Simmons College Top Questions

Must choose colleges based on financial age, diversity as well as a school that is well rounded interms of social life, extracurriculars as well as academic excellence and name recognition.

Make sure you choose a school that you want, not a school that your parents want you to go to. College is a very big change from highschool so it is important to not lose focus. Try and balance your social life with your academic life. The work you do in college is work that will put you one step closer to a career. The most important thing is to follow your gut instinct and find a school that you feel defines you.

Listen to what you want out of this experience/journey. If you want something that your parents may not want, go with what your gut tells you and strive for it.

In order to find the right college, it is important to look at many different schools. It is impossible to know what you are looking for if you do not know what is out there. Look at schools in the city and in the country, big schools and small schools, close to home and far away. When you narrow it down, visit each school you are applying to more than once to get a feel for the community. When you get to college try things you have never done before and never thought you would do. Make friends with people from different backgrounds and you will learn a lot from them. Most importantly, take classes that interest you and enjoy them.

As a second year college student, I advise parents and students to start the college search early, and ask the difficult financial questions. Highschool years pass by very quickly and finding the right college is an important step that cannot be rushed. Upon entering Junior year in highschool, it is beneficial to already have chosen the top five schools that you will apply to. Furthermore, it is crucial to ask the difficult questions pertaining to financial aid. Many students, like myself, are not aware that the financial aid package offered to you by the school is able to change, even if your finances do not. It is important to know, before enrolling, how much your financial aid will change after the first year.

It's important to research your options and look around. Even if you don't think you would be interested in certain schools it is important to see for yourself what a variety of schools feel like. You should visit schools you are interested in to get a better sense of the environment. Also talking to current students is a great way to really find out what a school is like to attend. An overnight visit could also be helpful in making your decision.

Go to a school with smaller classes, the professors will care more about you. Everything is more personal at smaller schools, which helps your grades a great deal.

First, I would tell the parents to listen to their kids. My parents always pushed me towards the medical field because they want me to come out with a high paying job. I've never been a science person and they just don't understand that. After my first year of school and now my second year, I have decided to follow my passions. I want to major in Art Therapy. Though my parents are confused, they are slowly starting to support my decison. I am also transfering to a school with my major. This is a big step that I believe is in the right direction. My advice to everyone is to follow your interests and passions. It doesn't matter how much money you make, it matters whether or not you'll be happy. Imagine what you'll be doing once you're out of school. Will you be happy with you job and life? I watch my dad come home everyday from a relatively high paying job. But the questions is: Is he truly happy? I'm not sure, but I think if he had to do it all over again, he'd choose something else.

I would recommend visiting the school while school is in session in order to see what the students are like on a daily basis. I would also recommend speaking to a faculty member in the department you are interested in. They will give you great insight in the program. Also, try to speak to a random student in your intended field (or not) who is not part of the undergraduate admissions who can give you a true answer and get the real storry, and not just one they are supposed to say.

I think that in order to pick the best college or university for a student, the best way to go about is to take a tour of the school, stay overnight at the school, and sit in at least one class session, more if possible because this is the only way to really see what the school is like without people hired to pump pro- their school-propaganda in your face. Staying overnight in the dorm allows one to see what the dorms are like for a full 24 hours rather than a quick glance at a really nice room. The classroom visit allows the student to see an uncensored, unstaged classroom interaction. Had I done this, I may have looked to a school that pushed its students a bit more harder than my current schooling situation.