University of Mary Washington Top Questions

You should go to the school and see if they allow you to observe a class in progress. Don't rely on what the tour guide says, or how the buildings look from the outside. Tourguides are paid to say that the school is a wonderful place for every single type of person known to man. You should research the schools you are very interested. Talk with real students, on campus, don't just read the messages the school releases saying "these are thoughts from real students!" They have had editors select the essays that make the college look the best. Above everything, go with your gut feeling about a school. It will usually lead you in the best direction.

I would advise students to narrow down their college choices alone or with the help of a guidance counselor before discussing sticker-shock with their parents. If the student is pretty much set on what he or she wants to do, choose a school with a well-developed program for that career (i.e. pre-med or pre-law). Consider the size of the school, the teacher-student ratio, the type of campus (urban, suburban, or rural?), financial aid opportunities, scholarships, campus diversity, research opportunities, the social scene, and location (think weather and distance from home!) when researching schools. Once you've narrowed down your search to 8-10 schools, VISIT THEM! This is SO important! You learn more in a day or overnight visit than you can from all the college search books and college websites combined. Once you've chosen your final schools, be sure to tailor your applications to each school. Pick up a college newspaper during your visit, and understand the ongoings of that campus. If you search for what you want, and choose a school that is good for YOU, you will have no trouble with that first semester away from home!

Visit the school, talk to current students.

Parents, want to know what you can do for your baby who is preparing to enter the big, bad world of college? The answer is to sit back and leave the anxiety up to us. After all, the college experience is about us, not you, and that includes the long and wonderful college-finding process. The most important thing you can do when we say that we want to attend a school far away from home and in the middle of a crazy city is smile and say, "That is wonderful, dear. We support you 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}." We may not be the brightest at the naive age of eighteen, but we will learn soon enough that being 500 miles from home does not work when ill with the flu. We do know ourselves and what we want, at least, we will soon enough. As for the college experience, call us every few hours of our first days until we get annoyed and claim that we never want to hear from you again. Then wait until we realize how much we really miss you; we will come crawling back to you...asking for edible food and more underwear.

The biggest mistake that I made in my college search was not looking at or applying to enough schools. I only toured five schools and only ended up alpplying to two schools, my first choice and an alternate. I ended up being waitlisted by my first choice and had to settle for my safety school. While I have found a place for myself at this school and love my major and department, I had a really rough freshman year as I dealt with being at a school I didn't really want to attend. I would also say not to limit your college search to just public or in state schools. Private schools or out of state public schools, while usually more expensive often give competitive scholarships based on merit. There is also something to be said for moving far away from home and living in an exciting new place. Getting involved in clubs and other student run organizations is really important in order to make the most of the college experience. These organizations help create a sense of community and an attachment to place that can be lacking if you never get involved.

When you take your tours of campus, take a minute, stop and look around. Decide if you think you could be there everyday, for 4 years. Don't be distracted by all the bells and whistles that the school brags about, most of the time it's not something that you'll really use or be involved with anyway. When choosing to attend my college, I felt completely comfortable taking the tour and being on campus. Although I had my gripes for some things, overall, I enjoyed what I saw. Don't be stubborn either, no place is going to be 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} perfect, so weigh out your options, and choose accordingly.

Visit the school! Even if you don't think size matters, it definately can. And environmental factors such as setting and the people are so important, it can't be stressed enough. Just check it out!

I feel that students should have the most say in the decison on which college is right for them. College is not only a time to grow academically, but also to mature as an adult. Choosing the proper atmosphere and place where you can feel comfortable helps aid in that process significantly. On the other hand, students should also find somewhere they feel like they can also have fun and savor the chance to meet new people and try new things. Students should definitely consider if the location is suitable to the activities they would like to pursue, should check out a few majors that interest them before agreeing to attend the college, and also see if they would feel comfortable being a student in the class sizes that their prospective colleges offer. Most importantly, students should strive to choose the college that they feel can be their "home away from home," and have a sense of pride in telling others that that is the school they attend!

Choosing the right school is a very personal thing. Don?t just rely on what your friends or family think what you should do. Don?t just pick a school because it?s prestigious. There are some really great schools out there (like the University of Mary Washington) that are just as good (and you?ll be just as happy at) if you just give them a chance.

Tour all of your prospective colleges when there are students on campus. If possible stay overnight with a friend or a campus-buddy student to really get a feeling for the school. Don't make your choice upon the school's stats or which has the craziest parties- choose which one feels right to you and you feel comfortable. Thats whats most important.