University of California-Los Angeles Top Questions

You definitively need to visit prospective colleges before attending. Visiting the campus gives you an idea of your fit at the campus. I do not recommend selecting a college merely based on its ranking, once again, overall fit is very important to student happiness. Make sure that prospective schools have the extra curricular activities that you are interested in (be sure to be involved in leadership positions too). Look for a school with a lot of school spirit - you don't want to go to a college where everyone hates it and wants to transfer out. You don't need to go to the college that all your friends are going to - you will make friends very fast if you live on campus. I really recommend living in dorms, at least for a year. Your resident advisor (RA) and the rest of the on-campus staff are very helpful, which is important if you have never lived away from home before. Also, you will make a lot of friends in the dorms, which helps in your adjustment to a new place. Apartments tend not to be social at all.

Choose the school that's best for you. Figure out what important qualities you desire in a school and select a few to visit. Don't just look at the information the school gives you. Talk to current students. Find out their opinions on the school. Ask yourself if it feels right for you. Once you've chosen a school, take time to figure out what you want to major in. It is far more important to enjoy your studies than to please someone else's expectations. Choose something that you love or leads you to a field of study you love. Find a campus group to get involved with. Visit many at first, and pick a few to stay with throughout your time there. These groups can be a great source of friendship and community. Lastly, live on campus as much as you can. Living in the dorms is part of the experience at many schools - don't miss out! If your school is one that has an active sports program - take advantage of it. Get student tickets and attend the games. School sports can be a great part of the college experience. Don't miss out!

Take cost into account, but don't let it be the determining factor. Had I done so, I would probably have come here, and been the worse for it. You can't put a price tag on life experience or academic interest. When you visit the campus, don't just check out the quality of the facilities or its proximity to home, but decide whether or not its a place you want to spend four years of your life. Also, if you're looking at a large public school, look into the programs that allow you to take smaller classes, since those are often the most rewarding, as the teacher developes a stronger bond with you.

Find whatever choice works the best for YOU- even if you have the option of going to an academically better school, if it is a poor fit it will keep you from reaching your full potential. Even though you still might succeed, being happy with your school helps you be happy with yourself, have a supporting social network, and work harder. Doing well at ANY school and then going to a good job or grad school is far better than underperforming and being unhappy at an academically-esteemed undergraduate program. In addition, the career market is changing so that what you do while in school, and not necessarily the quality of the school you attend, is a greater influence on the jobs you can get afterwards. So if you fall in love with a campus or feel like you'd be socially happier at a less-prestigious university, then follow what will make you the most you can be.

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Visit the campus and get a good feel of the campus and the people. The mistake I have made is that I chose the school based only on its reputation. I would also suggest a smaller school. Mega schools like UCLA are so big that they become very impersonal. In my opinion, I believe smaller schools would have provided a better environment for a healthu, wholesome experience for personal development. UCLA's school culture lacks good character and is a carry over of high school behavior. Not much rrom for intellectual and spiritual growth.

Visit as many universities/colleges as possible and find current undergraduates who will let you shadow them for a day so that you can experience that universities/college's learning atmosphere.

Visit the campuses you're applying to - the first-hand knowledge you get through this process is absoloutely invaluble in making a good decision.

The most important part of finding the right college is, when you go to visit colleges, actually being able to picture yourself there. There might be a ton of schools that have amazing reputations or many good qualities about them, but if you feel uncomfortable or out of place there, you'll likely be miserable during the time you're in college. To make the most out of your college experience, try to take advantage of all the opportunities that are presented to you; you'll meet a lot of new people, so don't let chances to build lifelong relationships pass you by . Remember that most of what you'll learn comes outside of the classroom rather than in the classroom; enjoying your college experience usually outweighs getting absolutely perfect scores in everything.

Establish a college fund when they are young.