Duke University Top Questions

While prospective students should consider a school's academic reputation, they need to find out about the quality of life, both academic and non-academic, in order to get a bigger picture. Applicants should talk to students currently attending the college/university to learn what the classes are like and what the academic climate is like. Is it open-minded? Grade-oriented/excessively competitive? Do people help each other? Are students interested in learning? These are very important questions to answer because a quality education is not merely having good professors and knowing material, but learning it in a way that makes a student love and appreciate the material and subject. It's also important for students to take their social and extracurricular lives seriously. Does the school have much spirit? Do people do anything other than study? Are there many organizations of all types on the campus? Is the school supportive of its students in their non-academic endeavors? A good college experience is also not merely about books and courses, but about the people one meets, the clubs/groups one joins and invests in, and the quality of the relationships that are developed as well.

College is the best time of your life, but don't be disappointed if you don't get into your first choice. After working in an admissions office on campus, I've found that if you just be yourself in your applications, the colleges will see you for what you really are. They'll make a good decision as to where you belong, and you'll probably be happiest at those schools that want you for being you. No matter where you end up, you'll end up finding the type of people you'd like to be friends with, the organizations that you'd like to be involved in, and the obligatory academics that you'll learn to like.

I would tell students to take a look at all their options and definitely visit the schools they are interested in attending. Do not get caught up in applying for only one school because you think it's perfect for you. In fact, another school that you haven't researched much about might be your best choice. Keep an open mind and remember there are a lot of factors into making a school great, including school size, courses offered, the Greek life, club/varsity sports, etc. Once you're in college, keep the same open mind about everything. Take classes that are you passionate about to find what you ultimately would like to study. Take all opportunities to try different clubs and do not be afraid to drop things if they don't interest you. Get to know the people at your school and constantly develop relationship with professors, students, and alumni to help you in the future.

Finding the right college is without a doubt one of the most important choices of a person's life. It is important for parents to consider what they can afford, keeping in mind that a good education from a reowned institution may be priceless. Other than that, the decision should be left to the student, as it is the student that will be attending that school for three plus years, and it is the child's life to be lived. It is the best idea to actually visit a school, since reading about something cannot substitute a real live experience. At this visit, the student and family should to do as much as possible to gain a thorough understanding of the college; this includes 1) going on a student-led tour guide, 2) conversing with current, attending students, 3) attending a few classes in area of interest and talking with professors, if possible, and 4) checking out the living situation: campus housing, food options, entertainment options, convenience factor, etc. All of these things help to determine if the university is the best option for the student, not only for the next few years but also for his entire life.

Don't pick a school based on rankings, or what you think it'll be like. Chances are you'll be happy where you end up.

I would advise parents to be guides and not the mind of their child. A lot of times parents get to involved in their child's selection process and put pressure on their child to pick a certain school. Instead, a parent should be supportive and help guide and support their child during the process. They should help challenge them to ensure that the child picks a school that is appropriate for their academic level. As far as the student, be open to new people and possibilities. Don't be closed minded as to which school you want to go to because the last school you think you'd attend might be the best choice for you. Follow your heart and your gut and enjoy the process because what they say is ture...these are the best years of your life!!!!

It's very important to visit the school and talk with students attending the college as honestly as possible about both their likes and dislikes about life at the particular college. Know that attending college is a very personal decision, so parents need to let their children decide on their own, although they can help!

Schools are akin to plants. We, the students, are little buds growing in our pots, hoping to stretch and blossom. Smaller schools might do a better job of tending the soil, making sure that sunlight hits everyone?s pot, and clustering students in pots of just the right size. At larger, more elite schools, everyone is put in a tiny pot, the soil is a little dry, and it?s up to us to migrate, and negotiate the balance between finding the right place to grow and keeping in check with our own sunlight and soil. In this regard, a school might be chosen based on your preference for finding self awareness through challenge versus growing comfortably. A larger, more impersonal school might be a more challenging environment that allows us to stumble upon self awareness. In getting a little thirsty, and a little withered, you are forced to find solutions to keep growing. A smaller school might have a fertilizer readily available. If college is about preparing for the ?real world,? then the most important question to ask is in what sort of environment might encouraged the growth of strong, resilient roots. It?s probably the one you are more uncomfortable with.