Beginning The College Hunt
Thursday, April 17th, 2008Why Does My Personality Help With College Searching?
Your goals, personality, and tastes will ultimately determine what type of college is right for you!
Now that you have dug deep and have your talents, likes, dislikes, and influences laid out, it is time to put them to work!
Your College Goals
Are you planning to attend a two-year school to earn your associate’s degree before you hop into a four-year institution?
Perhaps you are simply going to go for the big time (a four-year program)?
I see no harm in going to a two-year school, which is usually a community college, to get a less expensive jump-start to your higher education.
However, BEWARE! Many four-year institutions are not accepting transfer course credits from many two-year schools. This is especially true for the highly selective universities.
When I speak with many of my peers who attend two-year schools, they assume that their “good grades” from a community college is going to guarantee them admission to almost any college they please. Do not believe this! Most (if not all) of the selective schools look down upon students who do not have the majority of their tenure at their university.
That said, do not feel that going to a community college guarantees academic or career failure! I just felt is necessary and helpful to post that warning.
Public or Private?
The question of whether you wish to attend a public rather than a private school, or visa versa, is completely up to personal preference.
I have met many students who were privately or home schooled for at least part of their education and couldn’t wait for it to end! For them, their answer was an immediate “public please!”
I have also conversed with many students who attended private schools who loved the more 1 on 1 attention and the (generally) smaller classes and environment. They most certainly want a private or very small public school.
For the rest of the students continuing their education, the determining factor was mostly price. Private schools are generally much more costly than public institutions (especially for in-state students).
That said, private schools also offer more grants, low rate loans, and discounts for students in need.
Do not rule out any school that you feel interests you because of cost! As I will discuss later, you may be surprised by the government grants and institutional aid you receive!
Other College Filtering Qualifiers
In my upcoming posts of the College Selection Series, I will address other factors to take into account, including school size, geographic location, and setting.
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