I have a mild obsession with organization. Color-coded binders and sticky notes were staple items in my backpack all throughout high school (…and college, and graduate school). When the time came to apply to college, I put my organizational skills to good use. I went to the bookstore and perused hundreds of pages of college selection books. I took bountiful notes, I dog-eared pages, I highlighted, I labeled, I read everything about every college. Despite my meticulous approach (which was still helpful), the college application process remained daunting. Why? Because after all my efforts, I still did not have the faintest clue about what I wanted in a school. True, I knew a lot about a lot of colleges, but unfortunately, I was no closer to learning which college was for me. I had no map and no road signs to guide me. In hindsight, I realize that I did not once stop to ask for directions or advice. I blindly wandered my makeshift path. So why not learn from my trials and tribulations?
And just who is this strange girl who loves sticky notes and wants to be your college guide? For starters, I spent my undergraduate years working in a college admissions office where I interviewed prospective students, held college information sessions, and spoke at college fairs. I know what gets you notice—and what does not—with admissions officers. I switched my major (and minor) countless times, participated in myriad student organizations, lived in both a dorm and an apartment, went to school in a small town and an urban setting, completed more applications than I care to admit, currently attend a large university for graduate school, and am now offering my college planning tips of wisdom to you.
I am teaming up with Natalie to help guide you down the collegiate path. While my journey was slightly intimidating, yours does not have to be. It’s okay to ask for directions—in fact, it’s encouraged— and I don’t mind sharing my color-coded notes with you. Together, we will demystify the higher education journey.
Is anyone freaking out thinking you need to choose a career before you graduate from high school? I did. I’m talking nail biting, cold sweats, near melt down – freaking out. Okay, it probably wasn’t quite that extreme, but choosing a college major before even finishing high school was very stressful for me.
Here’s the thing, college is a time of discovery. In college you will have the opportunity to take classes in subjects you’ve never studied before. You’ll be taught by professors and sharing classes with students who have completely different experiences, and come from different cultures and backgrounds from yours. You will discover strengths and talents, and even weaknesses you never knew you had. That’s kind of the whole purpose of higher education.
Most universities don’t require you to declare a major until your junior year, so there’s no need to stress about it in high school. (A tidbit of info I would have found helpful!) Some of you definitively know what you want to study, and in that case, by all means focus on finding schools that cater to your field of interest. Others might be drawn to a general area of study but are unsure what you can do with a degree in history, for example. Your school and even the specific departments have advisors that deal with these same student concerns all of the time. Use them!
Your first year of classes will likely be 100-level general knowledge classes that will count toward every degree, so if you have no idea what you want to do, I promise you, it is okay. While you are searching to find the right college, be sure to consider schools that offer a wide-range of programs so that you have the opportunity to explore and find your niche. Remember, discovering what you are not interested in is just as important to help you narrow your choices of a college major.
I know it’s all easier said than done, but if you savor your classes and take ones that get you out of your box, you might be surprised at what interests you. Take it from me, I graduated with a degree in Philosophy . . . and now I’m an attorney!
I am a creative person, a free thinker… a student of the world, if you will. And that’s exactly why an Arts and Humanities degree was right for me. I loved taking classes in comparative religions, gender and race studies, the history of dance and the philosophy of machines. I am also well aware that none of those classes had any practical use in my daily life, certainly not the way a class in thermodynamics would be useful to a mechanical engineer. But I see the purpose for a college education beyond a professional application. I believe strongly in the value of expanding your mind and studying random and interesting subjects while you can. Of course that’s not to negate the fact that I then went to graduate school in hopes of becoming more employable, or that on occasion, I wish I was a dentist.
The Wall Street Journal recently published an article trying to quantify the value of college degrees and if they are worth what you pay. The gist of it is, practical degrees are money makers from the get-go and large public universities are the best value for those who want to explore their career options. However, not everyone judges value in dollars and cents. A college education, and where you get it, provides much more. College affords you the opportunity to develop who you are, which is why college grads are generally more civic minded and community connected. Ultimately, the most successful graduates are those who have the drive and focus to succeed professionally, regardless of their degree or their alma mater. Is it any surprise that your own “can do” attitude is what matters most?
To borrow from my favorite philosopher, Dr. Seuss, “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.”
There’s a reason people line up at the mall before dawn on the biggest sale days. It’s because everybody loves a bargain, and at WiseChoice, we believe college tuition should be no different. We’ve just recently released our list of top ten colleges in the U.S. offering the greatest value with some of the best financial aid you can find.
How does going to school in our nation’s capital on a scholarship sound? Be sure to check out Catholic University of America which offers subsidized federal nursing scholarships and loans and many merit-based scholarships. What about a state university set in the Rocky Mountains offering major scholarships to out-of-state students and freshman? Montana State University may be the school for you.
If you’re academically gifted, consider schools that have strong honors or research programs where you could benefit from working closely with your professors. If you fit in this category, you may want to consider the University of Texas Honor’s Program or the University of Pittsburgh which is one of the major research universities of North America. If an international or diverse community is what you crave, there are schools out there with humanities as their focus and lots of financial aid available to draw those future leaders, including Soka University and Seattle University.
With money tight at home and many traditional scholarship dollars disappearing, now is the time to arm yourself with WiseChoice’s resources and an open mind to find the right school at the best value.
To discover these schools and more that give you the most bang for your bucks, read our Top Ten Colleges and Universities Offering the Greatest Value for Your Dollar.
Natalie Hikel
“Are you going to the game?” “Does this look good?” “What did you think of that test?”
