Gonzaga University Top Questions

Highschool Seniors To be completely honest, I had no idea where I wanted to go to college. I looked at numerous different schools but never could find a college that I believed I would fit. My advice to you is to follow your heart. Of course you need to take in to consideration the location, the size of the school, and the type people, but the real question is: what do you do once you have found those schools? Each school is just as individualized as the students who attend them, and I can't stress enough for you to look at a variety of schools and find the one you believe to be the best fit. Once you think you've found it, take that leap, take a chance, and go with it! As for making the most out of your experience, have fun, be yourself, and enjoy every minute of life. You only get to live once, so forget regret. Enjoy and be thankful for what has been given to you, and from there you will meet incredible people who will shape your life in ways you never thought imaginable. Your out on your own, enjoy it! -Abby

Advice I would give is visit all the schools you apply too. Don't make a decision quickly, take your time and find the school that feels right. Also, know that you don't have to stay there. A lot of people feel that this is there one and only chance and they can't change their mind after. That is not the case, if you are not happy go find somewhere else that might fit. Life is too short to stay somewhere that you don't like. There are tons of colleges and there is one for everyone. Once you are accepted get ahold of someone to talk too. See if you can talk to a student and get their prospective. College is also not just about learning, it is a life experience. So, make sure it has things around it that you love and people who are like you. It is one of the first times where you make a huge decision on your own. It is a big step, but an extremely exciting time. Don't ever lose sight of that and try not to stress. Enjoy every moment because it only happens once.

Visit the colleges before you apply to them and talk to professors and current students to understand the pro's and con's of a school. Some colleges offer a weekend where prospective students can spend the night, definintely do this! You will be able to decide whether people there are like you, or not and whether you will enjoy the experience. Also, branch out while you are enrolled. Never feel like school is just enough. Internships, networking, working with professors, and other school programs are great ways to meet people and form relationships that can turn into jobs, and help direct you toward your interests.

It comes down to three main things: location, campus life, and academic intensity. In considering location, do you want a metropolitan area with lots of culture, a rural area with some privacy, or a mix between the two? In campus life, do you want a large school with lots of diversity and new and constantly changing social life- which comes with big classes and less professor-student intimacy- or do you prefer a smaller, tight-knit social network where classes are small and your professors recognize you? Lastly, you have to consider the academic intensity of the programs you are interested. What do you want out of your college experience? A degree and job or possible grad school options and if the latter, is the strength of the program going to support that? Is the program so strict that changing your mind later on is not an option? Will you be able to work to meet this program's standards? Once you can answer all these questions, you're set for determining what is right for you.

I recomend visiting all the schools you are considering and talking with students there. Try to look at all the aspects of the school and don't focus to much on one part of it. Go with your gut feeling about a school. If it doesn't seem like it is going to be a great school it probably isn't and vice versa. When you choose the school for you, really try to be outgoing and meet as many people as you can. Join a few groups and be an active citizen of the community.

One of the hardest parts about finding a college is discovering that the best college is not always the perfect for you, and you can?t figure this out without spending some time on campus. Yes it?s all fine and dandy to visit a school and get the traditional walk through tour but you won?t truly know just by walking around! My school offers GEL (Gonzaga Experience Live) where accepted students are allowed to stay on campus with a current student for a weekend this is the best way find out about a school. Making the most of college is easy GET INVOLVED! Volunteer, join a club, go to socials, study abroad, have a dinner party in your room; meeting people is a big part of the college experience and living in the dorms only gets you so far, pushing yourself to be social is well worth the extra effort.

To the students I would say: don't allow people to make you feel as if you don't belong just because you don't feel like drinking and partying all of the time. Know who you are and stick with that no matter what. You deserve to get the most out of college, and only you control the experience and its outcome.

Visit all schools. meet academic advisors. meet teachers. talk to current students. find out about academic guarntees such as four year graduation and class size, as well as financial aid. Think about weather and distance from home, the housing offered by the university, and the dining services.