<p>So I am going to be hearing back from the colleges I applied to within the next few weeks and I have currently started making pro/con lists for the colleges I've been accepted to. Since there are so many things to consider, I was wondering if I could have some help brainstorming things to consider (academics, food, dorms, clubs, etc.), just a general list. </p>
<p>Especially for current college students (and everyone else): what are some things you wished you took into consideration more? What are some pro/con list things that are normally not mentioned that are important for college admits to look at? Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>I would recommend that you consider location as in how far it is from home and what is surrounding the college. You should think about how the classes are (big, small, taught by TA’s). I think that the support services available at a college are also important like tutors, mentors and other people that will make your transition from high school to college easy. I think that visiting a college and getting a feel for it is also important.</p>
<p>If you know what you want, it may be nice to meet certain professors from that department, and location (city, rural, etc.) as well as distance from home are important. Obviously, academic rigor is something to consider, how much you really want to work in college, and how this compares to the work load given at a particular school. Internship opportunities are important.</p>
<p>Really you have to look at what’s important to you. I know it sounds like a bull **** answer, but it makes sense if you think about it. My pro con list will have prices on it and whether or not I can bring my car. You might be a rich kid who can’t drive, so those things wouldn’t matter to you.
You should figure out the things that matter most to you and go from there.</p>
<p>“and I have currently started making pro/con lists for the colleges I’ve been accepted to.”</p>
<p>I’m guessing by your username that you love Gilmore Girls. I do too! So much!
Okay…enough of that. haha</p>
<p>Take into consideration how helpful people are and what people do in their free time. My friend went to a college and asked what people did to a student and they said, “Mostly just play cards in our room, not much else.” </p>
<p>My friend didn’t apply there, and was happy.</p>
<p>I think somebody already mentioned this, but advising was an important aspect that I didn’t consider when picking a school. Advisors are not the same thing as high school guidance counselors. They do more than just help you pick your course schedule. They make introductions for you to professors (within the institution or outside), they tell you about career options, provide inside information about graduate programs, apprise you of things happening in the department etc. Some schools have formal advisors (all undergrads in the department are advised by a specific advisor) or informal advisors (you see a professor in the department once per semester). The worst kind is when they have a single group of advisors for all the undergrads regardless of major/field.</p>
<p>What kind of location the university is in. If you are majoring in something that only has jobs in certain geographic locations. For example, petroleum or geological engineering. Chemical engineering is pretty geographic too. So is computer science, you would want to go to the west coast for something like that. What kind of funding the school offers for the program you are majoring in. Does the program have a long tradition or reputation for graduates in your particular major. What kind of atmosphere the school has. If the students are study machines or if they are drunken sports fans. Usually, every state school is filled with a large number of people who shouldn’t really be there. They are just taking up space. If I could change one thing I would have went to a school that is a whole lot more studious instead of having their entire focus on the damn football program.</p>
<p>Watch some episodes of Gilmore Girls to learn from the best pro/con list maker, Rory Gilmore-it’s how she chose Yale over Harvard and “dirty, filthy Princeton.” lol</p>
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<li>oh wow! After I posted this, I noticed your name is gilmorelove4life! Ha! So that’s where you got the pro/con list idea from…lol</li>
</ul>
<p>coffeeaddict - you are brilliant lmao. yes thats where i got my idea from lol. i’ve watched those scenes over and over, still obsessed over yale’s janitorial staff! haha.</p>
<p>intramurals, greek life, student newspaper, any classes/seminars that you drool over as you browse the course catalog, location, urban/suburban/rural, # students, size of campus, dorm sizes/options(co-ed, single sex, substance free, etc.), sports-oriented or not, class requirements (ex. Columbia’s Core), any other requirements (ex. Princeton’s junior papers and senior thesis), accept AP/IB credit and how much, dining options besides cafeteria food…I’ll try to think of more later…I’ve procrastinated on my homework waaay too much hehe.</p>
<p>overall feel, life outside of academics (particularly being able to pursue ECs, new ones or ones you did in HS), kind of students (geeky, artsy, etc), girl/guy ratio!</p>
<p>Pay attention to SAT scores and go to the school with the highest SAT scores that offers your major. A 20 point difference in SAT scores is probably not a big deal, however. If schools are that close in SAT, then look at other things.</p>