Miami University-Oxford Top Questions

Let your child go where they want to be, no restrictions. Students: make sure you major in something you enjoy; remeber, your major. doesn't have to be permanent. Work hard, play hard. If you can find a good balance, you will have a great time. Too much of one, you're in for a rough ride. Keep an open mind, and keep in touch with good professors, they are invaluable!

In addition to finding a program that will put you where you want to be after graduation, find a campus that you love. Academics should be the basis of your decision, but in the same breath, you will not do as well if you are on a campus you hate. Do your research for programs and narrow your choices down to 4 or 5, then visit, visit, visit. Request meetings with people in the program you are looking to be a part of. If your program is competitive, getting as much face time with the people who make the dicision can only help you. Be sure you feel safe on your campus of choice. When you get to University, get involved. Whether you get involved with one organization or twenty, find a club where you fit in and have fun. Treat your schoolwork as a job. Work hard during the week. Be a student from 8am to 8pm then take time for yourself each day. Allow yourself to have weekends. Keep up on your studies, but have fun as well. If you create balence between your social life and your academic life, you will get the most out of college.

look at the school's eviornment, population, course catalog, professors, and activities before making a choice

Choose the school that fits you not only academically, but your personality as well

I would tell them to visit the campus while class is in session and see if the campus "feels" right. Can you see yourself spending four years of your life here? Get involved early on and be friendly was the absolute best advice I ever received. Be yourself, that way you the people you make friends will like and accept you for the person you are!

Make sure that you visit every college that you are interested in in order to see how you fit in in the environment of the school. Talk to a few upperclass students about what the academic and social scenes are like in order to get a real understanding of the atmosphere. Also, if you know what field you want to go into be sure that the school you select has a wide variety of ways to help you achieve your goals, such as research oppertunities, co-op's, and internships. Most importantly though, once you have chosen your school, GET INVOLVED! This is the best way to meet people with similar interests to make your experiance that much better, and to boost your resume for graduate schools or job interviews!

I would tell them to visit the schools that they apply to. It is important to get a real physical experience of the campus because when you know it's the right school, you'll feel it. Be sure to research study abroad programs because travel is a big opporunity that college offers. Also, look into campus activities like intramural sports and greek life. Being involved sets up great social networking and helps establish life long friendships. It is also important to look into study spaces such as libraries so that you know you will be able to remove yourself from the social scene in order to get work done, this helps create a balance between work and play. When you visit, observe the people because if they appear to fit your style and values then it will be a good fit. In addition, apply for as many scholarships as possible and research on campus job opportunities.

Go off of the feel you get when you first visit the school. If you don't feel like it's the place for you then you'll never feel at home there. Also the size of the school is very important. If you don't mind classes that will never have less than 100 people then go to a big college, or if you want to be able to get to know the people in your classes and your professors than go to a medium or small college. Price is important to consider but don't let it be your deciding factor.

Know all the facts and find them out through taking campus visits and getting to know some people on campus before deciding.

Go into everything with an open mind, just because a school may not have a big name or be your first choice doesn't mean it won't be an amazing experience. Be open to meeting new people and making friends with people you may not normally talk to. College is a time to explore and grow as a person as well as a student and it's important to keep an open mind from the very beginning so that you can make the most of it. Your mind is like a parachute, it only works when it's open!