What do you look for in a college?

College Search & Selection
21

<p>Location - I want to be pretty close, so that I have the chance to make it home in a one day drive, so likely less than 500 miles away. I also, for some strange reason, would really not want to leave the snow and cold of winter, its just not the same watching hockey in shorts.</p>

<p>Public Vs. Private - since I will only go to the US for university if I go to the absolute best, as the public unis in Canada are very good, the large tuition would onyl be worth it, IMO, if it is a VERY strong private school.</p>

<p>Couse quality - I really want to go to the best there is and especially in terms of the academics of the particular field I'm interested in, engineering, which at least allows me to cross Harvard of quite easily.</p>

<p>Intellectual atmosphere - I have really realized how much I find intriguing discussions and debates lacking at my school and I feel I need a place where intellect is not abnormal or odd, but the norm.</p>

<p>I hope this doesnt come off as arrogant, but I believe that except for the highest level of private universities, going to school in the US is not a feasible or economic option for me.</p>

22

<p>I just thought...</p>

<p>I'm definitely going for a private school. I've been in public school's all my life and I notice several teachers are just crap. I also find it hard to pay attention in class sometimes but I notice like when I speak with the teacher privately, I learn so much more. </p>

<p>Question: DO PRIVATE SCHOOLS have better cafeteria food, postcollege financial support, facilities and stuff like that?</p>

23

<p>Alexandre--
You might want to do a bit more investigating-- Actually, Yale has a decent Engineering program, and MIT has really expanded its humanities. A large, large percentage of students change their majors, so choosing a school solely for the reputation of one program or department might not be a wise thing. You have to live there for 4 years-- there should be many other things that draw you to a particular school or eliminate others. If you don't want to have a language requirement, look for that in schools. Yale and Columbia's Engineering programs dont require language, but their Humanities majors do. My S. had always thought he'd want to go to MIT-- its all he talked about for a long time, but when he visited it, he said "this is for grad school"- He felt they weren't as focused on the undergrads as he wanted. But, they have a beautiful new health and fitness facility if you care. Think about whether you want a lot of core course requirements, big vs. small classes, faculty to student ratios, whether you are taught by faculty or grad students (who may or may not be native English speakers..). All of this is as equally important as "prestige". You have to be happy-- ther are far too many suicides at the "prestige" schools these days.. It is scary..
And TIGERUPPERCUT-- I cant speak for all schools-- but many of the larger schools will have many dining options. Duke has a McDonalds and a place to get smoothies and healthy stuff in their student center (my point being that in addition to the dining halls, there are other options to choose from). Some schools have individual dining rooms or serverys for their residences (Yale and Rice to name a few..) and actually have very good food. Some of the private schools have other special opportunities for food-- Cornell has its Hotel Management school Vassar gets students from the Culinary School of America (CIA) to practice their skill on the students. There was always a rumor that Vassar had endowments for Ice cream and Broccoli, but I think that was just folklore--</p>

24

<p>JYM, I am well aware of Yale's Engineering program and of MIT's push for the humanities, but I would not recommend those two schools for those respective fields. If a student told me it was their dream to attend Yale and that he/she wished to major in Engineering, I would not recommend against it. At the undergraduate level, department rankings are not that important. But Yale is not a schools I would personally recommend for Engineers who had no preferences as to what university they wished to attend. Same with MIT and the Humanities.</p>

25

<p>I was responding to your strong overstatement that it was "obviously pointless" to go to Yale for Engineering or MIT for English.That just simply isn't so, and I am sure their faculty wouldnt appreciate such a statement.. You went on to say that a student should have a "vague idea" of what they want to major in. If they only have a "vague idea", then they shouldn't exclude a school because it is not the top for one of their considered majors. No school has the best program in everything. And sure, it would be great if every 17 yr old knew exactly what they wanted to do-- or even a general direction in life. I knew for sure, and chose my school accordingly (and I am in the field I anticipated) and my son knew as well before selecting his school last year. But I can't tell you how many students at the 13 colleges we visited during his jr/sr yrs of HS who, at the information session, said they had no idea what they wanted to major in. We spoke to an alum of one school who chose it for it's math and engineering program, and ended up a a double major in English and religious studies! You said yourself that at the undergrad level, it maybe less important which school you attend for a program that has essentially a basic core curriculum (such as engineering). While it may help to narrow down the field, it should never be considered "obviously pointless". Many students want to double major or straddle two departments. My son is pursuing applied or engineering physics, so wanted a school with a good physics and engineering program. He looked as schools with both the top as well as the less "renowned" departments because he wants to enjoy the entire college experience, not just the department. I am just suggesting that while it is important to find ways to narrow down college choices, it is not a good idea to be narrow minded in the process. that said, I know of many students who eliminated many school merely because of the climate. To each his own.</p>

