Ventures Scholars Program | High School e-News

"With so many letters coming in, do you think there is a good way to narrow down the pile? I discarded the schools that didn't have my intended major, but there are still many left. Should being a non-graduate college or the fact that there are resident discounts for living in the state affect my choice? Thanks."

Responses were sent from:
Union College, Dickinson College, College of William & Mary, Brandeis University, The University of Vermont, and Harvey Mudd College.

Narrowing down schools can be quite a challenge. One of the most important things to consider is your comfort. You have to be sure that the schools you are looking at are places where you will want to live for 4 years. You also want one that will challenge you academically, so checking their list of majors is a big step. If financial aid is important to you, then factor it in, but do not let it totally rule your views of a school. Once you have narrowed down to fewer schools, I would highly suggest that you visit, if you can. Visiting gives you a true sense of the atmosphere of the school. Good Luck!

Teran Tadal
Assistant Dean of Admissions
UNION COLLEGE
Schenectady, NY 12308
518-388-6112
tadalt@union.edu

Narrowing Down the List of Schools
Most students start their college search by looking at "the rankings" or by seeking information from colleges or universities they know. Their choice of a college is hit or miss. They may get into a "good school," but is it the right school?

If you are reading this, chances are that everyone you know has given you college advice. And you have read or seen countless books and articles on the subject.

There are two major elements to a successful college search:

Know Yourself
How do you learn best? Are you inquisitive or accepting?
Example:
If a teacher makes a statement in class, or describes a mathematical formula or proof, do you write it down and move on, or do you prefer to think about it and question the teacher if it doesn't make sense to you?

What are your general educational objectives?
You don't have to know what you want to major in, or even what you want to do after college. You should, however, know what you enjoy learning about.
Answers to these three simple questions - how do you learn; how do you interact; what are your general educational objectives -- will help you understand yourself, and represent the first step in selecting the right set of colleges.

Know How Colleges Match Your Personality and Needs
1. Colleges have "personalities" like we do.
Among the characteristics:
- Small or large / Public or private
- Residential or commuter / Rural, suburban or urban
- Teaching or research focus
- Undergraduate or graduate student focus
- Nurturing or competitive environment
- Hands on learning, small seminars and community engagement or lectures
- Diverse or homogeneous population
- Big-time athletics or emphasis on the varsity "student-athlete" and intramurals
- Large fraternity/sorority presence or predominantly "independent" campus

2. How do you discover a college's "personality?"
a. Use multiple sources
Example:
Never rely exclusively on one source, particularly "shortcut" sources such as rankings, guidebooks and word of mouth.

b. Counselors and teachers
Example:
They can help you develop a list of possible colleges that fit your interests, your "style, and your academic profile

c. Use the Web in a major way
Example:
Among other things, the Web is a marketing tool, so be careful. Glean all the information you can from the main levels of the site, but to really discover a college's personality, drill down to the academic and social department level. See what English faculty are doing in their classes and what students majoring in public policy do as their projects. See how faculty and students do cutting edge research together. Get a sense of how teachers teach and how students learn. And learn about how students run their own organizations by visiting the actual websites of those organizations.

Choose six to eight "first choices"
Example:
A college counselor in New York tells students that they should not choose a college until the college chooses them. It makes very little sense, therefore, to rank order your applicant group. Instead, select the colleges to which you will apply knowing you would be thrilled to attend any one of them if you are admitted (and if it is affordable). There is plenty of time to "rank order" after admission, but if you select your colleges right, you can't go wrong when the final decision is in your hands.

Two final thoughts…
Early Decision
Do not apply Early Decision to a college as a "strategy" to get in, because you want to "get it over with" or because you heard it is easier to get in early. It usually is, but if you haven't done your homework thoroughly, you might be making the wrong choice.

Keep a sense of perspective
Though important, this is, after all, only selecting a school. What you do during your four years in college will have a greater impact on your success than will the name on your degree. The best thing you can do for yourself is to find the college or set of colleges that best match you. That will increase your chances for success during and after college more than anything else.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact Dr. Robert Massa, Vice President for Enrollment and College Relations, Dickinson College at massa@dickinson.edu or Judith Rudge, Admissions Counselor and Coordinator of Multicultural Recruitment at rudgej@dickinson.edu.

The college search process can be quite overwhelming when you really consider the fact that there are nearly 4,000 colleges and universities in the U.S. alone! In order to narrow the options, you will need to conduct a self-assessment. Think about the type of college you would like to attend. Make sure to consider the pros and cons of the following:

Size: small (<5,000 students), medium (5,000-15,000 students), large (15,000-30,000), and extra large (>30,000).
Setting: climate, geographic region, proximity from home, etc.
Type of school: liberal arts, technical, private, public, HBCU (historically black college or university)
Extracurricular activities: internships, study abroad, clubs and organizations
Fit: Do you feel comfortable on the campus? Can you see yourself spending four years there?
Reputation: What will a degree from University X mean to gradate schools or potential employers? What are alumni of the institution doing now?
Selectivity: Do you have the credentials to be a competitive applicant?

