Selecting an Independent College
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There are several things to consider when selecting an independent college. Below is information on a few main topics to consider when selecting the college that is right for you.
Don't forget to try our e-counselor application for both traditional and non-traditional students, or just browse through OFIC's diverse member colleges.
Major
and Program
Admission
Academic Quality
Quality of Life
Location & Size
There may be several subjects you are interested in, do well in, and want to investigate further. Selecting one of these as a major may be your best choice. Then take a more in-depth look at what a particular college may have to offer in that area of study.
- Examine the college's catalog to make sure there are a variety of courses of interest both in the major and outside the major.
- See if there are supplementary programs, such as internships and study abroad opportunities, that will enable you to gain practical experience in that field of interest.
- When visiting the campus, ask admissions officers and faculty to provide information on where a graduate in your field of interest might find employment or advanced education.
- Also, speak with students in the intended major and ask them to comment on the faculty support and guidance they are receiving.
The major should reflect all this information:
- Courses that appeal
- Programs that give practical experience
- Faculty who will teach and guide you
Using admissions profiles of the colleges you're considering, you can determine what courses each college expects you to take in high school and where your academic record, test scores, and extracurricular profile place you on the admission scale of a particular college.
Remember to factor in special circumstances such as exceptional leadership in high school, musical ability, or athletic talent. These abilities may compensate for a lower than average academic profile.
You may also want to review the academic profile of the most recent class enrolled to get a better picture of the type of student a particular college is looking for.
What is the quality of the teaching at the college? To gain an insight into this, you should:
- Take the opportunity to meet faculty during the visit to the college.
- Talk to current students to find out whether faculty are accessible and interested in individual students.
- Ask what the job and graduate school placement rates are for the departments in which you are interested.
- Compare your SAT or ACT scores with the median of the particular college and assess the academic fit.
While colleges have a lot in common, each college has its own culture. The quality of life embraces many things including, the importance the college and its students place on respecting individual differences, the concern for community service, and the levels of civility and respect that exist on campus.
Here are a couple of tips to assess the quality of life on any college campus:
- Look at the college's mission statement in its catalog to see what assertions are made about community rules.
- Ask faculty members, admissions officers, coaches, alumni, and students how they would rate quality of life.
Remember that most of college life occurs outside the classroom and laboratory, and community values will have a direct relation to how you are treated and how comfortable you will feel on that campus.
When you have gained an overall impression of a college's student life, you might visualize how you would fit in and enjoy the life of a student at a particular college. If you have a strong interest or particular skill, such as a sport, arts, religion, or community service, then the insight gained into those activities should be particularly influential.
One way to evaluate each of the colleges would be to assume for a moment that you would not be able to engage in your favorite activity. How does the student life look from that perspective? Be sure to evaluate all of these criteria when visiting colleges.
When thinking about location, consider not only the city or town in which the college is located but also the accessibility to other points of interest from the campus.
Some colleges in small towns are actually rather close to large cities where you could follow interests in professional sports, music or art. Sometimes students who choose large universities in cities feel confined by poor public transportation or security concerns.
Before making a final judgment about a college's location, also consider the condition of its campus and buildings. Appearances do matter, especially if you live there for 180 days of the year.
The size of a college or university is a complex measurement. When you speak about size, you really mean access: access to faculty, to the dining hall, to the library, to different housing options, to the computer lab, to sporting events, and artistic performances.
Also, think about the quality of the opportunities that a college offers. Those interested in the performing arts will want to know whether they will get to perform and at what level. Athletes may want to play at a certain level: Division I, II, III, intramural, or club level. Musicians will want a range of choices depending on their expertise. Literary types will desire opportunities to express themselves in the newspaper, yearbook, and campus journals. Evaluate opportunities to determine the social fit.
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