least important things to look for in a college

Talk to current students and follow schools on social media. Do I want a school with a large or more tight-knight community? college success I would add a couple final suggestions given the current pandemic. In other words, you need to figure out what your "spike" is, a concept which PrepScholar co-founder and Harvard alum Allen Cheng describes in his expert guide on how to get into the Ivy League. The 2019 NACAC survey indicates that 54% of colleges consider teacher recommendations at least moderately important, while a higher 55% consider counselor recommendations the same. Web1. Network with other students to help ensure academic success. This will help you collect your thoughts and remember these things later. To learn about the reported crime statistics for a specific campus, visit The Campus Safety and Security Data Analysis Cutting Tool created by the U.S. Department of Education. Programs should be in place to educate students about responsible drinking and sexual health. You can check a college's essay requirements by referring to its application requirements page or by reading the instructions on the Common App, Coalition App, or Universal College App websites (if submitting your application through one of these platforms). Can you even picture yourself there at all? By Chinh Ngo Edited by What looks really good on a college application? Colleges Look For in Students Suites are often much bigger but more expensive and, at some campuses, nonexistent. A word to the wise: keep your eyes open for what colleges want. You just need to know where to look. Web1. by Emily Barylske CollegeXpress Student Writer. Am I willing to live in freshman housing and wait for better housing later? The degree by which you must stand out from other applicants will depend on how selective a particular school is. While all colleges are different, of course, with some valuing certain qualities or skills more or less than other schools, all colleges generally look for smart, studious, ambitious, and passionate students. Boulder, CO, $1,500 Annual Catholic College Scholarship Drawing, CollegeXpress Scholarship for Students of Color, Four-Year Colleges and Universities in Utah, Colleges with Excellent Programs in E-Business, Colleges that Have Pass/Fail in the First Year, Over 30 July Scholarship Opportunities to Apply For. I plan to study Conservation Biology and work protecting species/ecosystems. CX has personally helped me by exposing me to a diverse selection of schools as well as scholarships and life tips that have provided valuable guidance in my college search. But what else do colleges look for? Here's what the SAT scores section on NYU's PrepScholar admission reqs page looks like: Here, we can see the average SAT score for NYU is 1440that's pretty high, in the 95th percentile nationally! See how other students and parents are navigating high school, college, and the college admissions process. Click the link to our page for the school to see its requirements, including its average SAT/ACT scores. I love taking photos, reading, and writing in my free time. But this can be another thing to add to your college checklist, so dont count it out. Academic programs. That intriguing class about monsters and zombies may or may not be worth your tuition dollars. There are also colleges that have voluntary core programs (Boston University and UT Austin, for example). If you attend a school with 10 to 20 students per faculty member, youre likely to get a lot of individual attention from the faculty. Help them prepare by What does the student body look like? There are many colleges out there; your student may find a much better fit at a small private school or state school where they can thrive while receiving generous need-based and/or merit-based aid. You wantfind a college that fits you, speaks to you, and just feels right. How to show who you are through what you value. Many students believe it's better to stick to the classes you know you'll get As in, but this piece of advice is misguided when it comes to college applications. U.S. News & World Report and other rankings most likely aren't using scoring criteria that are fully aligned with your own interests, personality, talents, and career goals should be the ultimate deciding factors. What campus activities are most important to me for my school to have? You can make your own chart or download a blank template. How accessible do I want my professors to be? Below are five things that we believe students should look for in a college to help them stay as healthy as possible. And you can usually look online to see if the college has clubs or activities you like. Do you see genuine enthusiasm? Will they help you identify your strengths and help determine fitting career paths? I am currently involved in school clubs such as FCA, choir, and yearbook. The Hidden Cost of Transferring to a Different College, 9 Tips for Making the Most of a College Visit, Conversation Topics for College Office Hours, 20 Great Colleges for Students With Low SAT Scores, How to Email Professors at Prospective Grad Schools, Reasons You're Required to Live on Campus Your First Year of College, How to Answer "What Can I Tell You About Our College? Related: 5 Smart Personal Safety Tips for Students. Does the college have a leadership certificate program or leadership track? Leuzinger AVID Choosing which college to attend can be a tricky thing. That said, college admissions committees are often very big fans of students who show evidence of their budding leadership skills. According to the 2019 NACAC survey, 56% of schools consider application essays moderately or considerably important. Do you want to spend half of your experience in massive lectures with no real accountability or mentorship from your professors? Unfortunately, we often fall into the trap of wanting our kids to go to the most prestigious schools without really having the means to pay for it. This was key for me in my recent internship, where I delivered not only my core project, but also a secondary optional project. As someone going out of state for college, I needed all the financial help I could get, and CollegeXpress helped me easily find scholarships I could apply for to help fund my education. Which companies and organizations recruit your graduates? The forms of help and