Brandeis University Top Questions

All colleges, from community colleges up to the ivy leagues, have similar levels of academics. The difference in schools is the amount of students who have a strong desire to learn, but the amount one learns depends on the effort put into learning, regardless of location. Finding the right college is all about finding a place you can live at for four years. Extra-curriculars, living options, and location should be the primary factors in deciding if you like a college. Price and caliber can then determine whether you should apply or attend a particular school. The student should be the one deciding if he/she likes the school, and the parents should only limit choices based on expenses. Making the most of the college experience depends on the desire to learn and taking advantage of the variety of opportunities available. Self-motivation will help you receive a richer education. Getting involved in extra-curriculars not only looks good on a resume, but helps to avoid an excess in free time with too much studying. The main trick to enjoying college is balancing learning with fun and getting as many good experiences as possible.

Under the current economic conditions, I would reccomend practicality in terms of cost-benefit, and future job security. Liberal colleges provide excellent educations, however, the expense and frustration of a small demanding school may turn higher education into a dead end. To gain a good understanding of a school, I suggest visiting during the middle of a semester in order to best evaluate the conditions of normalcy. Try to understand the region, mentality, learning styles, and major distribution to create a college atmosphere and then ask yourself: Can I survive in this atmosphere? How do people here compare to those from home? Will I be able to go somewhere if I need to escape? And finally, never underestimate the importance of food.

I would advise students to spend at least overnight at every college they want to attend and really try to get the feel of the student body/campus life just to see if you vibe with it; it's important to trust your instict. I would truly advise parents to help their child develop skills that will help balance an academic and social life; as important as it might be to maintain high academic standards in highschool in order to get into college, if your child isn't exposed or at least aware of social and recreational events that involve drinking and other drug use that they probably will be exposed to, they won't know how to handle it.

Scholarships mean more than I originally thought. The "best" school is not defined by test scores or magazine ratings, but by the one that fits your interests and personality. Get to know at least one member of faculty or staff each semester and you'll have a wide range of contacts and references by the time you graduate. They can also be very interesting people!

Know what you want out of your college experience before you decide where to apply or where to go. Don't worry about what your parents think or your friends think...this is a once in a lifetime experience. If you want to study and learn and have involved professors, look for the appropriate school. If you want a party school with a great basketball team, look for that. Don't limit yourself to one major...you just might change your mind. And remember that there is a big difference between living somewhere and visiting somewhere. If you can visit, visit. If not, be sure to talk to students anyway and be certain that the lifestyle you live will be accepted where you're going.

Study a lot in high school, even if doesn't seem worth it. Any college you land at will be great, just be open and try to find who you are instead of trying to be something else.

When I was applying to college, I thought that the most important aspect of school would be to play soccer. Granted, i was applying to prestigious schools like Brandeis University, Vassar College and NYU, so academics were obviously just as important. My list of colleges actually included 15 schools, and this left me plenty of room to make my best decision. Once acceptance letters came back, my criteria shifted slightly because finanicial aid became more important. Even though I no longer play soccer at Brandeis, I am still happy with my final decision. My advice to parents and students would be to choose the best "package deal". It is so important to visit a school and stay with a current college student because it allows a student to get a real "feel" for the school's environment. When I came to Brandeis, the liberal atmosphere and academic challenges seemed to be a perfect fit for me. Because I stopped playing soccer, I was able to study abroad in Italy for an entire academic year (not to mention become fluent in a language). Overall, it is not important which schools reject you because other, comparable schools may offer you better opportunities.

Take your time to look around and actually hear what the students at each school has to say. Don't pick something too out of reach.

The advise I would give to a student about finding the right college would be go visit, and get lost. Wander around and see how you feel being lost. Do you feel confortable walking up to people and asking for help? If you do talk to people are they nice, friendly, helpful? Do you feel like you could be a student here? As for making the best of college, make sure to find friends who can help balance the academics. Take the time to get involved in activities campus or the area provides. Try not to stress too much about work, but also remember early on that you need to do your best.

The best advice I can give to students about finding the right college is to visit the college and get to know the students. While there is a certain lure to the brand-names of colleges, you must remember that you will be spending four years of your life in this place, so it really has to be a place that you can both thrive and feel at home. Making connections with students and faculty before you attend the school will be a major help to you. For most students, this is the first time living away from home, so having people that are familiar and safe to you at the college will ease your transition by supporting you and enabling you to concentrate better on your new social and academic life. Do not just look at the academic prestige of the school, also look at how the social, political, artistic, religious, and cultural venues and views fit into your framework, as these things are also be a main part of college life.