Quinnipiac University Top Questions

get involved on campus. and make sure when looking for colleges, that the kids are around on the weekend and its not empty on the weekends.

Let the student decide what they like, dont force them into something that they will not like or else they will not adjust and do well. Look at a lot of schools, visit them, go on tours, do your research.

Researching the academics, location and campus scenery are all important factors to consider when seeking the perfect college, but I would advise future students and their parents to not overlook the student body. When I was searching for my perfect collegiate fit a few years ago, I wrongly assumed that every school would have an appropriate level of diversity--I would easily find friends wherever I went because I was bound to click with someone. How could a college not be diverse? I mean, students were coming from different areas with different socio-economic status and different ethnicity...right? Though it is true that I found students from all different backgrounds, some social standings, ethnicities and geographic areas are more prominent than others. Every school has a personality and it is important to delve into each potential school's persona before deeming it "right". Shadow a student for a night to ask questions and get an insider's view of the student body. Remeber: it is you peers that will shape your college experience. If you fit well with the general students' personality, you will feel free to let your own persona shine as an individual in a larger environment.

Parents and students should make sure that they find a school where the student feels comfortable and thinks they will be happy. The name of the school is not always as important. I have many friends that went to schools purely based on reputation or rankings and were not happy, which resulted in the student deciding to transfer. As long as the student is doing well in their classes and is happy, then they should be grateful and happy with the decision they made.

I encourage every family to visit the school, and if possible, take advantage of any opportunity for a potential student to shadow an undergraduate. This will enable them to see if they really connect with the setting. Be sure to research the dorms and meal plans as well because both can really make or break a college year.

I think that you have to be true to your self - don't pick a school based on the fact that it has a great reputation. For example, don't go to Harvard just because it's Harvard. If you have a major in mind that they don't offer, you're going to get a better education at a lesser known school. You will get "the feeling" about one or more campuses - follow that gut instinct! It may not be while you're visiting the campus, it can happen at any point. I'd suggest narrowing your options down to a few, then visiting those few campuses several times, talking to some students and following them around for the day to get a feel for what it's actually like to attend the college. Most importantly, have fun!

It is very important to visit and research schools before you think that they're the school for you.

Take your time. There is no rush to find the perfect college. Talk to students and get a feel for the campus. Be open minded. Do your research. When you finally decide and enroll, walk around campus with a smile and the mindset that you are being educated to help make the world a better place.

If there's a school that is very important to you, stick with it. Even if you're not immediately accepted, you may find it better to wait a year to get into the school, than to go for a second choice that you're not entirely sure about.

Don't pick a school based on its appearance. Also make sure you and your student understand how student loans work before racking up too much debt.

Make sure your student is picking the college or university that is right for the way they learn. It is true that where you get the diploma from can still make or break you in the real world, but you might not be learning what you really need or in the way you need it. Make sure they take advantage of what the school has to offer them (library, career services, tutoring, etc...). Make sure they talk with their professors, not only can they provide a good recommendation after you graduate, but they can also give you more insight into what the student really wants to learn and can go beyond what is taught in class.

Find a college that is right for you. Make sure to get active and create good friends and be active in the community. The right college is one that should fit your needs and one in which you could picture yourself there. Ask the students on campus how they like it and make sure that you figure out whats important for instance the size of the class the particular major you like and what they do for fun. All these things will be of great help and in order to make the most of your expierence you need to be involved otherwise you never gave the college a chance, see what programs they offer and get involved.

Be yourself. If you have doubts or concerns do not go. Take chances but don't regret anything. Look around and find someone who looks, talks, dresses, or is similar to you. See how they interact with other students when on tour. When applying do not believe the pictures or the big words they say, that is to draw you in. Look to yourself when you look at your schools. This is your future and if you do not respect the time and research you put into it you'll pay for it with down years in your like.

Find a place that has a good program, looks well kept, and where you feel comfortable. About starting college, get involved from the start, don't put that off. People I see transfer out are people who don't put any effort into becoming involved on campus and find things they are passonite about. By getting involved from the first day I started college, I have meet so many new people and have found some of the best friends that will be with me for life.

