Cedarville University Top Questions

I would encourage them to visit several different kinds and sizes of colleges, in several locations around the United States. It's important to be open to change, be willing to step outside your comfort zone, and go with your "gut feeling."

The best advice I could give parents and their children about their search for the perfect college would be to begin the process early. Also, the more schools you visit, the better idea you will have about what you want, or what to avoid, in a school. Once the perfect college is selected, I would encourage you to get take time to adjust and figure out how to balance this new life. After the initial shock of college, getting involved in sports, clubs, ministries, or other extra-curriculars early will also be beneficial to your success. We've all heard the familiar expression, "The college experience is the best four years of your life!" Indeed, I would have to say that those words are true, but only to an extent. While it is important for students to have fun making friends and trying new things, it is also imperative that students take their classes and grades seriously because those are some the core reasons for being at school. All in all, college is a wonderful experience, and if you make the most of the opportunities available to you, you will have experiences and memories to last a lifetime.

I reccomend thoroughly researching many colleges and narrowing down the potential colleges by visiting and taking tours. Many times, the easiest way to evaluate a college, is to visit and stay with a college student in the dorm. This gives the prospective student an opportunity to experience college life and ask students questions. Once I visited Cedarville, my mind was made up and I didn't even apply anywhere else. Once the parents and/or students have narrowed the college decision down to a few schools, they can start the application process. I reccommend applying to very few colleges to save money and time. One thing I found very helpful when I started out as a freshman was to try to be involved with all of the transition activities designed for freshmen and transfers. It was hard, as a shy freshman with no friends, to get out of my room and go make friends, but it was a good move.

Sometimes it is so hard to know how to balance course work and social life, I know from experience because as a freshman, I only did coursework. Creating long lasting friendships is such an important part of the college experience. Make sure that as you are supposed to try your hardest in acedemics, make time for a social life. This is important for the oppposite as well, if you are a person who struggles with acedemics because of a love to hang out with friends, focus a little more on acedemics.

Get involved!

Look at all of your options and know your financial standing. The child should also be aware of what his/her payments are going to be when graduating and/or still in college. This would help motivate the child to work harder. It all comes down to not spoiling your child, so they don't regret the chioces they make later in life.

Make sure that the student really wants to get the most out of their college experience if they are going to a private school. It is very beneficial to save money and to go to a state of community college and then go to a private university after that if finances are tight. Choosing a christian university can be very helpful in helping a student to become more grounded in their beliefs while still having the structure/boundaries that such a university provides. Above all if your student is not happy with their selection it is never to late to transfer out of a school and find a school that better fits the students needs.

My main advice to parents and students about finding the right college is to go and stay on campus for a night or two. Don't go on weekends that the school hosts in order to have hundreds of high school students there to "experience" their college or university. Schools always put their best foot forward on these weekends, which isn't a bad thing, but you really don't get the real college experience. I visited all of the schools I was seriously considering on a normal weekend. I knew immediately when I stayed at Cedarville that it was the right choice. These experiences were the main things that helped me make my decision.

Academics are important, but so is a fun college experience. Choose a school where you will be challenged, make friends, grow, and develop independence. Take adavantage of the opportunities to get involved at school and in the community. Develop great relationships with your professors and advisors. If you show them that you want to succeed, they will make sure you do so.

My number one piece of advice would be to visit each of the colleges of interest to the student and/ or parent. You can read a lot of great things on the internet and see interesting pictures, but until you see how students at the school interact and how they treat visitors, you won't be able to discern whether or not the school is a good fit for you. In visiting, you will have the opportunity to see what the campus offers academically, socially, spiritually, etc. Most importantly you will have the chance to ask other students about their experiences at the school, their likes and dislikes, their values and core beliefs, and the relationships they've made. Once you select a college, stick with it through thick and thin, and you will make the most of your experience. Always remember, you're only in college for four years (well usually!), so take advantage of the opportunities you have to be a part of something that may not be an option in the future.