26

<p>jym626, you've parsed this issue very intelligently. Alexandre's observations do miss the mark a little bit because they are not as carefully nuanced as your responses. That said, I would not go to MIT undergraduate for anything. I would go there only if I were hardcore, certain beyond the shadow of a doubt that I wanted to be an enginner or computer scientist. I have nothing against MIT. It's an incredibly wonderful school which you will regret attending if you undergo an extreme change of mind relative to your major. People change their minds all the time, sometimes from semester to semester depending on what mind-blowing course they just took. I would go to Yale for enginnering any day of the week, except if I am irredeemably and immutably hardcore.</p>

27

<p>Why thank you, Zuma. It must have been that education I got from one of those top LAC's that taught me to think and write :) Of course it makes sense to look at a school that has a strong program in one's area of interest. But there are soooo many other variables these days that go into selecting a college. This issue only tangentially related, but it really bothers me when parents encourage their kids to apply <em>wherever they want</em>, but then later, when the kid gets in, tell them they can't afford it and push them to go to the school with the biggest financial aid offer. People have funny priorities when selecting a college. One prospective student we talked to said she eliminated several good schools (Duke, Cal Tech and Harvey Mudd, if I remember correctly) because their dorms weren't air conditioned. That wouldn't be a priority for me, but it was for her. And while one would not typically look at a technical school for it's humanities departments, isn't it nice to know, for example, that Ga Tech has an excellent School of Public Policy? I merely feel that, when looking at colleges, I didn't consider anything as "obviously pointless". Well, I take that back. My s. didn't look at any all-girls schools.</p>

28

<p>I'm bumping this because it has fallen from a "featured topic" to page 5! It is a fun topic to explore, and I'd really like to hear what people want in a school, and where they began their search.</p>

29

<p>Just some thoughts (from another of my posts):</p>

<p>The main reason I decided against applying to larger universities this time around and focus on LACs, is that the latter group of schools are more flexiable to my needs, and have proven to be more caring and transparent than the former. After being in the real world for a while, I've gotten lost in some of the more mundane tasks of paying bills,etc...</p>

<p>And, I must admit, I lost touch a little with my dreams. I did come to realize that not striving to reach goals is also a way of letting yourself down. For a while, I listened to those that were a bit negative--that dance was a dead end. I've found, in the meanwhile, that if you believe in yourself, and surround yourself by supportive and positive people, amazing things can happen.</p>

<p>That being said, I've come to believe that such support and friendship, is often a function of personal interactions and sense of community. This is missing, at some of the larger universities. At big schools, it seems that there is a greater danger of disconnecting from class, ECs, etc...where people sometimes sleep in class or read the newspaper or do not get involved--I have seen this even at the better universities.</p>

<p>I believe that at smaller LACs, you are given more opportunities to connect personally with professors and peers, as well as feel a part of the college. It does not feel frenetic, nor impersonal. My opinion is that someone like myself succeeds best when those around me are cooperative, rather than competative, at least when it comes to class work. I do not think it's an issue of drive or lack of direction for me that I prefer the LACs to the universities. Rather, it is the combination of characteristics that set the small colleges apart from the larger ones.</p>

<p>After being out in the world, I'm beginning to crave the smiles and greetings that make for pleasant interactions, as well as the unity and comfort that comes with sharing ideas with my profs, friends, and peers--and reaffirming that we can change the world, or at least our community, even if just a bit at a time. Somehow, several classes of a few hundered, primarily at larger schools, seem to make cooperation seem more difficult than it has to be.</p>

<p>Anyhow, I hope this helps a little bit. Have a great day.</p>

30

<p>Location:<br>
This doesn't matter all that much to me other than I'd prefer to go somewhere it isn't freezing six months out of the year. </p>

<p>Public vs. Private:<br>
Unless disaster strikes in my auditions, I'll be going out-of-state so this doesn't matter much, either. My list consists of good schools of both types and I'll most likely attend the one that offers the best financial deal.</p>

<p>Campus Size:<br>
At the schools to which I'm applying, the size of the theatre department is more important than the size of the school as a whole. As for the department, I say smaller is better. Basically, I'll be with the same 15-20 people in my major for the entire four years. In a perfect world, I guess I'd prefer a medium sized school with around 5000 students. At the smaller places, everybody knows everybody and all their business and any freshman faux pas will follow you all the way to your senior year. At the bigger schools, you'll feel like a number at times. Overall, this isn't really all that important and it'll come down to visits to the top two places that offer me the most money.</p>

<p>Class Size:<br>
Small. Like I said, in my major, I'll be with the same 15-20 people for the duration and the ability to cultivate a close student/mentor relationship with at least one faculty member is very important to me. I also feel like it's VERY important that I'll be able to exempt the big GE classes with over 100 students through AP and CC courses if I end up at one of the larger schools on my list.</p>

