Elmhurst College Top Questions

You don't have to know what you want to do right away. Take your time. Go to a school that YOU want to and look at your options. Take a couple classes that sound interesting to you and see what you like. When looking for schools go to the schools and take a tour to see what you fell.

While it may seem boring, do the research to find the college that best fits you. It seems time consuming, but this is a decision that will largely decide your future for you. Consider plenty of colleges and don't make a rushed decision, it could be a costly mistake. Don't take out more student loans than what you need! Try to buy books online (on campus they are ridiculous!). Remember to make time for you, even if it means skipping a party. If you are not a morning person, don't register for morning classes (seems obvious, but you'd be surprised). Fill your FAFSA out on time so you can get some decent financial aid. Scholarships will get you into schools you never dreamed of attending because of your financial situation. Don't procrastinate, you can fall behind very quickly (and it may become hard to catch up). Stay safe, especially after drinking ( a lot of BAD things can happen if you don't). Never lose sight of the future, and always remember why you are attending college.

I believe that the begining of the process starts with the parents. I would start by saying, listen completely to what your child likes and dislikes about the college that he or she looks at. The parents should know that this decision is completely their child's, not the parent's. Most importantly, the advice I would give to a student would be to go with your instinct on how you feel and what you like about a certain college or university. Start out figuring out which sized school you like and then find the school that makes you feel most comfortable. A college decision is where you will be spending the next years of your life and it's important to find one that will provide both academic as well as social needs. Students should also know that living on campus will be the best thing for them. Its a way for students to learn to live on their own and make their own decisions, while still having their parents not so far away to make sure they can still succeed. It's most definitely important that they succeed too, because college will be the gateway to their future.

I would advise students and parents to look very closely at their financial award packets that they receive from different schools. When looking at outside scholarships, it is important to find scholarships that are renewable instead of those that are one-time-only. It would be smart to check into the scholarships and grants offered by the school to ensure that they are renewable as well. I would also advise students and parents to factor in textbook expenses when budgeting for college because it is one of those unexpectede expenses that is not cheap. It is also important to factor in miscelleneous expenses because sometimes you never know what will come up.

You will feel it when you walk onto a campus, whether its right or wrong. I fell in love with Elmhurst and I think you would too! Come visit!

My best advice to new college students, is to research any schools that you may be interested in attending. Attending a college or university will prove to be one of the important decisions a young person can make. College can be a scary experience is you are not prepared, so just ask questions if you are unsure of something. Call advisors and campus relations if you are interested in attending a particular school. They are there for a reason. If they are not very attentive or helpful, that could be an indication of how they will respond to a students needs while they are in school. Another helpful piece of advice, is to apply early and to many schools. If you have your heart set on a particular school, that's great, but have alternative plans, just in case. The more options you have, the better you will feel. Be proactive about the situation, and don't take it lightly. College is probably one of the biggest and most difficult decisions to date for a young person about to take the next step.

Before you decide on which college is right for you, be sure to visit the campus first. Pamphlets provided from the colleges only show the best aspects of the school; if possible, see if you can sit in on some classes, see if that school has the kind of technology and resources to provide you with the best education possible in the field you want to pursue.

The most important thing is going to a college where you feel you will be able to grow in many different aspects of life and also a place where you will want to be part of the institution through sports, clubs, academics., working on campus or some other way. Look for a college that provides opportunities such as internships, mentoring programs, and study abroad opportunities. These are great ways to grow and also to have an experience of a life time, especially studying abroad. Also when you are at college try to enjoy the activities as much as possible. They are a key component of what will make your college experience unique and full of memories.

Find the college that is right for you. It's out there somewhere. When choosing a school, think about possible majors that you would be interested in, class sizes and the distance away from your home. Make sure to visit the campuses at the top of your list, because you might just get the exciting feeling that "Hey, this college is for me!" Only you know what is the right fit for you. Once you get to college, you can be anyone that you want to be. You will meet so many new people that won't know what you were like in high school, so if you want to be more outgoing or more this or that, then go for it! College is a new experiance, so get ready for a new you. Don't be afraid, the other freshmen are all in the same boat as you, so just get together and have a great time. Also remember your academics. College is the start of the rest of your life, the choices you make will affect you forever. But don't worry, it's much easier than the "real world". So have fun and don't hold back!

The advice I would give to parents and students when looking for a college is to write down on a list the top three to five things they need a college. I would then take the next step to enter in a database, what your top 5 is and find out what schools provide those things for their students. I would then go looking at some of the collges that appear to have those quailities. When visting a collge, it is important to look at the big picture of what they offer. Such as what financial/scholarships do they offer, how is job placement after college, what is the student to teach ration, and the on-campus living situation. Basically your college should be everything that you can possibly get out of it and help you start a great career; and since you are paying so much to get a good education you want it to be at a place that will give you the best possible education and make you feel comfortable all year when attending classes.