By Lizzie Buckthorpe
You pull in the gates, the anticipation rising in you as you see the first building of your potential new home. The sun is hitting the windows creating light beams across your face. The family car pulls into a parking spot, you are itching to jump out of the car and explore this new world. Finally the car is thrown into park and you leap out onto the pavement. Running ahead of your parents you make your way up the path, throw open the doors of the building and enter the admission’s office of your potential place of higher learning.
Adolescents look for various different factors that determine why they choose a particular college or university. Many factors affect their decision, from dorm life to academics.
Through research on various universities and college’s up and down the East Coast, it has become apparent that there are five main points teens look for to aid their decision.
Too Cool for School?
“Does it have the academic reputation I am looking for in a school?” is the top factor Andy Bills, VP of Enrollment at High Point University, in High Point NC, says he sees. He sees many students who visit HPU, looking to see class size, accreditations, and major options, among a sea of other academic factors. So many know that when it comes down to it they are coming to this place for school, so it has to be something they want and can handle.
The second factor perspective student’s notice is where they will be living for the next four years, the dormitories.
Home Away from Home
Even though class is the number one object, where you live is a close second. Your dorm is where you will be not only sleeping, but where you will be living your life. It is where you hang out with friends, relax after a big test, and make the memories that will last a lifetime.
You want it to be somewhere you enjoy being rather than somewhere you cannot wait to get out of.
“Space is a huge factor, along with the variety of options,” says High Point Sophomore, Tyler McDonald.
Numerous students want a school with dorms that give them living options similar to the real world. As a consequence so many boast the fact that they have various options for not only freshman but upper classmen as well.
Marist College, in Poughkeepsie NY, has a number of options for it’s students. According to the housing section of the official Marist College website, “as students move from freshmen to senior year they are housed in more independent living environments (suite style, apartments and townhouses) which helps to prepare them for their eventual move out into the world following graduation,”
However, there are three more additional factors in the decision of where to go to school.
Go team Go!
Is the school’s name plastered all over the place? Do students wear the school apparel? Are sporting events truly an event? If the answer is yes then you know this place has fantastic school spirit.
School spirit has significant importance to so many. If there is a great atmosphere then you know students are happy. If nobody wants to attend school events, then it is safe to assume that there is no support.
Elon University in Elon, NC even has a calendar on their website, easily accessible, for students to look up all the sporting events for all sports throughout the year. It is clear that people want to go to the events, creating the spirit a successful school needs. In addition to the academics, dorms and school spirits, students need to make sure they can see themselves at the particular college or university.
Can I see myself here?
It is vital that a student can see himself or herself living, working, and most importantly learning at the school they choose.
“Are there people like me here? Will I fit in?” are popular phrases heard by Andy Bills, VP of Enrollment at High Point. He expresses that everyday he hears students questioning if HPU is a place they can see themselves attending. He continues to say that it is vital to show the student the university as a whole, to show them each aspect so they can find something to connect to.
Annie Bonner, a Junior at Keene State University in Keene, NH says “from the second I stepped on to campus I knew this is where I wanted to go. I could see myself walking to classes, eating in the cafeteria and meeting new people.”
Then again, if a student cannot accommodate with the final factor, the cost, then all the others are irrelevant.
Money, Money, Money…
Suzanne Rollins knew she wanted to go to Endicott College in Massachusetts from the moment she arrived. The beach location, small classes and endless school spirit had her hooked. However, there was one problem with her picture perfect university, the over $27,000 price tag. Yet, this was the school for her so she worked hard with the university and qualified for both need and merit based scholarships to make it so she could afford to attend her dream school.
So often this is the main question a student, but mainly their parents, ask about a school. If it is not affordable then to many it is not an option. Because of this, schools choose to offer a variety of scholarship options.
For instance, Wake Forest University, in Winston Salem NC, allows students to choose from a plethora of scholarship options. There are not only merit based scholarships but also need-based options, allowing the most students to benefit from the program.
So it is important for schools to advertise all of their cost assisting benefits to the perspective students.
Keep your Eye’s Peeled
Along with these five factors so many teens look at, there also a number of things they do, and should look for, while on their tour of a campus.
Pay attention to the cleanliness, is there trash littering the sidewalks, do the buildings look old and dirty? If a university cares about it’s self and it’s students then neither of those will be true.
Are students smiling? If all you see is glum faces then chances are it is not a happy atmosphere.
Lastly, make sure you get a good feeling from the campus, not your parents, not your friend, not the random girl sitting next to you on the tour. This is where you will be going, so it is vital that the decision is all up to you.
Check out these links for some more helpful hints on finding the college campus that is right for you!
Below a student shares her reasoning on why she chose to come to High Point University:
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