Stetson University Top Questions

You can never start too early. Go visit any campus you may be interested in. Sometimes what you think may be your last choice is the one you love the most. See if there's anyway if you can spend a night in a dorm; that way you'll know what you're getting into with dorm life. Once you've seen the campuses, apply as early as you can; you'll have a better chance to get in to your favorite. Even if there's only one school you really want to go to, still spread yourself out. If you don't get into your first choice, you'll still have options. Also, apply to a few schools you think you'll never go to or don't feel you'll get into. You may be surprised. I applied here because the application was free. Once a I saw the campus, I fell in love; I couldn't imagine going anywhere else, and it's all because of a whim.

The advice I would give to parents about finding the right college is to visit the colleges at least twice. Once to get a general tour another, if at all possible, to allow your son/daughter to shadow a student. To see what life is like outside the guided path. He/She will meet real students who have true opinions about the school and are not subject to what the recruitment office wants you to see. Also financially plan ahead for it. This pre-planning will prevent cost burdens and allow your son/daughter to not worry about not being able to attend all 4 years because of financial mis-planning

Be extremely cautious when choosing a school. Even when a school looks wonderful in presentation and on visits, it's a big, different surprise once you arrive. Don't be too trustworthy or willing to settle on a school without "shopping around."

Have the student and parent analyze their comfort zones. Make a list of characteristics the school must have in order to qualify as a suitiable environment for the student to live and learn in. Visit each university during a day that classes are in session and observe everything around you including how long it takes to get there and the asthetics of the campus. Stop a couple students and ask them some concerning questions and compare the answers of each student. Take an insider tour of the campus, eat there, go to a dorm, the health department, talk to a professor in your subject interest, a dean of students, the campus safety department. Take a tour of the town and the restaurants, shops and entertainment in it. Note where a hospital, a police station and fire station are. Research all possible aspects of the university from cost to social life and the area around it especially crime statistics and availability of emergency assistance. Take notes on all of this and after researching all other possible university choices, compare the pros and cons of each until you realize which school is the best fit for both parents and especially, the student.

The best advice I can give to a aparent and a perscpective student is to not just accept that what the school selling in their admissions process, but rather do other research and try to talk to students who are not working for the admissions department. I have worked with our orientation process and seen this happen alot when new students get on campus and then become disallusioned sometime later about the truth.

Make sure you can afford the cost of college. Go visit the campus for a day when classes are in session and people are active and around campus so you get a true feel for what the campus atmosphere is like and see if you fit into it. Get involved with extracurriculars that you enjoy, but don't take on too much at one time or you will fall behind in your schoolwork.. Make friends early so college isn't a lonely experience. Budget your money wisely, because books will cost you a fortune! Go to class and make connections with your professors. Budget your time as well so you don't study or socialize all the time. Try to work things out with your roommate(s) and don't hog the bathroom or make too much noise, because you will make enemies very fast. The RA is not your babysitter, he/she is just there to help when problems in the dorm get out of hand. Your parents are no longer there to push you to do your work and your professors won't baby you so it's up to you to motivate yourself to do the work.

Before deciding on a college, visit many campuses. I would recommend visiting while school is in session so you can see what the environment is like with students around. I fell in love with Stetson when I took the tour, and then there were other schools that I thought I was interested in until I took the tour. Be open to many possibilities. Don't go into college hunting with a narrow mind.

To find the college with the best fit, don't let the cost sway you. Schools that have higher tuition rates are more likely to help you with funding than lower cost schools are. Definitely visit the campus. Eat at the dining hall. Talk with other students. See if you're excited to be there or just curious about a new place. Your subconscious reactions will help determine which place is right for you. Listen to your heart on this one. To make the most of your experience: make friends, get involved, stay active, and try something new!