<p>City:<br>
This isn't a major concern as long as it's in a fairly safe area of wherever it's located. </p>

<p>Should prestige be a major factor?<br>
Yes and no. Most of the more prestigious theatre departments happen to be placed in mid-tier academic schools. The most prestigious ones are in conservatories where academics are essentially a joke and count very little in the admissions process.</p>

<p>Campus more suitable to education (lotta books, less theatres around, usually quiet) vs. Campus more chillike' (games, pc rooms, arcades):<br>
I'd like for the campus itself to be fairly quiet with most of the debauchery being accessible by foot but taking place off-campus. I need for my dorm to be a quiet place to work. The aesthetic nature of the campus is fairly important, too. I need grass and trees and attractive architecture.</p>

<p>The quality of the theatre department is my main consideration, but here's the actual checklist I used in evaluating the schools as a whole:</p>

<ol>
<li>I really haven’t decided whether I’d prefer a small college environment or a major university. I’m an open book and I think that’ll come down to the visits. </li>
<li>Ability to cover most general education requirements through AP. I should have enough credit to start off as almost a sophomore at most places and I want to be able to concentrate on theatre without having to be distracted by math and science courses and busy work essays for the English department. </li>
<li>No classes taught by graduate students. </li>
<li>Campus with grass and trees. I don’t mind if it’s in a city, but the campus needs to be more than some tall buildings on the street. A decent area of town is a must, too. I don’t want to be dodging stray bullets and be scared to walk back to my dorm at night. </li>
<li>The ability to be outside at least six months a year without freezing to death. I don’t necessarily need to go to college on the beach, but I was an athlete a long time before I was an actress and I like to be outside on occasion. </li>
<li>No forced tripling of freshmen in dorms. One roommate is enough. </li>
<li>Overall friendly student body. </li>
<li>Generally non-political student body with little force-fed ideology from the faculty. Politics make me very sarcastic. Can’t help it ...</li>
<li>A decent music scene or at least a place on campus where students can get together to play guitars and trade songs.</li>
<li> Full academic rides with no discrimination against qualified arts majors in awarding them.</li>
</ol>

31

<p>blaineko, i totally agree with you.</p>

32

<p>Jym626, </p>

<p>Good points. Well said. Bravo. There's more to a school than its stupid "ranking." Just as schools should judge each applicant as a complete package rather than a series of raw scores, students in turn should judge schools as a complete package rather than simply by its "rank" and "scores." A person doesn't fall in love w/ a college because of its rank but because of great professors, engaging social and intellectual student interaction, and amazing learning experiences. If Yale gives me more attention in Engineering than say...Berkeley, then I would choose Yale too. Plus, a lot of the "top" schools tend to be too research-centric and give too little attention to undergraduates.</p>

33

<p>Wow, Globalist, another nice compliment. I think I love this thread :) Your points are worth repeating-- that a person falls in love with a school because of what it has to offer (great faculty, stimulating environment, good social environment..etc), not just because it's name looks good on the back window of your car. While it is certainly important to get into a school-- the more important goal is to STAY in, and graduate. Four years is a long time. These should be some of the best years of your life. If you don't like a school-- it's course requirements, class size, location, or whatever, you most likely will not be a very happy camper. What's the point?? Why spend over 100K to be unhappy??? save that for marriage :) (only kidding!!)</p>

34

<p>Location: Close to home, preferably less than an hour but still pretty far away. The farthest school I'm considering is Vassar which is only 130 miles away but still seems far for me.</p>

<p>Public Vs. Private: Private. I don't know why exactly. Has to have large endowment and very generous with aid.</p>

<p>Campus Size: Does not matter. I would be happy at a huge school or a small school. I think I'd prefer the small school though.</p>

<p>Class Size: More student teacher interaction defintely. If not an LAC, then a university based on LAC principles.</p>

<p>City: Preferably Philadelphia, PA or the suburbs so I'm still close to home. However, anything near NYC is also being considered. Its not that I would be homesick or anything.... I just HATE travelling.</p>

<p>Should prestige be a major factor? Not a major factor, but I considered it.</p>

<p>Campus more suitable to education vs. Campus more chillike: Why not both?</p>

35

<p>Location:
A relatively close place to home in a warm place. </p>

<p>Public vs. Private:
Private. It is very hard to pay for an out-of-state public school.</p>

<p>School Size:
Doesnt matter. I do not care what anybody else says, but class size does not affect your ability to learn. In fact more students could be a good thing (more intelligent students). If you really want time with a teacher, there is always a way to find it.</p>

<p>City:
Urban cities have more entertainment, as well as jobs for interns.</p>

<p>Prestige.
One of the biggest factors. A student from Harvard with a 2.0 GPA will be looked upon by an employer more favorably than someone from a community college with a 4.0. Period.</p>

