Rutgers University-New Brunswick Top Questions

Visit each school, talk to faculty and current students

Finding the right college is a different process for everyone. Depending on what a student and his/her family value, there are plenty of resources that can referred to. There is a huge array of ways to conclude a student's search, but the most helpful one has been actually going to the colleges. I would say schedule an appointment for a tour or just stop by and check it out.

When I began the college application process after my junior year of high school, I knew exactly what school I wanted to go to. It was a small highly competitive liberal arts school set in a quaint small town in New York. Everyday I worked on my college applications imagining myself reading my Milton and Chaucer, sitting on an old tree's lower branches in the school's vast green lawn. Unfortunately my college expectations were not met, and I had to settle for the state university-- Rutgers. It was a hard thing to swallow at first, but since coming to Rutgers I have learned an important lesson. The right college for me is not simply a landscape where I can imagine myself studying. The right college is a place where I can meet people who will teach me and where I can teach others. It is a place where I can make friends who will be with me even after graduation. Rutgers has been this place for me. So instead of thinking of college as just a place, think of it as a group of people. Find the right people, and you will find the right college.

visit and talk, figure out how far from home you want to be. try to get a good picture of the social life.

The advice I would like to give to parents and students who are looking into where to go to college is to be very investigative. Be sure to truly research every aspect of a school, such as tuition, housing, job opportunities, academics, specific programs for majors and minors, student programs and organizations, and career services. It is important to figure out if the school has the appropriate program and major/minor for the career path in which you are most interested. Also, knowing there is a good career service program will benefit you when it is time to transition into a career after college. Do not just go to a school for the social aspect, easy location, or convenience; go to a college in which you will have the best experience that will yield the most benefits. Be selective and specific in what you are looking for. Get as involved in not only academics, but every other aspect as possible, as this will make adjustment easier. Most importantly, make the experience at school the best it can be and get the most out of it as possible. Appreciate your time at college, don't take these great times for granted.

Make sure the students wants to go their or really like the college, because college is all the same and a positive outcome can only be determined on how you feel about the environment, education and people wise.

Know what you are capable of handling. Do not think that you will change, because change only comes to a certain degree. Most important, find if the school has the right program for you or the right major.

To find the right college, you need to pick one that really stands out to you on a personal level. Ask yourself the questions: Do I see myself going here for four or more years? Do I see myself becoming friends with these people? Do I feel safe here? You should also take the tour, talk to students (preferably not the tour guides because they always say the school is great, so find a student walking by), and sit in on a class for half an hour (to get a feel for the type of material, the teaching style, and the classroom size). To make the most of your college experience, join a club or two, use the computer labs, use the tutoring centers, and use the libraries. Also, make a plan for the four or more years at this college so that you stick to it and make sure to study hard, because college is not as easy as high school.

I would make sure that the college has the best program possible that coincides with your interests. I would also get involved in as many activities as possible freshman year, because as the years go on and you are taking more difficult courses, you will be less able to participate in extra-curricular activities. Make sure you do as well as possible in your freshman courses, as these are generally the easiest, and you won't get another chance to get As with such little work.

Be sure to keep it simple. Write down what it is you want EXACTLY in your college, then go to each college within your range and see which fulfills what you've written. Also talk to students while you are there, the tours are nice but they don't show what everyday life will be like for you. Lastly, don't let anyone else influence your decision. It's your future so it should be your choice, regardless of who pays. As for parents make sure you understand this, try to guide rather than push. Other than that just make sure you will be comfortable with your decision, and enjoy college once your there