<p>Most international students don't get the chance to visit the colleges they apply to, we tend to rely on websites and other peoples opinions. I was just wondering how your choice worked out for you? Do you think that websites and other people's opinions are reliable tools, or just the best tool we have?</p>
<p>Ask again in December, and I might have an answer. :)</p>
<p>Haha... Yeah, you should ask again at the end of the year. :p</p>
<p>I hope I will have an answer by then... but I fear not...</p>
<p>Why not, woebegone?</p>
<p>I thought there may be some people on the forum who started at college last August... I guess most leave the forum once they are at college ... </p>
<p>Oh well you guys can get back to me next year :)</p>
<p>Hey,</p>
<p>I picked out my college only through hearsay and the internet. Although I am very happy with the outcome, I would definitely say that it's not the best way to do it. Unfortunately, you guys know that it's very hard to get to visit colleges before accepting. So, this is the only recourse most of you will have.
I would say that College Confidential was a prime tool in helping me decide where to go. In addition to that, I did peruse the website of each college, looking for pros and cons.
Here are some things that are often overlooked, to keep in mind when deciding:
- location - needless to say, this is going to be very important. Naturally the big geographic areas differ a lot, but there is a lot of diversity inside them, as well; it's one thing to go to a school in NYC, another thing to go to a school in Western Mass. (like I do), and a totally different thing to go to a school in, say, Northern Vermont or Maine (you would be about 6-7 hours from civilization up there).
- majors and distribution requirements - majors are usually not that importan, because you are going to change your mind, most likely. If you are set on doing one thing, however, you should try to find the college that offers it. Distribution requirements can really be a hassle if there's too many of them.
- grade inflation - this is a very tough decision. Do you want to go to a college with grade inflation, and get an A like 80% of the people? Or would you rather go to a place where classes are curved around C+ (extreme example) and where an A is a truly valuable thing? It's not really that easy, because it really depends on each person's temper (would you be happier with an A- at a grade deflated school, knowing that it's a decent grade or with an A at a grade inflated school?)
- competitive vs. cooperative environment. I'm a fan of cooperation, I hate cut-throat classes. That's why I love my school, where most classes aren't curved. Some of you guys might actually thrive in a different kind of environment, so I think it's important for you to know what is best for you;
- town-gown relationship - you might want to go into town some time, but if the place is run-down and they don't like college students, it may end up being depressing or even dangerous;
- the 'international bubble' - some schools have it, some don't; to what extent do internationals self-segregate from other students? Although I'm personally not a fan of it, I'm not saying it's a bad thing per se, but you should be aware of it when making your decision.</p>
<p>I am glad it worked out for you Bogororo :)</p>
<p>i worked out for me really well. I am at Brown University with a good financial aid package.</p>
<p>So how did it work out for you?</p>
<p>Dude you get your acceptances/rejections during the first week of april. You need to get back to them by May 1st.
During this period of time, if you have the inclination/energy/money/etc. go to US and visit the colleges you got into and you'll be able to make a more informed decision.
But i realise its difficult for most ppl to do that</p>
<p>I was not going for four years so did not see the point in paying money for airfares to check out places i was only going for a year. I know other people may also be restricted by money to visit every place they had the option of attending. My main reason for asking is i am interested in how effective the websites and peoples advice is in regards to helping you get the feel of a school or to find a 'fit'.</p>
<p>"Picking colleges from a distance - did it work out for you?"</p>
<p>It worked out pretty well for me, although I didnt have any choice to pick between univs because it was my only backup university. I have to say I had imagined it differently before I got there. I thought it looked so peaceful and relaxing as seen in photographs, but when I got here it's actually like a busy city by itself.</p>