your goals.

It is most important to find your passion and find a school that will connect you to that. Make a list of goals that you plan to achieve during your college experience ( aka. study abroad, internship, clubs and organizations, ect.) this will help to stay on track during your years and help make the most of it. Also make some friends that go to the colleges of your choice, it helps to know some people when you get there and also helps to get the true insight on how the school functions.

Comfort. Comfort can be found within the group of friends you make, the family that has raised you, and the environment in which you live. Comfort must also be found within yourself. Making the right college decision is based off of what makes one the most comfortable, the most likely to flourish and grow as an individual with the opportunity to be one's self. In order to make the most out of the college experience, one must open their eyes to all walks of life and various opportunities. A University that allows such growth and opportunity is one that teaches beyond the classroom. I chose to attend a University far from home, in a large city, and with no familiar faces. It was one of the best decisions. It forced me to make the most of this incredibly different and new environment . Starting fresh helped developed who I am today and has made me comfortable with myself. Choosing a college should not be based on the wants of friends or parents but where the student feels the most comfortable and can grow into a professional adult on their own accord.

Each individual prospective student needs to decide on their own what is best for them. To often parents try to make these decisions for children because they feel one college has more security over another, or similar cases. In order to gain a positive college experience, it begins with selecting the proper school. First you need to decide, "What kind of environment do I want to subject myself to?" Then you need to ask yourself if you want to attend a small or large school. This is important because smaller universities offer more personal learning environments with professors that make themselves available often to the student. The career you desire to pursue should ultimately help you decide which university is right for you, many universities focus on one aspect over another such as liberal arts, sciences, or design. Once you decide on your college or university, in order to make the most of it, first, you need to stay focused on your career goals which means your grades and dedication to your studies. Secondly, it's important to incline yourself to the atmosphere your presented with, making freinds and involving yourself with the campus and community is important for oneself.

I would first like to tell the parents that they make sure their child should figure out what they really want in a school and not just for picking a party school. If you are going to be paying the tuition money, make sure that the school is the right one for their child and what they want to be doing to get the most of their education. College is not just about work but it's also about social activities with friends in a safe way. College friends are the friends you keep for life. The experiences socially and educationally are the experiences you take with you for the rest of your life and you can take it to the job fields too. It helps for a team work effort within experiences throughout the college experience.

You first need to make sure the school is a perfect fit in terms of academic majors and requirements. Attending a school that specializes in your major is very imporatant. The next critical thing is the price to attend the school, attending the school needs to be realistic in terms of finances. Next is the size and location of the campus. You need to know whether you will be more comfortable at a smaller or larger school because class size and work load will have a great impact on your academics at a particular school. You also want the location of the campus to be in a setting and environment that you feel most comfortable with. It is also very important that after you narrow down your college choices you do campus visits and be sure the school really is what you expected it to be. After all of this and you find the perfect school next thing you should do is research on the school, academic program of your choice, and living arrangements so you will know everything you need to when it is time to move on campus and start your new college career.

Check out colleges that are different from each other to figure out what is best for you

Look for a school in an area that you want to live in first. There are a lot of great schools just about anywhere. If you go to the school that is the best for what you want to do with your life, but you're miserable in the area, then it's not worth it. You can get around basically everything that has to do with your school if you really want to, but what you can not get around is its location. I chose my school because it was in a city I wanted to live in. If this school was located anywhere else, I would be miserable. With all that the school upsets me about, I'm still happy because I'm where I want to be. I am getting a good education, but what makes it better is that it's in the city I want to live in.

Students, realize that college is your home for the next four years. Find a college that makes you feel comfortable and safe; yet gives you freedom to explore who you are and puts your independence at work (you can always depend on mom and dad over break). Give yourself a challenge and choose a school that might have multiple majors you are interested in. It is a lot easier to switch majors than to switch schools. When you finally find your school to make the most out of college, enjoy the corny social events they plan for freshmen...it may be silly/stupid but you can meet people and crack jokes with them while at the event. Get involved with organizations or at least go to events planned throughout the year...they are surprisingly very entertaining sometimes. Ultimately, be yourself, recreate yourself, and be who you always have dreamed to be. To the parents: support your child and do not give in when they call crying that they want to come home. Know deep down they are strong enough to do it without you and encourage them to stick with it, because in the end, they'll always come home.

Don't rush into a choice or put too much pressure on the process. Research your potential professional career and how well various schools can help you reach your goal. Visit the campus during formal tours and just on your own. Speak to students in your desired major. Watch a class in progress. When you find a college environment that fits you, you will know. Also, consider it from a practical and financial point of view. Many students find themselves deeply over-whelmed with current and future financial responsibility. Make sure you have a plan to address the student's needs.

