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College/Post
Secondary School
Search
Things to consider when researching
colleges (in no particular order):
- Do they offer your Major/Area of Study? (Measure the
quality by size of instructional department, presence of unique course
offerings, college placement office data, specialized labs, etc.)
-
Cost
(Tuition, fee, transportation, room & board, meal plan,
book/kits, etc.)
- If you like it during your visit (NEVER consider
enrolling in a college you have not visited)
- Competitiveness (how hard
it is to get accepted and ratio of
applicants to accepted students - check out the average freshman profile)
- Admissions requirements
(GPA, class rank, SAT/ACT scores,
extra-curricular involvement, leadership,
volunteerism)
- Application deadline and fees
(IF you are
NOT an academically strong student APPLY
EARLY before the colleges get applications from a ton of other students
and start offering them acceptance. Get
yours in first! Ask the college or
guidance for a fee waiver if you can't come
up with the application fee.)
- Types of Degrees Offered
(Certificates/Diplomas, Associates, Bachelor's, Master's, Doctorate's
Degrees)
- Location
.......(in-state or out-of-state, near or far from home/within commuting distance
or not - remember transportation costs!)
.......(warm or cold climate)
- Campus setting
.......(Urban/City, Suburban,
Rural/Countryside, access to
Industry/Potential Employers or Cultural
Centers)
.......(on
a hill/flat, greenery/concrete laden,
noisy/tranquil)
- Size
.......(Campus physical size and Layout)
.......(Student enrollment size)
- Average and typical class size
- Teacher to student ratio
- Who teaches the classes?
(Full time faculty teachers, Associate
Professors, Teaching Assistants)
- Available help from professors and
Tutoring program in ALL subjects
- Career development/Job Placement/Internships
- College's freshmen retention rate and
graduation rate
- Safety (On-campus security/police, cameras, emergency call
boxes, good lighting, monitors & locks, escort services...)
- Residence Life - Dormitory vs. Apartment
.......Guaranteed
housing all 4 years
.......Residential Campus-must
live all 4 years on campus
.......Required to live
on campus 1st year & maybe even 2nd year
.......No housing offered
- Co-Ed, All-Male, All-Female
- Public or Private
- Credentials/Accreditation
(Make sure it's a reputable, legitimate school that offers
degrees worth the paper on which they are written.)
-
Diversity of students
(out-of-state/foreign students, race,
gender, age, religion, residents/commuters,
undergrads/grads, etc.)
- Social opportunities/Activities
.......Sports - Looking to
play on a college team? Check out
AthleticAid.com
and NCAA.org.
.......Clubs, Special interest programs, Radio Station, Orchestra, Theatre,
etc.
.......Greek Life
- Car allowed on campus each year?
- Parking (Most campuses do not supply ample parking)
- Do they have an Act 101 program?
(This is for financially
needy students. The student usually
takes 3 summer classes - 1 math, 1
verbal, and 1 study skills/college
orientation. Act 101 students get
extra help from freshman through senior year
and additional financial aid.)
- Prestige/Widely Known Name
- Library Size - Reference Materials Available - Research Opportunities
- Technology - Wired campus & up-to-date equipment
- Computer Labs/On-Line Access/Phone hook up/Cable...
- Food served/Area Restaurants
- Part-Time Employment Opportunities
- Right on down to the silly, trivial things that shouldn't matter like
school colors, mascot, which friends are going where, etc.
*Note* When you attend a school outside of PA, you
may be paying out-of-state tuition,
which can be double the regular in-state tuition. Plus you will be
sacrificing part or all of your state grant aid.
COMPARE COSTS and AID.
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