Then, you can begin to eliminate the schools which may not be able to offer you the type of collegiate experience you are looking for. Schools should not be thrown out at this stage because of cost alone. You will not know how much a school will actually cost you until you apply and receive a financial aid package.
Research schools online, at the library, at your school s college counseling office and local college fairs. Narrow your choices down to 5-10 colleges. Visit as many college campuses as you can! Try to schedule a visit at a time when school is in session and students are around. Ask the same questions at each college you visit. Take notes and pictures. Visit options include, but are not limited to:

Information session and campus tour
Overnight programs
Interview
Open House or Preview Weekend
Visit a friend

After the visits, you should have a pretty manageable list.

GOOD LUCK!

Saskia Campbell
Assistant Dean of Admission
The College of William and Mary
Williamsburg, VA
(757) 221-1837
sncamp@wm.edu

The college process can be quite confusing, especially when you are inundated with such high quantities of mail. Here is my advice to you, as someone who went through the process not too long ago, and is now on the other side of the table.

1- Figure out what YOU want out of a school. Sometimes its best to set all the mail aside, and make a list of the experiences that you want to have during your college years. Think about the type of academic, social, and physical setting that you function the best in. You may also want to think about how far you want to be from home. Think about what areas of study you will be interested in, not just the majors offered. You will most likely change your major during your college career, so make sure that you have a range of majors that you may like. This will narrow your selection immensely.

2.- Do a quick bit of research on each of the schools. Sometimes brochures can be complicated, and the answer that you are looking for may not be apparent. Hop on the web, or use a college guide for a quick reference. If you are looking for a small, liberal arts school, with great anthropology/sociology/psychology programs that is near a city, then you might want to take a closer look at that Brandeis brochure (wink, wink). The guide can give you a much faster and quicker answer than a brochure sometimes can. Go through your piles, and set aside "no's", "maybe's" , and "yes' ". You'll be surprised at how quickly you will go through all of your mail.

To answer the second part of the question, it is absolutely valid to consider a school because of the tuition discount that they offer to in-state residents. Financial aid is a HUGE factor when it comes time to decide which school to attend. Most states have a good number of state schools, and one of them may fit your interests. However, don't be scared by pricetags of other schools either. Many private schools can offer very large and generous financial aid packages as well that may make the difference in price of attending public v. private schools rather small.

Yos Bugallo
Brandeis University
Office of Admissions
yoselin@brandeis.edu
781-736-3514

There are many ways to narrow down the pile of colleges you are interested in. One great way to narrow your search is to make visits to the colleges you are interested in. Visiting each college you are interested in usually makes a big difference in the number of schools you apply to.

Another way to narrow your search is by location and size of the school. Ask yourself: “Do I want to be at a large university (15,000 students or more)? Or, do I want to be at a small university (7,000 or fewer)? Do I want to be in a city, country side, or suburb?”

It is really up to you whether or not price should be a factor in your college choice. If you feel that going to your state university is a good idea because it is inexpensive, then you should certainly go to your state university. You have to remember that a college education is an investment in yourself. Finishing college will help you in the long run by allowing you to create better life decisions for yourself. So considering the price of the university you wish to attend when looking at universities may also hurt you by limiting the opportunities you could have.

Sonya Ohlsson
Assistant Director of Admissions
The University of Vermont
194 So. Prospect St.
Burlington, VT 05401
802-656-8618
802-656-8611 (fax)
sonya.ohlsson@uvm.edu
www.uvm.edu

Applying to colleges and universities can be an overwhelming process. There are many different kinds of educational institutions, but I always tell students to start with a self evaluation. Think about your high school experience and ponder what has worked for you and what hasn't. For instance, do you enjoy being in a small class, does talking to your teachers make a difference in your learning environment, etc. Finally, think about what is necessary to be successful in your college/university. Do you want opportunities for research, what are the graduates of the school doing now,do they charge for additional tutorial services, is there support on campus for students of color/ first generation, etc. By understanding yourself, you should be able to determine what your college or university should reflect and help pear down the list.

In addition, student should visit schools to understand the differences. Taking a tour, scheduling an overnight stay, or talking with current students can help you figure out whether its an appropriate environment. Again, using your self evaluation should help in figuring out whether this is a good place for you. I know many student do not have the means to travel and visit all of the schools, but keep in mind to use the Office of Admission as a resource in this process. Call and ask questions, ask to speak to a current student, ask the school about their financial aid
program.

Claudia Gonzalez
Assistant Director of Admission
Harvey Mudd College
Claremont, California
909.621.8011
claudia_gonzalez@hmc.edu