Finding the right college is not a "one size fits all" process. There are so many choices a student can make when it comes to selecting the right college. That's the good news. It is also the difficult part in determining where to attend because the number of colleges can make a decision overwhelming. My advice is to narrow your choices using geography and size. Geography in the sense of not only where in the country you want to attend school but whether being near a large city is important. Once you have been able to determine geography, the student needs to assess what size school would be best and the benefits of both large and small schools. Making these two choices will narrow the field tremendously. Campus visits should provide you with what is most important- your gut feeling when you step on the campus. I firmly believe you will know when you have found the right school. Once you find the right school, it is up to the student to make the college experience- not the other way around. Becoming an active member of the college community is the most important way to insure a positive experience.

Be open and honest. What you want should be what you get. Don't not choose a college for the finances or it is missing one little thing that you want. Be open to the possibility that you will find something to keep you happy and go for it!

I would advise parents and/or students to do a lot of research about the schools they are interested in. visit the campuses and ask the administration plenty of questions. I also believe students and parents should look at majors similar to ones they are interested in studying. Sometimes the alternate major is a better fit than the one they were dead set on.

To parents and students about to commence the college adventure: When picking a college to attend, one must absolutely research such areas such as its location, safety, job placement, social activities, and most importantly, student's response to the campus. General concerns of course are to discuss safety issues due to location, how accessible campus is to home, and if this distance is ok with the student. The number of campus selections may vary due to availability of an intended major; however even in this aspect the prospective student should ask current students how they feel about the school. Doing this will give you absolute real information on campus routine, activities, social life, etc. Whether as a parent you want to hear these facts or not, the student will be the one interacting everyday with the campus and students, therefore will be susceptible to influence. If the decision is between a few schools, this ultimately should resolve the decision. The student will attend for 2-4 years, and the quality of everyday life as per campus influence should be as extraordinary as can be.

Search for the college that has the closest major to your interest. Work with your guidance counselor in high school to help direct you. Visit schools and apply early.

The first piece of advice I would offer to any incoming freshman is to actually research and visit as many schools as possible. I did not do this and ended up going through three colleges before I found the right one. I also believe that it is necessary to make as many friends freshman year as humanly possible as by the time senior year rolls around, you begin to wonder where your real friends are. The most important advice I have, though, is to go to class. Don't be the person that skips class twice a week or comes into class twenty minutes late every day. Other people don't like that; it's rude and distracting. You WILL actually learn something if you go to class, pay attention, and do a little bit of work outside the classroom. Don't be the person that everyone knows just from parties, be the person that everyone knows because they destroyed the curve or always have something interesting to say in class. Finally, go home every once in a while. Your parents miss you. I think.

Be open. The only way that you are going to be happy is if you are open to the choices around you. Students, sell the college to your parents and they may consider it more because they know you did the research. Parents, listen. Your child is making a decision about his/her life, not yours. Yes, it may affect you financially but you will thank yourself in the long run. Students, make the most of your time by getting involved. Your professors will know your name if they see it on a playbill or on the musical selection for the open mic night. You will never have an experience if you don't put yourself out there, you can't stay holed up in a dorm room playing WOW all day and expect to make anything of your college career. Play, Learn, Be!

The best advise i would give is to really find a place you love, give it all you got to do the best you can. Join organizations they help students make connections and it is easier to get jobs but most of all always believe that you can achieve anything never give up.

The college student must go out and make friends. It is important to be social, but not to the point where you forget who you are. Making mistakes is apart of life. College is all about making choices suitable for the future. This means, once you leave high school you are in the real world. Do not always count parents to help in situations. College is about preparation for real life sitautions. Always be ready to stand up for what you believe. Never be afraid to fight for what you need. If you know you got an "A" on that test but you got a "B", go after the higher score, never settle for less. Follow this advice and you will be a well rounded college student.

To find the right college, I would think about the way you work and how you work in an environment. Make sure you are not going to a big school just to have the big social life, but go to the school you know will help you in your education and career in the long run. Make sure your school is well known in the field you want to go into and that the professors are well trained in their field. It is imperative that the professors are well trained in what they do because they are the ones that help you learn and guide you through your educational experience as well as finding the career that fits you the most. Aside from academic, pay attention to the social life going on throughout campus. Keep in mind that you want to have a college that promotes a positive social life without the need of drugs or alcohol and has many on-campus activities to get to know the students around you and different cultural and political views so that you become a well rounded person.

Don't be afraid to go out of town or out of state. Going away for school has been a great experience. It is hard to leave your friends and family, but it gets you out there and you get to meet people and have experiences that you might not have had if you had stayed close to home. Go for your dream, don't settle for a school just because it's cheaper or closer. I transfered half way through my college career so I could go to the school I really wanted to go to on the other side of the country. It is much more expensive than my old college, but I'm finally in the major I want to be in and headed toward a career I actually want. Make sure you really reasearch the schools, and visit the campuses. You can learn a lot about a school by taking the tour and looking at the students around campus. Don't be afraid to ask questions either and really think about it. You can always transfer, but it really is easier to find the right school the first time.