Pre-College
Worksheet
1 = most important
5= least important
1.
I
would like to attend a college with approximately this many students
______Under 1,000 ______5,000-10,000
______1,000-5,000 ______over
10,000
2.
I
want to attend a college
______in a large city ______in
a smaller city
______in a small town ______in
a rural area
3.
I
am interested in attending a college
______in
______outside of NY State ______2
+ hours away from home
4.
I
am interested in attending a
______private school
______public school
______religiously affiliated school
5.
List
the areas of study that currently interest you:
____________________ ____________________
____________________ ____________________
Questions
to consider about the college(s) you are interested in and/or to ask during an
admissions interview.
1. Does the
student body fit with your needs and values (intellectually, balance of work/play,)
2. How big
are freshmen class sizes (all seminars or do some of them have small class
numbers)?
3. What are
the professors like (What letter grade would most students/faculty give to the
instructors)? Ask
students when you visit or call.
4. Does the college/university have a strong
major program in the field you wish to study?
5. What percentage of students - graduate in
four years ?
-get a job after graduation?
-go to graduate school after graduation?
6. What is the overall satisfaction of students
on campus? (Talk to everyone and anyone when you visit, or
when you are calling admissions, ask if
there is a student that would be willing to talk to you.)
7. What is the policy of housing? Do freshmen or sophomores have to live on
campus or can they move
off? Is housing guaranteed for all 4
years?
8. How effective is the career planning and
placement? What percentage of students
is gainfully employed
after graduation?
9. What is
the best and worst aspect of this college?
(Students would be more than willing to share this
information!)
10. Ask for
an explanation of how the dining hall works. (Is there a declining balance for
the food you take
or is it buffet-style where you pay so
much per meal?)
11. If
receiving financial aid: Is this going to be for the full four years? What is the bottom line for total
cost? (Books, tuition, room and board)
12. What
type of access to computers will you have?
Do you have to pay extra for Internet access?
Visiting
Tips and Suggestions:
ü VISIT! VISIT! VISIT as many colleges as
possible. You learn SO much about a
college just by seeing it. It is
impossible to get a “feel” for a college over the phone or on paper. Try to go while students are on campus, there
is a much different atmosphere during a time when there are students around,
then when the campus looks like a ghost town.
Also, keep in mind the weather when you go. If it is a miserable, rainy or snowy day that
may influence how you feel about the college.
ü
Get
an official tour and then try to talk to students about what the campus is
really like. Pick up a publication of the school newspaper. Often students produce them, making them a
great indicator of the hot topics on campus.
ü Make an appointment to talk to a couple
of the professors from the major you are interested in. Gain an understanding of exactly what is
expected of you once you are taking classes.
ü Set up an opportunity to stay over night
or shadow a current student for a day.
ü Start a notebook with all the
information and correspondence from each college you are looking at for quick
reference. This would help you organize
your information as well as give you a place to write down your thoughts
throughout the college application process.
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