American University Top Questions

Make sure you think about your career. Don't get caught up in glitz (the dorms, the dining hall, the beautiful campus). Make sure you pay attention to what the area your school is in has to offer. Make sure you look at your specific program. If you want to be a bio-chem major, make sure the school you pick is good for bio chem, not just respected as an overall institution.

As much as prestige may influence your application process, do not let it affect which school you choose! Selecting the right school for you has nothing to do with how long ago it was established or how many of its graduates now work at United Nations. Visit potential colleges and find out the stuff that really matters - not what they tell you on campus tours. Are people available to help you with difficulties in your academics and social life? Is there always something to do on campus? Is there usually free food to be found somewhere? Are there outlets for the activities, hobbies, or careers that you want to pursue? These are really important! Be sure to talk to some current students. Current freshmen can tell you about adjusting to college, while juniors and seniors have a better feel for the school's academics, policies, and campus life. In short: make sure you get the whole story before you start accepting acceptance letters!

The most important thing students and parents can do to have a successful college experience is to properly balance the ranking of the school with the financial disposition of the student. Buy the affordable amount of prestige, because post-graduation financial flexibility will also meet higher flexibility while selecting a permanent job.

To visit the schools and speak to current students and alumni in the same field you are interested in. They will describe the school better than the couselors.

When you are looking at the campus, really look at the kids, and see if you can imagine yourself as one of them

Definitely involve your parents in the college selection process. Make sure they know what you want and vice versa. It is important to visit the schools that you are interested in and it is super important to interact with the student body there. When visiting a perspective school, don't be shy to stop a random student walking to class and ask them a few questions, because they are the ones that are going to give you the truthful answers. Don't rely on the faculty and staff to answer your questions and paint a picture of the school, they are paid to get you to come there, they're going to tell you anything you want to hear. College is the most important and potentially funnest time in your life, don't let somebody else make the decision for you, do your research and do what your gut tells you.

You will be happier at the college you choose because it fits your personality and interests than you will at the one you choose based on financial information. Find a school that fits you and what you want and what you like. You'll be more productive and much happier in the long run.

At the risk of sounding clich?, I advise both parents and their college-bound children to genuinely consider what aspects of life they deem truly important to their educational experience before making a final decision. Location, academic stimulation, ranking, and extra curricular activities are only facts on a page unless they are thoroughly reflected upon by individual students?both on their own and with parental guidance. After honestly establishing one?s own priorities, anywhere that fits self-determined criteria should provide students with an excellent collegiate experience; attending a college that one has chosen for reasons they recognize as valuable should give students not only the necessary confidence to start anew, but also the satisfaction of a well-made choice.

College is an amazing experience where you can truly develop your sense of self and who you want to be in this world. If you are planning on focusing on liberal arts and the humanities, the majority of things you learn will be from interacting with the people around you. Spend some time volunteering in the community where your university is located. Find a group of people to play pick up soccer with. Study abroad. Stick around after class to talk to your professor about some article you read that mildly relates to the topic they're teaching. These interactions will stick with you so much longer than the research paper you write on European commerce in the 1700s. Never feel like once you commit, that's it. College is a time for change above all else. You can change your major, your friends, your hair, anything in the quest to determine what makes you happy. It will probably be the first time you are somewhat on your own, don't take that responsibility lightly. And don't take the mistakes you will make too harshly. Keep your eyes and ears open, and try to take it all in.

Pick a university that makes you feel at home the second you step on campus. Find a school with a wide range of extra-curricular activites and a program which suits you best and you will never have a chance to be homesick. I never had a difficult time fitting in at AU because there were so many groups to get involved with and so many different things to do that I never got bored or lonely. I have made friends that will be with me for the rest of my life. My class sizes are small, which is very important to me since I prefer to have relationship with my professors. The professors here are extremely willing to help students, which is a definite perk. The campus is in the midst of an amazing city, yet it is not spread out and has a definite "campus" feel to it. I like the fact that I can take a shuttle bus to the metro and be anywhere in the city within a matter of minutes. AU is a perfect fit for me because I feel home here. Every student should find a place which feels like home.