Amherst College Top Questions

Be open and honest with each other about what you both are looking for in a school.

The best thing about college is that you are exposed to new types of people. Freshmen year is the time to go out of your comfort zone and let others know who you are. Join a club, an intramural sports team, or a charity group just to meet new people. You should also be sure to sign up for a few classes you normally wouldn't have been interested in. Exploring diverse interests is one of the many great things about college. As for selecting a college, I would reccomend talking with students or alumni about their experiences at your prospective college. Try not to base the decision off collegeboard stats, but on how you envision yourself fitting in to the community.

Despite asking the "right" questions and doing lots of research on the best fit, you have to just go with your gut. Visit the school and you'll know. As for making the most of the experience at that college, that is also based on gut. The time you spend on extra-curriculars, class work and internships all comes down to how much time feels right to you. There's no one right answer on taking advantage of a college education; just do what you love and makes you feel good, and everything will turn out all right.

If at all possible, visit the schools you're considering. Multiple visits can even be helpul. There are things about the school--what kinds of conversations you hear people having, the way you feel when you're on campus, what it's like to sit in on a class, how helpful students are when you ask for directions, and many others--that you just can't learn from reading guidebooks or rankings. If a visit isn't possible, try to get in touch with a current student. Even the friend of a friend, if they like their school, will likely be willing to exchange a few emails about what life is really like on campus. As far as making the most of the college experience, get involved with as many groups and activities as you're interested in. Most schools have some kind of activity fair early in the year; go and get on the email lists of way more groups than you think you can realistically participate in. You'll get all their information through emails, and you can pick and choose later which ones you really want to be active in.

The absolute best advice I could give any student trying to select a college is to (if possible ... I understand that it is not always) visit the campus, take a tour, go to an info session, even stay overnight if you can. Get a feel for life on the campus. Yes, it is important to find out if a college offers the major field you are intersted in (although I think most students change their minds about this once they get to college) and to understand the credentials of the school, but beyond that, the actual life and FEELING of the campus is critical. Are you more comfortable at a small college or a big university? What are the people like, and do you feel like you "belong," like you "fit in?" Can you see yourself living here for the next four years? These are the questions that became the most important to me once I had narrowed my list of potential colleges down to those I knew offered the educational experience I wanted. From there, it was truly a matter of personal fit, and the best way to do this is to visit.

Don't get your heart set on a "perfect" school. If you don't know what you want to do in life, be careful not to get stuck at a school with limited course offerings. When you do figure things out, chances are you won't be able to take the classes you need or want.

Don't stress out. It'll all work out in the end, and you'll find that you fit in, most often, wherever you decide to enroll.

Finding the right college takes a lot of work, mostly on the part of the students. I feel parents should remain open and objective about their son or daughter's needs, and not try to let their thoughts take over. Parents should provide as much help as possible, as far as visiting schools and obtaining brochures and other forms of information. Mostly, parents need to remember that their children are the ones who will be at this school for the duration of their college experience, and not themselves. It is most important that the child finds a place he or she really, truly wants to attend.

For me, the most important thing about applying to college was recognizing that I could be happy in any number of places. Luckily I did end up at my top choice, but now I look at the other schools and think that I could still be happy there. Now that I'm at school, the most important thing is managing the time. There is enough time to socialize and get all of your work done, it takes a little bit of planning in advance. That way, I could go out last weekend because I'd already finished my huge paper due Monday. College is a great place to be, and there's so many options for activities and majors. The freedom is wonderful, and everyone should take advantage of it.

Start early. Use the four years in high school wisely. Look into what school you want--small, big, liberal, conservative, in state, out of state, diverse, not as diverse,etc. If you think ahead of time of all the characteristics you want in your dream college and plan ahead and start looking for that school, you will be able to make to most of you college experience since you will be happy because you planned ahead of time.