<p>Other Factors
Majors - 2nd most important
AP Credit
Diversity - Has anyone mentioned this?
Not religious - Schools like Baylor or BYU force you to take religion classes to graduate
Financial Aid
Safety
Food
The students
On campus activites</p>

36

<p>Location: somewhere away from where i live simply because i want to experience new things (i.e. culture). but this is not certain b/c in-state universities are quite good in CA. if i do apply out of state, it will be at the east coast, most likely a presitgous private school (leaning toward ivy league, cornell) since it is expensive anyway. therefore it makes not difference whether you are in state or out of state, at least to the school i want to apply to. </p>

<p>Public Vs. Private: perfer private if provide good financial aid. it will be a tough decision, one i have to make if i get into the colleges. i want a "top" education in the field i am interested in- leaning toward business at this moment but at the same time provide a large variety of courses and flexibility when switching majors. and housing environment is pretty important to me. one reason why i am not too fond of berkeley.</p>

<p>Campus Size: ideally large college with smaller schools within it (can't you tell i am in love with cornell?) i want to meet an array of people but at the same time have some people that i will always bump into. i am staying away from very small colleges. medium and above is good</p>

<p>Class Size: i don't mind large classes. but once in upper division classes, i hope they would dwindle down so there will be discussions in the classrooms. i definitely would want teacher and student interaction at some point in the four years there. </p>

<p>City: a very good collegetown. i don't want the outside city mingle with the college. i want the college to stay pretty aloof so you can kinda tell where the college campus ends and not merged with surrounding city. i don't like the hot hot weather to much. i actually enjoys the cold. i want a pretty and walking campus. safety is very important to me. i want to be able to walk down the street without looking behind me every minute. however, near enough to a city that internships are avaliable. transportation would be nice.</p>

<p>Should prestige be a major factor? i am trying to stay away from the prestige factor. but it would play a major role in my decision if i get in that is. i would only apply prestigious school out of states since it is so expensive anyway, i want the name. the universities that i will apply next year are pretty well known in california, it is hard to escape that. but i want a school with good school spirit and school unity.</p>

<p>Campus more suitable to education (lotta books, less theatres around, usually quiet) vs. Campus more chillike' (games, pc rooms, arcades): a good balance. i am not into the whole greek life and party drinking scheme. but i want to have a good time and entertainment near if i ever feel the need to get away from work.</p>

37

<p>"Discuss and prove your side of the argument for each of the following. Consider them carefully."</p>

<p>Argue? Hardly possible, since this is very subjective.</p>

<p>Location: For me, this was not a major factor. I only ruled out humid areas--mostly the southeast. I looked at it this way: Once I get over five hours drive, cost/time will not be much different between flying and driving. Therefore, the actual mileage hardly mattered.</p>

<p>Public Vs. Private (costs, education, aid, etc...) I limited it to private. More later, since private directly corresonds to other factors. With financial aid, the cost of attending a private college will be no different than attending a public university without aid.</p>

<p>Campus Size: I wanted a small college, because I wanted that community sense. I wanted to live on campus for all four years, and those options were rarely available in the larger campuses. In the end, I think I got the best of both worlds, since I will be attending one of the Clarmont Colleges. Small home in a bigger world.</p>

<p>This, too, relates to class size and private. Most private colleges are small. </p>

<p>Class Size: Here is where the private factor truly came into play. I absolutely wanted low student to teacher ratios, because I love classroom discussion, teacher interaction, etc... I wanted faculty who were there to teach undergrads and would devote their time and efforts to individual students rather than to lecture halls and research. I wanted to know my profs, rather than just being a face in hundreds in one class.</p>

<p>City: I aimed for suburban. That way I would have the access that rural areas do not have, while not having to live in an urban neighborhood. But although I absolutely did not want urban, since I don't really like cities, I didn't rule out rural colleges either. Carleton was high on my list.</p>

<p>Should prestige be a major factor? Not for me, since few people have heard of Scripps. It does get rather frustrating when people always say, "What? Where's that?" Or they think I'm studying marine biology...</p>

<p>However, prestige does point to a certain caliber of education. I did want that, because I take my classes seriously. But it was much more important to me that I found a college that fit, that I could love and thrive in, rather than depend on a name brand to bring me happiness.</p>

<p>Campus more suitable to education (lotta books, less theatres around, usually quiet) vs. Campus more chillike' (games, pc rooms, arcades): Not sure what you mean by this. Are theaters and computer labs less conductive to education? I don't believe that all learning happens in books or in a classroom. That said, I leaned more heavily towards the education side, but I thought a balance was important. I wanted to be able to study and take my work seriously, but still be able to enjoy myself.</p>

38

<p>I look for a friendly environment with an intimate campus setting.</p>