Smith College Top Questions

The best advice I have gotten so far is use your resources and network with people because that is how people succeed in life. If you raised your child to make the right decisions then trust them to be able to make them on their own. There will be mistakes made along the way but that is a part of learning and you can't prevent them from making every mistake or they will never learn anything. There is not one correct way about attainting an education, so as long as you have a passion for what you are majoring then do it. It is your life not your parents so do what makes you happy and will get you to where you want to be in the future. Lastly, don't get so busy making a living that you forget to have a life.

Finding the right college and making the most of college is about being truly honest with yourself about your needs, goals, aspirations and future plans.

Finding the right college is about understanding who you are as a college-seeking student. A campus overnight should be considered an integral part of any college search for those universities under serious consideration in order to find the right "fit." Once in college, it is important to make the most of the experience. Although you are ultimately paying for an education, it is important to understand that much of your education takes place outside the classroom. It may be useful not to put academics on the top of your list of priorities at the beginning of your college adventure and get a taste for other campus activities and friendships that are waiting to happen. Chances are you chose a college for more than just academics, so get out there and experience as much as you can early!

The one thing that I feel made the most impact on my decision was actually visiting the school. Try to spend some time in the school's student center. Sit in the cafe or somewhere where there are people around and just try to get a sense of the students around you. Picture yourself as a student at that college. Imagine what you would be doing or which of the people you see you think you would be hanging out with. Walk around the campus. See if you can imagine yourself walking the pathways of that campus as a student there. Be careful about overnights; while they can be a helpful insight into life at that college or university, sometimes seeing one person's perspective can be an inaccurate representation of the whole institution. Take advantage of the resources provided to you at your college. Use the library, participate in extracurriculars, and glean all the information you can from you professors. Above all, absorb as much knowledge as you can from your peers and enjoy college; you are surrounded by interesting, stimuating people!

The best way to find out what college is right for you is visiting colleges and getting a feel for them. If you can imagine yourself going to school somewhere, and being comfortable and happy, it doesn't matter what rank the college has or how prestigious it is. Ultimately it is what you make out of your experience, and you can get the most out of your college experience if you are happy with where you are.

Visit, seriously. Don't just sign up, check the place out and get a feel for the atmosphere. You'll be living there afterall.

Don't pay attention to the name-brand of a place...just go and feel out the college yourself to see if it's a right fit - your potential to grow as a student should be top priority, instead of the potential for having a name-brand bumper sticker on your car.

Let your child make the choice....they are the one's who need to be live with it.

It is true there are some colleges better suited for the individual than others, but what you make of your college experience (what clubs you join, sports you do, the classes you take, how you get involved) is much more important than where you go.

You should not expect to fit in perfectly anywhere. College is what you make of it, not the buildings, teachers, or other students. You have the unique ability to make yourself happy wherever you are, and shouldn't rely on others to do it for you. When you pick a school, find somewhere that you can challenge yourself and grow as a person. Get a strange job, join a new club, go abroad if you can. College is the last 4 years of your life before you hit the "real world". It a place where you look yourself in the mirror during finals and say "I can do it!". Set out your dreams and follow them. Whatever college you pick, you will find them if you try hard enough. College is just a path to make it a little easier.