guidance that a school provides as its students apply for jobs, internships, and graduate studies speak highly of the quality of education you will receive there. It doesn't matter how great a college is if you can't pay for it. Consider hobbies old and new. Can I get a quality education and achieve my goals here? Will I look back on this experience feeling like I made the right decision. Do I want a large faulty or a small but focused one? Also, dorm bathrooms can be a major thing for some people, especially if theyre sharedandco-ed. This is especially important if you will not test out of required classes through AP or CLEP Exams (or if the school does not allow this). well notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more. Learn how to create a college student budget today. Reaching (or surpassing) this threshold means that you're scoring higher than most other admitted applicants areand well above that college's average score. You don't need to be the next Marie Curie or Stephen Hawking, but you should be open to new opportunities and willing to challenge yourself. Be sure to check the availability of your desired courses before sending in your acceptance letter to the college. If you're not sure what your spike is just yet, take some time to try out new activities and explore any interests you have, both in and outside of school. To set a goal score, start by making a chart of all the schools you're applying to. But heres some advice from one of my trusted adult friends: Just because it says it is a dry campus does not mean alcohol will not show up somewhere at some time. Personally, I went for a dry campus, because I wanted to lower my chances of finding myself in situations with alcohol. On the flip side, if you have a great application but a badly written essay, that essay alone could get you rejected! Does the school have a safe escort and ride service for evenings and weekends? If alumni care enough about their alma mater to continue donating their time and money long after graduation, you can assume that their college experience was positive. What type of curriculum would work best for you/your student? But while some colleges don't require personal essays, most colleges do require at least one or two essaysand will place a decent amount of emphasis on it, especially if it is being used as a deciding factor between two otherwise equally qualified applicants. There may be on-campus apartments available, but those are usually for the older students. The report found that "the average number of applications for each admission office staff member (excluding administrative staff) for the Fall 2017 admission cycle was 1,035 for public institutions and 461 for private institutions.". What non-need or merit grants and scholarships are available from the college? Things 7. So, do you want the guidance and structure of a core curriculum? Is thecollege a reach, safety, or match schoolfor you? Do I want the opportunity for my professors to really get to know me? Figure out your strengths, weaknesses and goals. Most colleges will also have a list of admission requirements when it comes to your high school classes: they want you to have so many years of English, math, science, social studies, foreign language, and other electives. Almost every college will want to know what Understanding the Different Kinds of Colleges. This page will show you what the school's average GPA is, in addition to other admission requirements. Know how to combat procrastination when it threatens to prevent getting your academic work done. While you'll find germs, fattening foods, and stress on nearly every campus, it is in your best interest to research a college's health and wellness facilities and programs before attending. Factors to Consider When Choosing a College or University Will you be okay in a big city and finding your way around, or would you prefer a quaint small town? Getting a good nights sleep is a building block for staying mentally well. Does the school have a leadership center? This means more money spent and less time making money. The financial aid that students receive varies greatly among public and private institutions. Thank you! Dr. Allen Grove is an Alfred University English professor and a college admissions expert with over 20 years of experience helping students transition to college. The trick here is to provide not a list of all the random activities you've done but rather a detailed overview of one to two of your most passionate interests and any big achievements you've made in them. Related:What You Need to Know About College Meal Plans. Our guide teaches you how to narrow down your college choices so that you're applying to the best schools for you. 10 Items You Should Research Before Ever Committing Columbia, MO, California Baptist University As an example, say you plan to major in biology. Find schools that complement you. While you don't have to be best buddies with the teacher you ask, they should definitely know you well, beyond the classroom, so they can effectively explain to admissions committees what makes you special, that is, what makes you worth admitting. Our new student and parent forum, at ExpertHub.PrepScholar.com, allow you to interact with your peers and the PrepScholar staff. Colleges love it when an applicant has not simply volunteered but has also made a measurable impact with their volunteering efforts. As you can see, this concept of the spike is the opposite of being well rounded, which most students assume they need to be (read the next section to learn more about this myth). What Do Colleges Look For in Students? | CollegeData Many students assume they'll need to have tons of extracurricular activities on their applications; this, they believe, will emphasize their array of interests as well as their knowledge of a variety of fields. What do Colleges Look For (In a College Essay)? This scholarship is vital to helping me achieve and fulfill my dreams, and gives me confidence and motivation as I begin my college career. Tags: If you loved something in high school and want to continue practicing it, find ways to go after it in college before you get there. All rights reserved. Many college students and parents are frustrated about paying full price for online classeswhat many consider a substandard product. Keep in mind that not every degree can be completed in four years. Because when it comes down to it what you want is the most important factor of them all. WebIf you're shopping around for colleges, you're going to want to consider a broad range of factors, such as location, size, cost, academic quality, campus safety, choice of majors, as Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/choosing-the-perfect-college-786979. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. Figure out what you're looking for in terms of class size, public vs. private, and instructor relations, and put the student to faculty ratio into the proper context. region: "na1", Can you get involved with student government? The first important part of the college application is the transcript, which consists of your GPA and the names and types of classes you've taken in high school. The financial aspect should not be overlooked. 5 Things to Keep in Mind When Choosing a College Does the campus offer resources for student safety and wellbeing? This usually occurs at large research universities. In general, colleges prefer students who challenge themselves by taking an array of difficult classes, such as AP and honors classes. According to the 2019 report by the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), the number of first-year applications received by US colleges increased by 6% from fall 2017 to fall 2018. Develop an attitude for success. One of the professors at the college I am attending in the fall wore purple shoes to the Preview Day I was atand he was rockin' those shoes. Riverside, CA, The George Washington University 5 Things to Research Again Before Choosing a College At certain colleges, some majors are not open to all students, especially those majors that require talent or training (music/art, nursing), or those majors that are extremely popular and/or must be limited based on departmental resources or prestige (business, journalism). Some STEM fields, for example, might have industry or internship experiences that require an extra year for students to complete, and other colleges have a large number of working students who may need extra time to balance academics with jobs. How to Search for Colleges: A Step-by-Step GuideCollege Raptor To find the middle 50% (that is, the 25th and 75th percentile SAT/ACT scores) for a school, search on Google for "[School Name] PrepScholar admission requirements." I hope to help you and encourage you in your college and scholarship search process. This fact is especially important in light of how many first-year applications colleges receive each year. How do you track this? I felt it radiate off everything and everyone. Is there only a college cafeteria or are there cafs and other restaurants too? Test scores, mainly SAT/ACT scores, are another key part of college applications (unless, of course, you're applying to colleges that don't require test scores). In fact, at particularly selective colleges, such as the Ivy League, you'll often hear of cases in which ostensibly "perfect" applicants got rejected. A Spike in Your Extracurriculars. For instance, the most selective colleges only enroll students who are already prepared to succeed and likely to graduate. It doesn't matter how great a college is if you can't pay for it. 3. Is there a high crime rate on campus or in the surrounding area? What colleges actually want to see is a spike, that is, a single passion. SAT is a registered trademark of the College Entrance Examination BoardTM. While looking at different colleges, I was able to compare the tuition expenses and that landed me with the college that Im currently enrolled in, Western Kentucky University. Im looking forward to getting field experience and seeing firsthand the problems research is solving. The goal of college is to obtain a degree, so it makes sense that a high rate of failure and/or drop-out is a red flag. Even if you started high school with lower grades, an upward grade trend is a great point to emphasize on your application. Free money is calling you!). 12 Important Things to Look for in Your Colleges Grove, Allen. The website is a wonderful guide to schools and scholarships. RELATED: Take a self-assessment through the Career Center. Do you see that in the colleges you are looking at? The other professors and students at the Preview Day spoke highly of it too. It can be tough to make a decision without getting caught up in the national rankings. Campuses have their own personalities and priorities. To learn more about paying for college while saving for retirement, register for one of our freeworkshops/webinarsorspeak with a coachto get started on your college funding journey. Although a grad student may have more to prove (good thing! So how can you ensure your essay will impress the admissions committee? So what looks really good on a college application? 11 Must Things to Look for When Choosing a College Employees with research and critical thinking skills can be trusted to make evidence- and data-driven decisions. This allows colleges to get a clearer feel for who you are, what you're interested in, and what your goals are. Also, keep in mind that many top professors avoid teaching large mandatory classes that route hundreds or even thousands of students through the course. CollegeXpress has helped me find so many scholarships that fit me. Smaller ratios usually mean its easier to get to know the professor and your fellow students. The last thing you want to happen is to spend another year or two on tuition because you couldnt get into required courses for your major. You and your student should research any opportunities to receive financial aid to help offset that total cost. This is a major reason why people choose smaller schools or even community colleges. Many students are focused on the following factors in their college search: As a parent, you know that these things alone are not enough for your child to determine his or her true college fit. For example, if you want to apply to Notre Dame, you would search for "Notre Dame PrepScholar admission requirements" and click the link to our Notre Dame admission reqs page, which looks like this: As you can see, Notre Dame's average (weighted) GPA for admitted applicants is 4.06. So if you're the sarcastic type, you might want to include a joke or two, for instance. Indiana University Kelley School of Business. College is the time to chase new interests too, so don't close your mind to options you had not considered. 