The best thing for a student to do would be to spend a weekend at their school of interest. See if you can pair up with a current student and they can show you a typical academic day in classes and a typical social weekend. I believe that this is the only way to get a accurate balance of the school's two environments.

Give everything a chance. Just because something is new doesn't mean you are going to hate it. Make sure you are open to everything -- new opportunities, new people, new places and get involved in all that you do.

In order for students to find what they want and what excactly fits them it is important to look and tour all of the schools that you are interested in and don't stop at the first one! I fell in love with the first school I went to, but my current, top choice, was the last school I went and saw. It is all about putting yourself on that campus and picturing yourself walking the halls, if you can do that, you found your school!

Make sure to make more than one visit & try to spend a day there as a student. You could even find people online that attend the school currently and ask them some questions about how they like it

Make sure the school you go to fits, engages, interests, intrigues, and even challenges, YOU. YOU. YOU. YOU. That is, don't pick the school your parents want, your boyfriend/girlfriend wants, or even your grandparents want. Maybe your parents are paying, but YOU, only YOU, are going to be there the better part of 4 years, and you want to make it as satisfying as possible.

The size of the school matters a lot especially with classroom size and help from teachers. The location is a big part as well. The program you are looking for is important. Diversity may be an important factor. You need to go visit the school because once you see the college you want to go to you know right away. Something about it will just feel right and you will know you are supposed to go there.

The only advice that I would give a high school senior (or junior) who is applying to college is, work hard but be calm and try to enjoy the experience. That advice is not directed to parents because it is not their place to decide their childs college. Although, as an applicant it is important to listen to your parents advice - even if your a head strong teenager, its true what they say about parents, more often then not they do know best (and they write the checks). When you make the decision to go to a college it is probably the biggest gamble you've taken in your life. But that is okay, bet on the school you can see yourself living at comfortably. So go with your gut, there is no way you can know its the school for you after one Saturday afternoon visit, so try to stay overnight and talk to anyone you trust who knows something about that school. Get all the information you can, but take a lot of deep breaths, sit back and follow your instincts.

Don't worry about the quantity when it comes to applying to schools, look for the quality of the schools. Whether quality by your standards is appearance, academics or fun, the school you choose has to be a place that you can see yourself at for the next four years. You need to balance time for study and time to relax and safely deal with some of the stress that you will be handed in college. Don't let others pressure you into things you don't want to do, just be yourself with just the right amount of work and play... knowing when to play is all you need to know.

find a college that grabs you as a place you'd like to be. find a place that makes you smile or you can immediatly think of what it would be like to live at that school. look for a place with your major or if you don't have one, a place where you have alot of options. when you get there make as many friends as you can and don't burn any bridges, these friends will be extremely important for the rest of your life. Don't go home until atleast 3-4 months into college. you're on your own now and it's time to see what it's like and it's important to become independent of your parents.

I have found that the University setting is the fairest playing field in the world. In college, the amount of work you put in is directly correlated to the amount of reward or value you get out of your education. Determining where or what college to go to is really a much smaller step than deciding how hard you want to work, or how much you want to get out of your school. That being said, a student should choose a school based on their personality, they should be asking themselves, can I see myself being comfortable in this environment? There are some significant pro's and con's to big schools versus small schools and a student needs to determine where they see themselves fitting best. After they make that decision, making the most out of that school is the second step, and significantly more important. School is such an interesting academic environment, and a major lesson I have learned is to "not let schooling interfer with education" (Mark Twain). There are so many opportunities to learn in college, and although GPA is very vital, learning the principles behind attaining a good GPA should be the real focal point.

From my experiences, the best way to select a school would be based on the appeal of the campus and its social life while taking into consideration what is reasonably affordable. Contrary to many beliefs, choosing a school based on your intended major may not be the best option as a majority of people will eventually switch majors anyhow. Rather, choosing a school that offers many opportunities for you to pursue extracurricular interests is the best option. While any school can offer you a good education, not all schools have similar opportunities outside of the classroom. Choosing a school that has programs related to your interests will provide you with amazing opportunities to learn and develop as an individual that could only be a part of a college experience. In addition, it is important to remember that you will be spending the next few years here, so the campus should be an environment in which you are comfortable and enjoy. Finally, it is important to consider the cost of the school and what is reasonably affordable for your family without leaving school overwhelmed with student loans.

