This is a guest post by Julie Manhan
Author Julie Manhan is an independent college counselor and blogger for myUsearch.com, the Honest College Matchmaker, a site dedicated to helping students make the right college choice.
Making the right college choice is potentially one of the biggest decisions a person will ever make. Contrary to popular belief, the importance of the decision has little to do with a college’s name or prestige, but rather because it is the place that will likely shape your perspectives and relationships for years to come. For those reasons alone, you need to look carefully at more than just the info you can find on a website.
A campus visit is essential before enrolling. Only by experiencing the campus firsthand can you tell if you will feel comfortable there. It’s also probably the best way to get a sense of what kind of students choose to go to school there, as well as experiencing what student-faculty interaction is like. Make sure you visit every department you may be interested in to see what’s going on both inside and outside of the classroom. These are the things that you really need to pay the closest attention to because they will end up affecting everything in your college experience.
Keeping that in mind, here are a few important questions you should ask yourself before you begin your college search or make your final college choice:
1. What qualities do I look for in my friends? Finding classmates you can relate to and who share your values is an important factor in feeling comfortable and being successful at a school.
2. Who are the best teachers I have had? What made them different? The relationships you form with your college professors can make a huge difference in your future plans.
3. What subjects would I like to know more about? Identifying what sparks your interest right now can help you find a school where you can explore all those interests.
4. Where do I feel most comfortable? Are you a city kid or a country kid or do you just need a change? Never underestimate the impact your surroundings can have on your overall learning experience and sense of wellbeing.
5. How do I learn best? Figuring out why you have done better in some classes than others may provide a valuable insight for you when considering schools that use some teaching styles more than others (i.e. lecture vs. cooperative learning).
Of course, there are other factors that need to be considered when making your college choice, such as cost and availability of any special services you may happen to need. However, the answers you give to the questions above should figure prominently in your list of qualities a college must have in order for it to be a good fit.
