University of California-Los Angeles Top Questions

Really search out colleges you could see yourself attending. Find out where you would be able to learn best and have a great time. No matter what college you choose you will be able to find the crowd of people you want and what you want to do, if you want to party or to study or to date or hang out with friends. Think about and realize what kind of college experience you want at school; big city? Gorgeous campus? Thousands of people? Amazing sports? Laid back? Studious? Meet new people? Keep old friends? The location I think is key for a college choice. Whither you go to college close to home, go home often, and keep in touch with high school friends or go to school far away, are alone for the first time, have to meet new people and friends, get along with others, see new country and explore, find out who you really are inside and who you want to be, feel free and figure life out by yourself. So location not only determines your choices in activities on the weekends and with your friends but determines your future life to come. GO UCLA BRUINS!

The best advice I would give is to visit every school you consider attending among those that accepted you. Do not only visit the campus, but take a look at the surrounding areas, especially if on-campus housing is not guaranteed. Remind yourself that you will be spending your next four years in this atmosphere, so you must find out how comfortable you will feel. Secondly, evaluate to the best of your ability how attached you are to your family. Out-of-state colleges can be quite an adjustment for those who have spent a vast majority of their lives cooped up at home, and this adjustment can mean poor performance for the first year or two. Thirdly, try to decide a general area of study earlier in time; although college is about experience, a more competitive applicant is typically one who had completed steps geared specifically toward his/her chosen field earlier on. In addition, an early career decision can mean applying for colleges better suited for this career goal. Finally, it is important to understand that the college you attend should be your own decision. Take others? opinions into consideration, but do not let them overcome your own.

To parents, I'd like to tell them that it's crucial for their kids to choose the right college to attend based on their own agenda. It's not about the prestige name of the college, but rather, the right environment of the college for the kids. Once enrolled, whether students love or hate the school, they should push themselves to become involved in extra curricular activities. To make the most of the college experience, they should engage in organization(s) and find friends with similar interests. Academic goal should be their priority, but there needs to be a balance between academic and social lives.

In finding the right college, I would say be true to yourself and your career goals. That is what will make you ultimately happy. Find the school that has the best program for your career goal and go from there. To make the most of your college experience, study abroad and do the best you can in all your classes. Work hard,but play harder. Get involved in campus organizations that give back to the community. Live in the dorms for at least one year to gain that experience because you'll never forget it.

Your college is more than just a place to learn. Academics are important, but you probably don?t realize that your choice of school will determine who you meet, what you do for fun, how hard you will work, and how happy you will be. These experiences will change who you are and how you view the world. So even though looking at a list of the ?best schools in the U.S.? can be fun, you have to see beyond just academics. Make sure that you will enjoy the campus, the surrounding area, the weather, the other students, the sports, and everything else during your stay at the university. Visit the campus. Sit in on a class. Talk with people, even people you don?t know. Attend a club meeting. Go to a school event. If even for one day, try to live as a student would live and ask yourself ?do I feel comfortable here?? A school is more than just a place to learn new things: it?s going to be your new ?home.?

Of course, the academic reputation and majors your college offers is an important thing to consider. But also remember- that you're spending 4 years on the college campus you choose. So you really want to make sure you choose a campus location that you love, and know what kind of people go to college there. That way, even if you feel stressed with college sometimes, you'll feel so much better by realizing how much you love your campus and the friends you're surrounded with. To make the most of the college experience, be sure to get involved with something outside academics. Even if you're not that social, you'll be sure to find something that sparks your interests, and find others who enjoy your passion as well. That's where you really meet people that you'll keep in touch for life, and stay connected to them not only for networking purposes. Take advantage of what your college offers, and use it so that it'll benefit you in whatever you choose as your future.

Finding a college is not easy. It is similar to finding a car. It takes time, patience, and most all committment. You have to want to find the college that will best fit you just as you want to find the perfect car. You must take into consideration all about the college, its surroundings, and resources offered. It is very important to look at the city in which the college is located. Although a particular college may be your number one choice, you may hate the city and environment around it, which will drastically change your college experience. It is also crucial to see what the college offers outside of academics. How can you get involved and make a lasting difference on that campus. The most important question is, where will I be the most happiest? It is vital to pick a university that is all around. No place will be perfect but you want to pick a college that best fits your personality and most of all that makes you happy.

Don't just look at one aspect of the college when making your decision this spring. For example, the location is not the only thing that matters.Consider things like the diversity of the student body: will your experience be enriched by exposure to a variety of cultures, or will you find yourself lost amongst exotic classmates and not get the attention you need? What about drugs and alcohol? You may not want to go to a school that has trouble keeping its students sober, because that may translate to a problem keeping yourself sober.An important factor that I ignored was class sizes. If you find it easy to lose yourself in a crowd, then you may want to rethink your decision to go to a large school. Your college experience needs to be about you. Keep in mind that if your professors don?t know who you are, they can?t write a letter of recommendation for you when you?re applying for jobs after college!You will be learning so much more than just what is taught in class. It is important that you make a conscious decision about what those extra things will be.

One of the biggest factors students should consider when choosing a college to attend is its location. This is particularly important for students with close relationships with their families. Not being able to manage living far away from home would only add to the number of stressors that go along with entering college. However, it is important that students in this situation understand that living extremely close to family may also contribute to stress. One needs to be able to remain focused in school without distractions. It is an important time in students? lives to become more independent. Being away from family may be the only way to allow some students to do so. Students should also choose a school where they have visited and feel comfortable. Four years is a long time. The college will be their new home. Therefore, they need to realize that the school?s rank or the number of high school friends attending should not influence their decision. It is more reasonable to choose an institution where you will enjoy being a student. The college that delivers an enjoyable experience will cause you to want to participate in more activities, further enhancing your college life.

Undergrad doesn't even matter these days in this economy, so don't fret. Make the best decision that you can, stay focused and choose somewhere where you can experiement and grow as an individual.