Do not just look at a school and pick it beacuse it looks nice

I would advise students who plan to live on campus to find an area that they enjoy living in. If you can't enjoy where you are living, you can't perform well academically or get the most out of your social life.

Seriously? You couldn't have told me this was an essay contest from the beginning?

I would advise students to really "go with their gut" as to which college to choose; I know that may sound cliche, but I ultimately made my decision based on a sort of gut instinct. I would advise parents to simply help their children weigh the options of each school and to rationalize with them, as the college process can be quite overwhelming. I would also advise parents to really talk with their children about their finances for school, as I believe their children should know how the cost of college will affect themselves as well as their family.

Have your child stay an entire weekend on campus. Top priority.

Don't go here, most people transfer, I'm going to.

I would recommend to parents to send thier kids here if they want them to get a good education because that is guarenteed here. I also want parents to realize that it will be probable that their child will drinking within their first semster of school. I would also tell parents to send only individuals who have a strong sense of self and wont succumb to the pressures of being in college. This a very beautiful campus and many of the high school students need to realize that if you dont do your work and you fail your classes, their is someone who is watching you. Your advisor lets you know if you are going to able to continue going to Quinnipiac or if it is time for you to consider something else. College is not for everyone and if your child doesnt want to attend it then they should not be forced to . Although them to choose what they want to do with their life because you wouldnt want your hard earned money to waste only to have your child working in a fast food place after they graduate.

Parents and students looking for the right college need to consider several important aspects of the school. It is important to find a school that offers a major related to the field you wish you to pursue. That ensures you will be suited for your future career, but it also makes sure that other students at the school will share your same interests and hobbies. The location is another important part of school because even though all high school seniors think they need to get as far away from home as possible, that is not always true. Sometimes a school 20 miles from home can seem like a world away. Make a rational decision and remember that you might need your parents every now and again. When choosing a college, think about the class size that fits you best. If you are easily distracted or tend to need more individualized instruction, go for a smaller school where you will not be stuck in lecture halls all the time. On the other hand, if you are extremely social and find it easy to learn on your own, a bigger school might be for you. Go with your instincts.

Definitley visit the school that is being considered while school is in session. This way you can see what type of people attend the school. Try and get a look at a class, its size and the relationship the professor has with the students, as well as what the students have to say about their professors.

make sure your kid sees everything! visit small schools, big schools, urban schools,etc..and find out what the student likes and dislikes as you go.

My advice to the students is to make every decision for themselves. Do not let anyone elses life or plans interfere with your own. Choose the school based on who you are and who you want to be. College will help build your future, if you choose a promising path it will lead you to a successful life. The best decision I have ever made was going abroad last semester. It was my dream to live in Australia and my Nursing career path did not stop me, despite many opstacles. Follow your dreams and dont let anything get in the way because it is your life to live. "All you touch and all you see is all your life will ever be." Make the most out of what life has to offer and life will be whatever you want it to be.

You have to take in account the social and academic aspects equally. To enjoy and engage yourself academically, you must have a good and comfortable social life. You need to have the feeling of fitting in and being part of the school to get the best out of the academic aspects of college, which determines your future.

Find a school that is within your budget range, so if you do by chance find a school you like that is too expensive, you will not have to get your hopes up about it. You have to picture yourself living on campus, walking to classes, and living your day to day life there when you go visit the school. If you feel uncomfortable, or just get a feeling the school is not for you, put it towards the bottom of your list of schools. Do not go to a school based on reputation alone. The school may have a very good academic or athletic reputation for example., but if you feel that you will be stressed taking classes there or get caught up in school spirit, maybe put that school toward the bottom of your list. Make sure you stay open minded, college is the best years of your young adult life.

Before you decide to attend a certain college, make sure you visit at least once, and make sure you ask alot of questions about how things run on campus.

Go with the school that you feel "fits" you. If you are uncomfortable with the campus, students, or teachers you won't excell. The only thing that matter when choosing a college is if it is the one that is right for you.