One of the most important decisions you will make when embarking on your college career is what you will select as your major. Despite the importance of this decision, many undergraduates come to this conclusion very early, some before they even set foot on campus.
There are, in fact, a number of things that should be considered before deciding on a major. Remember, college is more than a trade school. The goal of higher education is to give you a skill set that will help you in the workplace, but it is also designed to make you more of a well-rounded person. You should spend your first couple of semesters taking a variety of courses that interest you, not just fill your core requirements. Not only does this give you more options, but it also gives you information down the road if you decide on a minor.
This is also important because changing your major midway through college can cost you time and money. If you decide in your second or third year that your current major isn’t right for you, you may have to postpone your graduation date and pay for the extra time you are in school.
Ask Admissions Girl: What is the best way to decide which colleges should be on my list?
Now is the time when rising high school seniors start putting together lists of schools that they might be interested in visiting this summer. There are so many different things to think about when it comes to picking schools and a lot of students do not even know how to begin the process. If you are a prospective college student, here are a few things you should think about when deciding which schools you want to check out:
Location: A lot of students have a gut feeling as to whether they want to go to school far away or close to home. When putting together a list of schools, take that feeling into account. If you are going to want to go home on weekends, do not plan to look at schools that are a long car or plane ride away. On the other hand, if you want to go far away decide on a region of the country and try to look at schools that are somewhat close together. This will make your college search a lot easier.
Public vs. Private: You might wonder why public vs. private matters. Usually, it comes down to money. Public schools tuition are usually much less expensive than private schools especially if you go in state. With a private school, you will likely need more financial aid and scholarship dollars.
Programs Offered: What are you interested in studying? It is important to choose schools that offer programs in your chosen area of study. For example, do not choose a business school if you want to study education.
Admission Requirements: Unfortunately, most schools do have admission requirements that are strictly adhered to. Most schools take your GPA and SAT scores very seriously so it is important to look at schools that are within your league academically.
After you have given these things some thought, narrowing down your list of schools will be much easier. When your list is finalized, work with you parents to arrange day, weekend, or week long trips to visit the schools. Visiting schools is an important part of college planning. When you are done with your search, hopefully you will know where you want to apply, where you will likely get in, and what your number one school choice is.
Good luck with your summer college search and application process!
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Ask Admissions Girl: Is it frowned upon to earn your bachelor’s, master’s and PHD from the same institution?
Recently someone asked me if earning a graduate degree, from the same school where you earned your undergraduate degree, is looked down upon. This is a great question and one that I did not know the answer to right away. I did some research and here is what I found…
Generally, it is advantageous to experience different philosophies, approaches and environments by going to more than one institution, but that is not to say that your undergraduate school is always the wrong choice for your graduate work. Graduate students should choose the school with the best overall program. In some cases your undergrad school may have the best program for your field. There are even some schools that will not consider you for certain graduate programs unless you received your bachelor’s degree there. However, if you stay at the same school and had better options elsewhere, then you have made the wrong decision.
If you are going into an academic-related job or career it is never a good idea to continue your education at your undergraduate institution. You should also never complete your postdoc where you did your PHD. As an academic it is important to prove that you can work with a great variety of people and in different environments. By going to an different institution you will gain a different perspective and become more open minded.
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