College Tip of the Week #8: College Research

This week we would like to discuss more about choosing the colleges you should apply to, going more into the preferences we mentioned in last week’s tip.

After deciding whether the college you are thinking of applying to is a safety, target, or reach school based on your academic performance (see last week’s tip for more information) , the next step is to evaluate if the college fits your preferences.

There are many aspects of a college to research before deciding to apply, and you may not know exactly what your preferences are at first. This is why visiting the college virtually or in-person, reading about other student’s experiences online, and talking to current students is so important. Feel free to reach out to us if you would like to speak with one of our consultants about the colleges they attend.

The first aspect of colleges you should look at is the quality of your course of study at the college. This is very important, since you want to attend a college that helps prepare you for your career or graduate school with resources and opportunities to advance your knowledge. This can involve looking into the organizations you can join, jobs available after college, study abroad opportunities, quality of professors or certain majors, curriculum, courses available, and even acceptance rate of students from that college to graduate school.

The next aspect you should focus on is your learning style. Do you like to have a small classroom experience where the professor can get to know you well and directly help you quite often, or a large lecture room where you will have to make friends and form study groups to learn the material together? Based on how you learn best, you should analyze the college’s student to faculty ratio and school size.

It is important to also consider your financial situation when applying to college. Make sure you research the financial aid typically given to students and how much you may potentially receive (certain colleges allow you to calculate your potential financial aid on their website). Also consider the school’s location, as there may be costs associated with travelling between your home and college multiple times each year.

And last but not least, you should think about what you personally want from your college. This can include things like the intensity of school spirit that you desire, sports you would like to play or watch, and extracurricular activities that you enjoy. You can also apply to a college if you have a desire to for any other personal reason. The good thing is that you have many options!

Researching all of these aspects of colleges may seem confusing and like a large time commitment, so we recommend creating an Excel sheet with columns for the main aspects of college that you are concerned with. You can cross off the colleges that do not meet these criteria, and go from there to create your list. If you need any help with the process, please contact us. One of our consultants would be happy to assist you!