The college search doesn’t have to begin and end with the name-brand schools. There’re many schools out there to choose from — some known and some less known, all worthy of your attention. To find the school that works for you, you should start with who you are and why you’re going to college. What are you good at and what are you interested in? What are your weaknesses? What do you want out of life? Are you socially self-sufficient or do you need warm, familial support? Talk with your family, friends and teachers as you ask these questions. The people who know you best can help you the most with these important issues.
Remember that a name-brand college won’t guarantee your success. Think about the people in your life who have achieved great success and find out where they went to college. You’ll likely find success in life has less to do with the choice of college than with the experiences and opportunities while in college. Employers are looking for outstanding skills and experience, not college background. As you search for colleges, ask about graduate students, and you’ll find many colleges that are better than name-brand ones.
You don’t need to pick a major to pick a college. Very few high school students have enough information or experience to choose a major. You need the variety and depth of college coursework to determine your interest and major. Most college students change their minds two or three times before they settle on a major, and they can still graduate in four years! Being undecided is a good thing and will leave you open to more academic experiences.
If you make the assumption that you cannot afford college based on the sticker price of tuition, you’ll miss out. It’s difficult to talk about money, but if you investigate all the options and ask for help and advice, you’ll find affordable choices. Online resources, as well as financial aid workshops sponsored by high schools in local communities, are widely available to get you started. Investigate early and ask for help.
The most important factor in choosing a college is fit. Finding a good fit requires time and thoughtfulness. You can visit college websites and learn about what events take place, who visits as a guest speaker, and how to get in touch with current students and teachers. If you visit the campus, try to sit in on classes, eat in the dining hall and hang around in the student center. That will help you imagine yourself as a part of the community. Talk to a few students and ask if they would make the same college choice if they had to do it again. Consider the information you’ve collected about
the colleges, and you’ll have great options!
| How to find a college that works for you | |
| Paragraph outlines | Supporting details |
| Know yourself well. | ● Ask yourself who you are and what your (71) ▲ for attending college are. ● Know your own strengths, (72) ▲ , weaknesses, goals, etc. ● Ask for help from those who know you best with those issues. |
| Don’t (73) ▲ yourself to choose a name-brand college. | ● Not all (74) ▲ people graduated from name-brand colleges. ● The choice of college is less (75) ▲ to one’s success in life than the experiences and opportunities while in college. |
| Don’t base your choice of college on the major. | ● Don’t choose a major in a hurry because you don’t have enough information or experience. ● It’s OK to change your (76) ▲ two or three times before you decide on your major. |
| Don’t worry if you can’t (77) ▲ to go to college. | ● Do investigation early and ask for help to find affordable choices. ● Actually you have (78) ▲ to many online resources and financial aid workshops. |
| See whether the college is fit for you or not. | ● You can collect much (79) ▲ about the college on its website. ● (80) ▲ the college, try to use its facilities and talk with its students. |