Davidson College Top Questions

Make sure you go visit the schools and do an overnight visit.

Trust your gut feeling, don't allow yourself to get in too far over your head academically, and if you don't get in to your dream school (or don't know what your dream school is) keep an open mind and a positive attitude as you beging your college experience. Just about everyone can find their own nitch at college, just sometimes it takes a while. Don't get defeated, and really try to form friendships. At college your friends become your family, so I believe they are the most instrumental element in determining one's happiness and success.

You will get out of anything you do as much as you put into it. I strongly believe that this is the ultimate truth, especially with college, and higher education. The truth is that while there are both small and large colleges, both top tier and bottom tier colleges, and both pricy and inexpensive colleges, what you do in your time at college defines your own outcome. Do not squander your youth and opportunities, and give yourself completely to the once in a lifetime college experience that has been given to you. Leave behind inhibition and prejudice and open yourself to everything new and promising. Furthermore, take the advice of others, but ultimately, rely on your own judgement and intuition. You will make and live your own future, and you will learn yourself and where you belong through your own decisions. Do not let anyone push you or make you something that you are not. Finally, embrace the things you learn and the people you meet, because there is nothing else in the world like being at college.

Future college students must realize that this experience will be completely separate from their past life and will shape them into the adult they will be for the rest of their lives. That being said, when making this very important choice, while they should listen to the advice of councelors and parents, the ultimate choice must come from them alone. If they are to succeed academically and enjoy the experience they can not allow themselves to be pressured into the wrong choice for them, however prestigious the school might be, or whatever family history dictates that particular choice. And it is absolutely essential that the students visit the college campus at least once in person. Sometimes the smallest thing causes that click in your head that tells you the school is right for you. Listen to your insticts and then don't look back.

When I first began the application process, I was bogged down with all the important questions associated with a college decision: big school or small school; north or south; and of course, strong football or basketball team. On one particularly stressful evening, my mom sat me down and imparted some words of wisdom: "When you step onto the right campus, you'll just be able to feel it." Keeping this in mind as I began visiting schools, I found myself worrying much less about the statistics, facts, and graduation rates connected to each school. I began to focus instead on the community, and how I felt I could fit in and contribute to it. As a delighted sophomore at the school of my choice, and more importantly as the daughter of a happy mother, I would be humbled to pass along this same advice. By placing less importance on the school as it appears on paper, and more emphasis on whether you feel that you belong, you will find yourself in an environment where you can truly excel. If one is able to take pride in their community and peers, the college experience will truly be enriching and rewarding.

go where the money is best

Believe in yourself. Study hard for the SATs, but remember your high school work matters too. When looking at colleges, have your parents go to info sessions while you talk to current students. If you're an athlete, take all five official visits even if you don't think you'll go to a college; you'd be incredibly surprised at the gems you might find. Once in college, study hard but make friends. Check facebook to keep yourself sane. Treat your roommate well. Try not to lose touch with your friends back home, and hang out with people on your hall a lot. They'll help you meet new people. Listen to the people who try to help you. Don't try to do everything in one semester. Explore classes you aren't familar with. Sleep in every once in a while. Most importantly, never let a test, an admissions letter, a coach, a professor, or a setback make you doubt how much you're worth.

First and foremost I would say consider the size and location of the school you are interested in. Some students do better at large urban universities, while others thrive at smaller small town colleges. While it may be hard to do, focus on the academics first and foremost when looking at what you want to get out of the school; does it offer a choice of degrees that you would be interested in or programs that you would like to try? Then I would recommend looking at the academic rigor as well as the extracurricular options that the school offers, because as Mark Twain beautifully penned, "I never let my schooling interfear with my education." While there is plenty to be learned in class, college will teach you many important life skills through the people you meet and activities you undertake that have no relation to your academics. I would also recommend considering living conditions of the campus, whether you would prefer a school where the entire student body lives on campus, vs. one where most upperclassmen live off campus. Finally, there is the feel. Visit as many schools as you can, and see which one feels best for you.

Definitely visit!!! You never can tell how you'll really get along in a place until you see it for yourself. It's kind of a gut feeling. You'll know in your heart whether or not it's right and if it's not don't be afraid to say so. Undergrad is important but it doesn't necessarily make or break your future. Find a school that has all the things you love, even if it's something as random as a cooking class. Use college to really explore where you fit into this world and the ways that you can impact it for the better. It's also so much better to find a school that offers counseling sessions (especially free ones). College is THE time where you'll most likely change the most and sometimes it really helps just to have an objective and sympathetic ear help you figure things out. I would have been so unhappy if I didn't have my counselore and even if it's taboo don't worry because there are tons of people who need counseling and just don't have the guts to seek it out.

When I was applying to college I thought the goal was to get into the best school I could get into so that it would look good when I was leaving high school, but in all honesty you should look for a college that is going to fit you. You should look for things that you like about your high school and avoid things that you do not like about your high school. College is a special four years and you should strive to find a school where you can challenge yourself but at the same time be able to find friends and enjoy the many adventures of college such as living on your own for the first time and going abroad. The people you meet in college are also a major factor as you will want to surround yourself with stimulating conversation and bright, fresh ideas that can spark whole new directions for you and your life beyond school. Finally, school spirit is very important so I think it is crucial that applicants should look for a place where the students truly love their school.