Q&A: How do I start to chose a college?
Question by Tara: How do I start to chose a college?
I have to admit that I know nothing about college, let alone chosing one. I don’t know how to go about chosing a college at all. I would go to my school councler but my school is new and they still don’t have any of that set up yet. Any advice? What do I need to look for and find out about a college? What are the reqirments? Anything that would be helpful to someone with no clue is welcomed. Thank you!
Best answer:
Answer by eri
There are literally thousands of colleges and universities in the US, and most people would be happy at most of them. Check out schools near you, including your local state universities and colleges – other than community colleges, those are your cheapest options, and even that can be expensive. Think about what you might want to major in, where you want to live, what kind of school you want (big, small, big on sports, religious, womens, etc), and so on. The requirements are a high school diploma (accredited – make sure your school is accredited! If it’s new, it might not be, and if it’s not accredited by the time your graduate no college will accept your diploma) or GED and SAT or ACT scores. Top schools also want SAT II scores.
Add your own answer in the comments!
September 29th, 2011 at 9:28 am
Depends on your situation… Ask yourself these questions…
Do I get Homesick?
What can I afford?
What Climate do I like?
What is the campus like?
What class sizes do I like?
Do I like the greek (Frats) system?
Where will I live (Dorm, Roommate)?
Are my scores (ACT or SAT, GPA, and transcripts) good enough to get into said college, and if good enough, Will I get any Scholarships?
Do I like big sports games?
Or such simple things as “If I’m going to a big college, where will I park my car?”
September 29th, 2011 at 9:29 am
Do lots of research, it is one of the biggest choices you will make. In-state versus out of state, tuition vs being able to get a scholarship. Go visit many different schools, get a feel for each. If you know what you are perhaps wanting to study look for a school that has a good program in that sector. Overall go with what feels right, most times that will lead you in the right direction. Good luck
September 29th, 2011 at 10:12 am
You can check out collegeboard.org to find out about requirements, basic school stuff, and programs. They have sections on college planning, as well as a College MatchMaker search. You can also check out US News and World Report for annual college rankings (national, graduate programs, etc.).
Here are some things to think about:
Do you want to stay close to home, or go far away?
- How far would you be willing to go?
What can you afford?
Can you get scholarships?
Are you interested in public or private school?
Where can your grades, SAT/ACT scores, and extracurriculars take you?
Are party schools good or bad?
- How much partying is ok for you?
- Is Greek life really your thing?
What are you interested in majoring in?
- Does the school you’re looking at have a good program in that field?
- Does it even have a program for it at all?
What facilities/resources can this school offer you? (Career services, on campus facilities, etc.)
What kinds of extracurricular activities are you interested in?
How important is school spirit/the traditional college experience?
Do you want a huge school, a medium sized school, or a small school?
Do you like large lectures, or small discussions?
How do you feel about roommates/dorm life?
- Same sex or co-ed dorms?
- Single rooms, or having roommates?
Are you interested in a school with a religious affiliation?
September 29th, 2011 at 10:49 am
http://www.college-scholarships.com/ten_rules_for_selecting_a_college_or_universities.htm
FAFSA is the free application for federal student aid.
FAFSA. Free application for federal student aid.http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/
What is federal student aid: It includes grants, work study and loans. Filling out the FAFSA you are applying for all the federal aid listed on this page, plus others certain states and colleges have individually: click the different federal aid programs on the left http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/grants.jsp
When FAFSA? Jan 1 of the year you will need it to maxime your award.You have the option on the FAFSA to do an estimate FAFSA using the previous years taxes and send it through. Just choose will file. Then ASAP when you can you do the taxes for that year and go on the FAFSA home page under #3 where it says make corrections and put in the actual tax information. For example, my daughter was attending Fall 2010. On Jan 1 we did the FAFSA as an estimate using our 2008 taxes, then as soon as we got or W2s and did our taxes for 2009 we made the corrections on the FAFSA. Why file an estimate: Because colleges are all given so much grant/work study money and its given to students first come, first serve, even if you qualify if you file later, it may be gone. So file early!
How much do you get: Federal aid is offered given to students based on their financial need. Your financial need is determined based on the questions you are asked on the FAFSA which will be about income, amount in banks, property owned, stocks and the like, as well as questions about your current home situation, how many, how many in college at the same time etc. These questions will determine your financial need. They use all the info to determine your EFC, estimated family contribution. They use a formula using all of your answers to determine your financial need, the lower the EFC the more financial aid help you need. If you have a 0 that does mean you dont pay anything but it does mean you have great need for financial aid help. This EFC amount is subtracted from the cost of the attendance (also called school budget) and the result of this is your financial need. COA/student budget is tuition, books, travel personal expenses, housing, fees. You can get an estimate here: http://www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov/F4CApp/index/index.jsf Even if you do not qualify for federal grants or work study you may qualify for federal loans which most all students have. This EFC and recap of your FAFSA will be put in a report called SAR, student aid report. You get an email this is ready in a week or two if you did it online and a link in that email to view your SAR..
The only way you will know what federal aid you qualify for is the colleges you listed on the FAFSA will be sent your SAR and a financial aid award created for you based on your financial need. Each college award will be different, as the cost of attendance is different, colleges have their own aid to offer, and when you apply makes a difference in what aid they have available to offer. You need to look at all the offers. If your federal aid grants, work study and federal loans do not cover your cost of attendance you will need to get a private loan to cover the rest like from a bank or lender, so it may be smarter to pick a cheaper college where you need the least loans. Rule of thumb, your total college loans for your education should not exceed your first year salary in the degree you are pursuing.
How do you get your aid once you accept it: It gets deposited into your college account, usually by semester not all at once on certain disbursement dates your school has where everyone will get their money disbursed on a certain day. We applied Jan 1 2010, school started 9-1, our semester federal aid was disbursed 8-25. The colleges takes out their charges for housing, meals, tuition, and fees. We did have money left over and if you do you get a refund either a check or card system depending on the school, and we got that a week after school started by card system. Use that refund if any for books, materials etc.
Helpful sites:
All questions FAFSA, financial aid: http://www.finaid.org/
http://www.gocollege.com/financial-aid/student-loans/benefits-of-loans.html
Click BEGIN THE PRESENTATION: http://www.nextstudent.com/financial-aid-tutorial/financial-aid-tutorial.asp#
http://www.knowhow2go.org/
http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/timeline.jsp?tab=applying
http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/publications/student_guide/2009-2010/english/typesofFSA_grants.htm
October 6th, 2011 at 12:47 pm
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