Whitman College Top Questions

We're not going to win.

Go with your gut.

Really look hard and be ready to look into schools you don't expect to be a good fit

Start early on your college search and spend time to really think about what you want in a college. Make sure after you've narrowed it down to visit the colleges you're interested in, try to stay a night in a dorm, talk to students, talk to professors and check out departments that you are interested in. When you receive your acceptance letters and financial aid packets, this information along with the information you've gained from researching and visiting the schools will combine to form the best decision. Having embarked on the college experience, it can be difficult to balance a perhaps highly social atmosphere and freedom with school work. To be successful, set priorities early. Make sure that you don't fall behind in readings and classworks, study to do well on tests, and then be able to enjoy time spent with friends and weekends. Being involved in extra-curricular activities can be great ways to meet new people and a fun way to spend time. Make sure you don't sign up for too much and make your work load impossible to handle. The key to success in college is finding ways to balance your time.

Remember that college is an important time in life to figure out what your next steps are. Before applying take time to outline your priorities. Think about: -what's most important: academics? sports? social life? creativity? -what schools are strongest in that area? -how does the school compare to your current academic standards? -what makes it unique? -are there groups on campus that you can be involved in? (eg. religious, cultural, interests, etc) -how important to you is size? housing? accessibility? distance from home? scholarships? There are many more variables to think about, but I would recommend visiting a school to get a feel for it before making a final decision. See if you might feel at home and how you could get involved. And once you arrive, make the most out of everything that you identified as important to you.

Just figure out what you want, then hunt it down. Also, follow your gut. That's what I did -- I saw my college's website, and just from that I could tell that it was a good fit.

Visit

When initially applying to the colleges, pick schools that fit the criteria most important to you. Say for example: academic reputation, big city/rural environment, class size or ability to interact with professors, athletics...and so on. Then make a list of at least six schools: 2 "dream schools" that you think might be a long shot considering it's competitive admissions process, 2 "most possible" schools that you think you have a pretty good chance of getting accepted, and 2 "for sure" schools that you "know" will accept you. Then, when acceptence letters come, visit those schools. A school might seem great on paper, but sometimes one just doesn't connect with the "feel" of the school. This is the most important factor in deciding what school is right for you. If you don't feel comfortable or can't picture yourself being at that school for four year, it doesn't matter if the school is everything you thought you wanted on paper - you will not be happy forcing yourself to attend that school. Once you start college, branch out and make new friends that first month. Then focus on perfecting a successful study routine. Good luck!

College is what you make of it.

Go with what you feel is right in your gut. If the school makes you feel right at home and is dedicated to you, then the odds are that it is the right school for you. Talk with some of the professors, get to know the campus, get a feel for what life on campus is like. In the end, it is all about what makes you feel right at home. Finding the right college is hard and may take a while, but in the end, if you have found that perfect school, you'll never regret it. Whatever factors you consider most important, be sure that they scream "YOU." The best college or university is the one that has your best interests in mind.