4. Cost is a huge factor in the college search process. An essay that's too long might get cut off when you submit it electronically, so be sure it adheres to all the requirements. Leadership is a broad concept that can take many forms, but consider these questions as you apply to colleges: You immediately link yourself to every person who has ever attended a college upon your enrollment. Retention rate: This tracks the number of first-time, first-year students who STAY for a second year. I first discovered CollegeXpress during my sophomore year of high school while researching colleges that interested me. A good college application will also showcase your sincere interest in the school. As a result, a school can have a very low student to faculty ratio, but faculty members may not have a lot of time for undergraduates.. On the flip side, a high rate does not automatically mean that you will be neglected by your instructors. How does the college or university make me feel? 1. 13 things to look for in colleges. Get great tips and interesting articles about saving for college. Some schools have shifted a ton of resources for prospective students onlinethink virtual tours, classes, guest lectures, student events, you name it. Determine whether a college has a strong first-year curriculum to support your transition into college-level coursework and whether a college offers courses that interest you. When looking at a colleges location, think about what makes you happy and comfortable. You can read more about how to develop a spike in our guide to getting into the Ivy League. Dont be afraid to reach out to admissions officers, students, and recent graduates of the schools for more information. Do you want your professors to know me? And you don't have to get perfect grades in them. hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(360031, 'c8b8e502-c285-4182-9589-5f8ae230e78a', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"na1"}); Hannah received her MA in Japanese Studies from the University of Michigan and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California. I come from a small school in a small town surrounded by farms, but I was only interested in bigger colleges and bigger cities than where I am now. 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As a result, if you're applying here, you'll want to have a GPA of at least 4.06, preferably higher so you will be an above-average applicant. WebLearning Objectives Make short-, mid-, and long-term goals that are realistic and specific and commit to them. Sheriff Grady Judd is briefing the media regarding the arrests of twelve people in a family-run drug trafficking operation in Winter Haven called Operation Family ", 15 Things to Consider When Choosing a School, The Pros and Cons of Big and Small Colleges, Colleges and Universities for Beach Lovers, Top Historically Black Colleges and Universities, The Best Southeastern Colleges and Universities, The Top 25 New England Colleges and Universities, Colleges for Students With Low SAT and ACT Scores, Great Colleges for Students With 'B' Averages, The Campus Safety and Security Data Analysis Cutting Tool, Ph.D., English, University of Pennsylvania, M.A., English, University of Pennsylvania, B.S., Materials Science & Engineering and Literature, MIT. In general, you'll want to pick a topic that meets the following criteria: The next step is to actually begin writing your essay. The ability to understand the diversity of the workplace through taking unique coursework enhances a students ability to be competitive. In general, a great application will have most or all of the following elements: It's OK if you don't have every single quality listed above, but if you do, your chances of getting accepted to the college of your dreams will go way up! If you think you know what you want to study, look at the requirements of your major at each college. WebResponsibility When your student is on their own in college, theyll have to be responsible for, well everything! But looking at tuition might not be the best way to gauge how much youll actually spend. Although you're certainly not required to work a part-time job in high school, having some work experience on your college applications, especially any jobs that are related to what you want to study or do professionally, will help you stand out in a positive way. A dry campus means alcohol isnt allowed on college grounds. Private colleges cost more to attend but generally have more money to offer than public universities. The 7 Things That Really Look Good on a College Application, Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Score, 2019 report by the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), his expert guide on how to get into the Ivy League, any materials or information they might need to help them craft a compelling letter, highly selective colleges and universities, how to figure out what to go to college for, why college application essays don't actually matter all that much, some colleges don't require personal essays, particularly selective colleges, such as the Ivy League, Our guide teaches you how to narrow down your college choices, A high GPA (relative to what admitted students have) and a rigorous curriculum, Strong test scores (relative to what admitted students have), A specific, honest, and well-written personal statement and/or essays, A unique extracurricular interest or passion (a "spike," as we like to call it), Volunteering experience with measurable impact, Compelling letters of recommendation written on your behalf, Work experience, particularly jobs related to your academic or professional interests, Good grades and a challenging course load, A spike in your extracurricular activities, Volunteer experience with clear impact on the groups or places you've helped, Any relevant or impactful work experience, It's better to have a spike than to be well rounded, A B in a hard course is more impressive than an A in an easy course, You can still get into your dream school even if your application isn't perfect. 5 Smart Personal Safety Tips for Students, How to Find a Great College With Amazing Professors, What You Need to Know About College Meal Plans.
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