Seattle University Top Questions

The best advise I can give is to go with your gut. If you are accepted to your first choice school, make sure to visit the campus and get a feel for the learning and living environment. Consider where you will be happiest, becasue successful learning will be dependent on how happy you are at the school you are attending. Check out the neighborhood around the school as well. Make sure it is a community where there are things you will enjoy doing and that it is a place where you feel comfortable. Check into the professors and talk with some students who currently attend the school. If the school offers an open house, attend it! That is one of the best ways to meet faculty, students, and other prospective students, and it will help give you the best feel for the campus and the community of students.

Really think about the size of school you want and how accessible you want your professors to be.

make a 4 year budget, loans, everything

The most important aspect of the search for post-secondary education is an open mind. Although economic status, family, and other concerns are always present, scholarships and other opportunities are always available for high school graduates. Post-secondary education, whether it be at a community college, trade school or university, is an integral and important choice towards a successful future. That being said, it is important to find a school that fits each student's individual needs. Try to start planning early, around junior or senior year of high school. With the help of the internet and your high school college counselor, each student can search for post-secondary options that best suit their needs. After the college search and application process is over, it's time to make sure you make the most of your education. Be sure that you take advantage of all the opportunities available to you at this time. College campuses offer a wealth of experiences, and the 4 years will go by much faster than you think. Get involved on-campus and off. Find things that you are passionate about, and you will have a very successful and enriching college career.

I would advise parents and students to explore all options--not all colleges are a perfect fit but when you find the right one, you'll know. So explore! Don't hestitate to visit colleges because they might be far away...these will be some of your most rewarding years ever so don't let a few extra miles scare you off. It'll be your home away from home and the students will be your brothers and sisters while the professors, your figurative parents, pushing you forward to succeed. Once there, realize that higher education is not guarenteed but rather a gift-- utilitze it, treat it like you would nothing else and try your best. When you've selected what you feel is the right college, embrace it fully; meet new people, get involved and open up a whole new world to yourselves! You won't regret it.

Finding the right college has a lot to do with intuition. If there is any way that you can spent a night at the college, do so. The college might seem perfect on paper, but you are not just looking for an institution with fantastic credentials, you are also looking for a new home. It is vital that you find a place that will push you out of your comfort zone, to explore your passion. Academically speaking making the most out of your college experience involves perfect attendance. It is crucial, because material covered in class if often material not covered in the text. Furthermore, college is a time to explore various areas of interest in order to really find something that you are passionate about. You can not do this if you are not willing to get uncomfortable and try new things. Hence, you need to get involved as soon as possible. Your extracurricular activities will connect you to the campus and the community. I feel that this is a very important step in making the university your new home. You can not succeed if you do not have a place where you feel at home.

Students and parents should visit the campus of each school they are considering. They should ask a lot of questions regarding financial aid and job placement. They should be sure that there is affordable housing and public transportation nearby the campus. Lastly, they should talk to alumni who graduated in the same field of interest to find out their impressions of the school and whether or not they would recommend it.

The best advice I can give to students and parents researching colleges is to talk to the current students who go to the college, not the students hired by the school, but real full-time students. If you can, go see the school and see if you like the feel of the environment. College brochures sugar-coat everything that they can in order to get more people to attend. The best way in picking a college is by getting as close to the real college experience as possible, either by talking to current students or visiting the campus. Once in college, try to experience all that the college and surrounding environment have to offer. I go to a college in the city and tend to go downtown and see the sites. It's good to want to stay on campus but you should expereince all you can that is in and out of campus. College tends to offer programs and events (ex. movies, dances, sports) that help get the student invovled and interact with others. College is a fun way to explore life and learn the necessary subjects for whatever work field someone is interested.

Apply to schools that you may not think are "good enough" for you. Chances are, they'll turn out to be. Also, don't choose a school just because your parents want you to go there! Once you get to school, don't spend all of your time partying. Check out other things to do on campus, check out the area around campus, maybe study once in a while. There's plenty of time for parties on the weekends.

I went into my college search without knowing what really mattered to me. I thought that what I needed and desired most from my school was a name, a reputation, and the ability to turn out graduates with high paying careers ahead of them. When I got to Seattle U, I realized that those are only perks. Finding the right college should be about finding a place that will support you as a complete individual and help you to either discover your calling or enhance your love and understanding of your passion. By far, that is the most important thing to look for in a school. It won't make the next four years any easier, but it will make them much more fulfilling.