Hunting for the best College and University

Take time to read the essential steps below to choosing the right college or university. It is not meant to be an exhaustive list but as a guide to the countless options you may face.

• List down the things you want in college. e.g. Do you like a big college or a small university? OR. Are you consididering a military school? OR. Do you like to study in the city? OR. Do you like to study far or near from home? There are a lot of things to consider.


• Research the college or university you are interested in. Use the power of the internet. Read college and university brochures. Read college directories. Getting started with this button.


• Talk to "Experts". Get first hand knowledge from your guidance counselor. Don't forget your parents. Juggle your options and choices with this people. Like they all say... two heads are better than one.

• The perfect visitng time. Visit when classes are in session. See the school life. Talk with the students you see. Tour the grounds. Remeber you'll be spending a lot of years here. AND of course visit before you apply. :-)


• Bring your parents. They can offer you valuable advice. See your options and descision thtough there eyes. They have been there before.

• What to check out during a visit. Check out the program you plan to major in, the community were the college is located, the dormitories, the campus food, the instructors, the four year graduation rates, the ratio of students to teachers, the extra curricular activities, the athletic programs, the security, the banks... There are lot of thins to consider. So consider well.


• Attend a class. Experience the educational environment by joining a lecture or two. It would be very helpful to have a talk with the admissions officer for financial aids, scholarships, living quarters and so many other things you might have overlooked.

• Obtain the necessary documents. You can get college and university application forms through the campus tours. Sometimes it can be obtained through the mail or inserted in college and university brochures. Be


• Know the application process. Meet all the requirements and edadlines. This would make a good impression for the university registrar.


• Compose your application. When you are writing your application, make sure that everything is mistake-free. It's a major turn off for a school when you read an application full of spelling or grammar mistakes. The key thing here is proofread, proofread, proofread. Or get someone else to proofread it for you. Or better, get someone else to WRITE IT for you. You can easily hire a writer who is going to do it for you for close to nothing if you tell them what to say.
  
  Just give them the content and then let them fiddle with the form, structure, grammar and everything else. Head over to sites like odesk.com or guru.com and post your job. You can get that done for less than $5 and save you hours or headache!


• Consider your finances. Not everybody is rich. Talk it out with your parents. Research the scholarships and financial aids available from the college or university your applying to, the government and don;t forget third part institutions. Education will cost money... every little bit counts.

• Base your decision on important criteria. Finances are hard to come by. Choosing a college or university based on the financial aid under your belt or scholarship grant would be a tough choice if you feel that the college can't give you what you want. Will you really be comfortable with this college or university?


• When to decide. Simple. Decide before the deadline set forth by the collge.


• Visit the campus again. This time stay out of the tour. Try blending in with the campus atmosphere. Do you like it? Are you comfortable? Does it fit your needs? Remember it is hard to study in an environment you do not like.

• Involve Mom and Dad in the decision They have you best interests in there heart. And HEY!!! They'll be the one paying. See your decision through their eyes. It helps to see things from another perspective.