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College/Post
Secondary School
Search
Criteria To Consider when researching colleges (in no particular order):
- Majors offered/Area of study (Measure the
quality by size of instructional department, presence of unique course
offerings, college placement office data, specialized labs, etc.)
- Types of Degrees Offered
(Certificates/Diplomas, Associates, Bachelor's, Master's, Doctorate's
Degrees)
-
Cost
(Tuition, fees, transportation, room & board, meal plan,
book/kits, etc.)
- If you like it during your visits (NEVER consider
enrolling in a college you have not visited!)
- Competitiveness (Research the ratio of
applicants to accepted students and their 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.)
- Location
.......(in-state or out-of-state, near or far from home/within commuting distance
or not - remember transportation costs!)
.......(warm or cold climate, time zone, amount of daylight)
- 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 at the campus you'll attend and overall)
- Average and typical class size (in General Education
courses and in your Major courses)
- Teacher to student ratio (once again, in General Education
courses and in your Major courses)
- Who teaches the classes?
(Full time faculty teachers, Associate
Professors, Teaching Assistants)
- Available help from professors and
Tutoring program in ALL subjects ALL semester
- 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, Suite, or Apartment style
living
.......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
- Commuter Student (study lounge areas,
train/metro/bus schedules, ride boards to carpool, activities...)
- 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.)
- Military options and funding such as ROTC
- Level of medical help available from Health Services, especially if you
have a condition
- Psychological counseling services if needed (free or fee based?)
- Social opportunities/Activities
.......Sports - Looking to
play on a college team? Check out
AthleticAid.com
and NCAA.org.
Get recruited through http://EligibilityCenter.org.
.......Clubs, Special interest programs, Radio Station, Orchestra, Theatre,
Intramural Sports, Professional organizations, etc.
.......Greek Life
- Transportation
.......Car allowed on campus each year and at cost?
(In not, is off campus/private parking available?)
.......Parking (Most campuses do not supply ample parking)
.......Shuttle/bus, metro, train schedules to local areas?
- Act 101 program
(This is for financially
needy students. The student usually
takes 3 classes before the regular semester start - 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 (especially for your
major)
- Library Size - Reference Materials Available - Research Opportunities
- Technology & equipment up-to-date
- Computer Labs/Printing and Copying (limited or not)/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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