Shane’s Survival Guide for the College Hunt
by Shane Hinton ’15, assistant director of admission
Now is the time when you’re probably starting to worry about what you want to do after high school. It’s an exciting time! This is the time you should be narrowing down your choices for your next steps after graduation. There are so many institutions with programs designed to meet the needs of every kind of student and so many choices that the college search process can feel daunting. It’s for this reason that I’ve decided to present you with Shane’s Survival Guide for the College Hunt, my top five tips for enduring the wild ride that is the college selection process.
1. Define your interests. Whether you enjoy the structure of a chemistry lab or the thrill of a debate, start making a list of your interests. What classes do you look forward to during the day and which ones do you dread? These are important questions to ask yourself when it comes to determining what you want to do or study post-graduation. If your list appears to be growing too long, try consolidating it down to your favorite three interests.
2. Do your homework. Now I’m not exactly referring to that English essay due next week (although that is important) but doing your homework on the various institutions across the country that cater to your interests. Look for colleges that are not only known for the strength of their program, but also for their alumni connections, graduation rate, and job placement rate. If you stumble across a school that has a major or minor listed with no additional information, contact that school in order to ask questions. Go beyond the admission office to speak with an academic advisor or faculty member that knows more about the curriculum for the specific program.
3. Find the right “fit.” When I was a child, my mother would always dress my brother and me up in those little matching toddler outfits for family portraits. Every time I visit home, I walk down the hallway and see those portraits hanging on the wall. I tend to cringe a bit because of how uncomfortable I seemed to look in each picture. The shoes were too tight, the sleeves were too short, and don’t even get me started on the socks. Overall, it just didn’t fit me well. Think of college like your favorite outfit; you want it to feel and look just right. You want to feel confident and empowered, not uncomfortable. You may be asking, “How do I find the right fit?” That can depend on a few different factors including school location, size, programs, and resources. Are you looking for a smaller private institution or do you prefer all of the possibilities that a public college may offer? Do you feel that you thrive in a setting where you can get more attention from your professors? If so, then search for colleges with a smaller average class size and an appropriate student-to-faculty ratio.
4. Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone. While it is important to make sure that the school you choose fits your needs, it doesn’t mean that you can’t push the boundaries and think outside the box to find that institution. Personally, I never gave a second thought to the idea of attending college outside of my home state of North Carolina until one day when I received mail from the University of Miami. I’m originally from an extremely small town (we only have two stoplights) where students don’t typically travel too far from home to attend college. Once I opened up my mind and considered the possibility of studying elsewhere, I was able to fully embrace the idea of multiple options. A thorough college search will consist of both in-state and out-of-state schools, so make sure to cast your net out far and wide!
5. If possible, visit your top choices. It’s one thing to see pictures and videos in a brochure or on a website, but it’s a completely different story being able to experience a college campus for yourself in person. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve interacted with students who say that the deciding factor for selecting their college was a campus visit. Taking a tour, seeing the facilities, and interacting with students are fantastic ways to help you envision yourself somewhere for the next four years. Ask any student on a college campus and they’ll tell you that one of the main reasons they chose their school was due to the fact that “it just felt right.” If you’re able to visit a handful of schools, see what each of them has to offer in regards to their campus visit experience. Some institutions offer the opportunity to shadow a student or even participate in a mock class. However, sometimes it isn’t feasible to visit every college on your list. Never let this hinder you from choosing a school! Many institutions offer the option of a virtual tour on their website which allows you to see many parts of campus and learn about various departments.
Hopefully you’ll find these tips helpful as you embark on your college search. Remember that this is in fact an exciting time in your life! Selecting a college is not a simple task, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be fun.