Have you ever stopped to think how often you ask your friends for their opinions? I ask my friends for their insight all of the time, from do they think Serena and Nate will get together, to suggestions on how I should tell my mom something. I value the advice of my friends (and even my parents) because not only do they get me, but chances are they’ve encountered a similar experience themselves and can share what they’ve learned.
We here at WiseChoice, and I especially, want to be your wise, full-of-advice friend. Think of me riding shotgun with you on your journey through the college decision process. I’ll be your GPS guiding you with turn-by-turn directions, I’ll sort through your playlist collection and find your perfect travel soundtrack, and if you get lost, you can count on me to help you figure out where you are meant to go, because believe me, I’ve been there.
I suppose it’s kind of creepy that I’ve invited myself to be your new best friend without properly introducing myself. Forgive me; I am just very excited to experience this with you! I’m Natalie and I have spent the better part of ten years on my own higher education journey. My stats include: three universities – one for graduate school, and two for undergrad, one which was midsized and one which was huge (Go Terps!); at least two different majors; three first days at new schools; at least one bad grade; one sorority rush; two years in a dorm; more than 15 applications and essays; a couple of student clubs; and memories of a lifetime.
You’ll hear it a thousand times, but it’s true. You really are embarking on what will be some of the best years of your life, and I am thrilled to come along for the ride.
Hi, my name is Natalia and I am currently a high school senior, hoping to study engineering in college. Like many of you, I am in the process of choosing and applying to colleges; I started with a list of over 20 schools, but I managed to eliminate about ten from my list. If you do the math, I saved about $600 in application fees. So how did I choose which schools I would eventually apply to? I did a college visit with every school on my list. I used to be one of those students who thought I could make a decision on the university I’d attend just by reviewing the schools’ websites and brochures, but when I tried to shorten my list, I realized that wasn’t helping me. Luckily, my high school offers juniors an opportunity to take a college visit of in-state colleges. I live in Florida and there is a state-wide scholarship here that helps students who are residents pay for collegiate education within the state. My high school encourages all students to apply to in-state colleges, and the college visits help the students get excited about state schools.
With state schools flooding my list, I decided to go on the college visits and see what more information I could get. When I got there I realized that the tour guides really didn’t have much to say outside of what I already knew, unless someone asked a question about a specific topic. But you can do this over the phone or even through email. So what’s the big deal with visiting schools?
When you visit a college, you realize that sometimes the pictures on the flyers can be deceiving. You might see the pictures and think, “wow, that’s beautiful,” but until you actually visit, you won’t know if the place really is as great as it seems. The environment has to fit the student. If you feel uncomfortable in college, you won’t be able to concentrate properly. The people at the college also play a huge part of the college experience. Visiting colleges lets you get a feel for the type of people who attend that university. The people might be too shy or too outgoing for you, but only you can say which crowd is the right crowd for you.
I understand that your high school might not offer these types of trips, but try to visit colleges on your own and if possible, try to arrange for an overnight stay. I definitely recommend visiting colleges because whether you fall in love or are disappointed by a college, visiting is the only way to figure out how much you really like a certain university.
Good luck with your search and happy holidays.
college applications
It’s getting down to the wire and college application deadlines are just around the corner. Are worries of something falling through the cracks keeping you awake at night? Well, worry no more. Complete all the items below and you’ll stay organized and on top of things.
• Confirm college application deadlines, whether you are applying early, regular, or rolling admission
• Request that your guidance counselor send both your high school transcript and midyear report to your schools
• Contact your colleges and confirm that your test scores (that is, your SAT or ACT scores, and any AP test scores) were received.
• Confirm that your teacher recommendations have been sent
• Send thank you notes to your recommenders
• Have someone proofread your essays for spelling, grammar, and content
• Where possible, do an on campus or alumni interview
• Send thank you notes to your interviewers, if applicable
• If required, send supplemental materials (additional essay, art portfolio, etc)
• Make copies of all your application materials
• Complete and submit your applications online; be sure to include the application fee
• Confirm receipt of your application materials by the colleges
Once all of your applications have been sent in, give yourself a big congratulations. You deserve it! And then get back to your studies so you can keep your grades up throughout senior year. In future blog posts, I’ll address how to make a final decision when choosing among several great colleges.
“What’s wrong with transferring?” Jay Mathews of The Washington Post asks this question of a survey completed by WiseChoice. The survey, which included over 800 college freshmen nationwide, found that 33% were already thinking about transferring. That seems like quite a large percentage to WiseChoice, especially just a few months into the first semester of college. WiseChoice believes that if students took more time to research their selected schools before applying, many could eliminate transferring and instead, find college to be a rewarding experience right from the start. (Not to mention, avoiding the headaches and costs associated with transferring.)
However, Mr. Mathews argues that transferring to another college is part of the maturation process, “trying something and seeing if it works, then moving on if it doesn’t.”
So, what do others have to say about transferring? Read real life examples from those who transferred colleges and the situations they encountered.
Subscribe to this blog
Subscribe to RSS feed
Join Us
Become a fan of WiseChoice on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Categories
- Choosing a Major / Career (2)
- College Admissions (28)
- College Applications (10)
- College Search (12)
- College Transfer (3)
- Community College (1)
- Financial Aid (17)
- Greek Life (2)
- Just for Parents (3)
- Learning Difference (2)
- Life at College (9)
- Miscellaneous (2)
- Social Media (1)
- Topics of Interest (2)
- Visiting a College (5)
- WiseChoice (2)