Bennington College Top Questions

Applying to schools that you know a limited amount about can be terrifying. You?re not sure if choice A really is better then choice B, because you don?t know exactly what you are buying into until you experience it. Firstly it?s very important to visit. Visit multiple times if you can. Visit classes, talk to students, and stay the night; it will be worth the time spent. This allows you to get a better feel for the environment beyond what the admissions office sells. While visiting, ASK QUESTIONS, although you may have an interview where you are evaluated, evaluate the college just as critically. In the end, as much as you know about a school, you are still taking a chance. Try to find this exciting. Even if it doesn?t end up being the perfect school for you, the next college search you do will be a lot easier. Transferring is a lot easier, and less stressful then it is made out to be. Students should check in with themselves along the way, if the experience doesn?t feel right, ASK QUESTIONS, maybe it?s the school; maybe it?s the way you are using it.

I through a lot of college books but it was only when I visited the colleges that I realized what I was looking for. That changed the whole list of my "top choice" and made very clear what I was looking for. I think that was the most important factor in my finding the right college, so I suggest visiting the schools you are thinking about before applying. I discovered what I am now most passionate about by chance, taking a class that I didn't have much previous interest in. I had heard a talk from the faculty teaching it and become highly interested in their way of thinking, and it turned out that this was the field I wanted to dedicate myself to the most. So I recommend going into college with a truly inquisitive mind and with a lot of interest -to not just follow what may be set out for you but see how you can make the most out of the system. Be excited, there is so much to learn and develop -I think college can be an amazing process if you go into it with all of your energy and the right mind!

Fallow your heart.

Be optimistic but realistic. Reach high for your dreams.

When I was applying for college, the president of Bard told me one thing: "It's not where a person goes to school, but what he does when he gets there." That said, I did not get into Bard. At Bennington College, however, I found my home. I have been blessed with a wonderful group of friends and the drive to do unprecedented things. It just goes to show that with the right match and equal motivation, whatever you wish to acheive can be done regardless of the school. Keep your hopes high and your ambition strong.

It is important to visit the schools you are interested in. It is easy to decide that you like a school by reading about it and connecting it to your own goals. However, I think that it can only help to go visit and spend the night. Check out the classes and the social life. I transferred to Bennington at the beginning of my junior year, and it was really hard. It is difficult for me to have regrets, but I sometimes think it would have served me better to have been at Bennington the whole way through school. Bennington gives students a chance to explore and decide who they really are and what they want out of life without rushing them into a major. I wish I could have been learning in such an environment all along. That in mind, be sure to pick a school where you can grow and develope, and change your mind if you need to. That's the best advice I can give.

Really spend some time on campus before you make your choice -- many times things are not as they first appear. It can be stifling, dissapointing and frustrating to slowly realize how well everything is marketed, but it is really worth it for the students to dive deep into their pre-enrollment experience to see what the school is really like socially and academically. Remember, you are spending 4 years there!

Finding the right college is all about finding a place where you can transform yourself into who you would like to be. There are many websites and books that can help narrow down choices for schools based on preferences such as location, size, programs and majors offered, etc... pretty much anything you could have an opinion on. Visit prospective schools, and talk with the admissions offices and the students to get a feel for the schools. College visits are the most important factor in choosing the right school. In order to make the most of the college experience, the best any student can do is to get involved. Dive into the academics, and work hard. Take pride in your work and in everything you do. Live on campus, eat in the dinig hall, and go to the events put on by the school. Get involved in clubs, sports teams, and extracurraculars. Make friends, and make sure to spend plenty of time with them. Live your life. College is school, and you are there to learn. However, you will learn much more than academics. College is your LIFE for four whole years... you might as well take advantage of it.

Don't cave under the pressure of the SAT/applications process: scoring low on the test doesn't guarantee that you'll become a janitor. It isn't the end of the world if you don't get into the school of your choice, because college is what you make of it. It's always going to be difficult socially, whether you go to a huge university or a tiny liberal arts college, so seek out people where you're most comfortable and do whatever makes you happy -- not what it might seem like everyone else is doing. Cultivate at least one strong relationship with a faculty member -- it will ground you academically and help with networking after graduation. If you can, do an internship or two: it'll help you narrow down career prospects and build your resume. Finally, cut out the binge drinking -- I realize college is everyone's first taste of freedom, but there's no need to overdo it. Plus, it's just not that cool.

Colleges that facilitate large student bodies and classrooms are more like factories. Everyone gets equal attention and work, but the value of the individual is greatly decreased. Smaller Colleges offer more personalized approaches, but don't necessarily give equal amount of work or attention. I think that if someone is to truly learn valuable skills, then a lecture hall is one of the worst places to go. This goes especially towards parents who try to support creative thinking. In a discussion based classroom, the ones eager to learn and utilize their skills are rewarded for their creativity. And any good parent knows positive reinforcement works ten-fold over negative reinforcement.