Assumption College Top Questions

Make sure you are not influenced by what other people say if you are the student. YOU will be attending the school not your parents or your best friend or boyfriend. If people dress alot differently than you and that makes you uncomfortable definitely realize that don't go there because your parents did. As for parents, make sure your student goes and sees the school. It's really important in order this decision.

find a college where the kid is going to be happy. as long as he is happy in his setting the pieces will fall together as long as the school offers him what he is looking for in a career.

Visit all of the schools your student is interested in. Make time for the ones far away as well. Don't go on the Campus Tours. Explore yourself because you will be able to find so much more, and see things that you will otherwise miss. If you have any questions while on this tour, ask a passer by. The regular students are a better source information than the campus guides because they are trained in what to say and show the people on the tour. Don't go for the school based on the financial aid you receive or what you think will look best on a resume. Pick the school based on your students gut feeling. If they walk around a campus they will know whether or not they feel comfortable. They will be able to tell if they feel overwhelmedby the campus or not just by walking around. If a campus is welcoming, you can feel it by the way people interact around you and the way you feel looking around.

The most important advice I would give to parents and students about finding the right college would be to *thoroughly* research every option available to them before making a decision--visit every campus possible and really pay attention to the overall atmosphere, making sure you feel comfortable. Often times, a student will make up his or her mind without really getting to know everything they can about a particular school, only to be disappointed once they arrive on campus. Make the most of every option available to you and don't rule any college out before you've physically been there and walked around the campus. This is crucial to the college selection process, as a college may sound great on paper only to be less than ideal upon visitation. In terms of making the most of the college experience, find ways to stay busy and involved in campus life. It's incredibly easy to get lazy when presented with so much freedom at once, so it's important to remain focused--don't neglect your studies, join some clubs, write for the campus newspaper, etc. There are a host of great opportunites open to those who look for them.

Visit the schools! Oh, and stay overnight if possible!

When choosing make sure that you make a trip while classes are in session also do an over night to see how the school runs when classes are not in session. This will provide the expieriences necessary to make sure that you feel right on the campus at all times. Also when you get to campus get involved with something to get yourself out there so that you will be able to know people around campus.

What parents need to realize is that a student needs to make his/her own decisions at a certain age, and I believe that the first time to start making their own decisions can be when they decide where they want to go to school. Make sure you are open to all options and do as much research on the school as you can. There is nothing worse then being ignorant about a school and then realizing that you made a big mistake. For example, if a student does not do well in big crowds, a university may not be the best option. Do your homework before school starts. Find out what schools are best suited for you.