Why Go to College?

If you are uncertain about going to college or if you just need some reassurance that you're on the right track, here are a few reasons to go to college:

• Every bit of education you get after high school increases the chances you'll earn good pay. Most college graduates earn a lot more money during their working years than people who stop their education after high school graduation.
• Besides good pay, the more education you get the more likely it is you will always have a job. According to one estimate, by the year 2028 there will be 19 million more jobs for educated workers than there are qualified people to fill them.
• Continuing education after high school is much more important for your generation than it was for your parents' generation. Today, most good jobs require more than a high school diploma. Businesses want to hire people who know how to think and solve problems.
• Education beyond high school gives you a lot of other benefits, such as meeting new people, taking part in new opportunities to discover and explore your interests, and experiencing success.

The Campus Visit

The campus visit is a crucial part of the college decision process. It is a time to ask questions, take a tour, sit in on classes, and obtain an overall perspective of the college's atmosphere. Visiting different colleges will give you a better understanding of which college is right for you. Since you may have various questions about the campus visit, the following should help you when you make each trip.

How should you prepare for the visit?

Before you visit a college campus, you should do a little research on the college. Look through brochures and view the college's website to find out basic information. This will give you more time on the tour to find out information that is not found in the printed material. You should also schedule a campus tour at least two weeks before you make the trip.

What should you bring along?

There are several items you should bring with you in order to make the campus visit a success. Be sure to bring comfortable walking shoes since you will actually be taking a tour of the campus. You will also want to bring a journal so you can write down any notes that will help you remember the college. Since you may be seeing a lot of campuses, this journal will come in handy if you forget any details about certain colleges. Pictures will also help you remember particular details about colleges so be sure to pack a camera. This will allow you to look back at pictures that can't be found on the college's website or in the brochures.

Who should you talk to?

Try to meet with various members of the campus community. You will definitely want to meet with an admissions officer to discuss the school's requirements, deadlines, and financial aid programs. If possible, try talking to some professors to get a feel of what they expect out of a student. All professors are different so try to talk to as many as you can; you may even want to sit in on some of their classes to obtain a good perspective. Don't be afraid to go up to current students and start a conversation. Find out what they think about the college as a whole. Ask if they are happy with the college choice that they made. Since students are not employed by the college, they will not give you biased answers.

What questions should you ask?

Now that you know who to talk to, you may be wondering what questions you should ask these people. You will want to ask a variety of questions so you will go home with enough information to help you make a decision on where you want to go. Use the following questions as a guideline, and if you think of anymore, be sure to ask.

Academic Aspects
• What academic factors are considered during the admissions process?
• What is the average class size?
• Are professors accessible outside of class?
• What is the typical way to get in touch with a professor? Email? Phone call?
• Do you usually get in all the classes that you need to register for?
• On average, do professors or graduate students teach freshmen level classes?
• Are there academic scholarships available through the school?
• Are there tutoring services available on campus?
• What are the college's most popular academic programs?
• What is the grading system like at this college?
• What is the attendance policy?

Financial Aspects
• What is the cost of attendance?
• If you have financial need, will you be able to get a financial aid package that meets all of your demonstrated need?
• What percentage of students receive financial aid?
• Are there work-study jobs available on campus? Off campus?
• If you don't qualify for work-study, what other jobs are available near campus that you could apply for?

Housing/Food Aspects
• Are you required to live on campus your first year?
• What percentage of students live on campus all four years? Are the dorms single sex or coed?
• Are there community baths in the dorms?
• What are the rules for students living in dorms?
• Do the dorms have laundry facilities?
• Do the dorms have computer labs?
• What types of meal plans are available?
• What hours may students access food services?
• How many restaurants/cafes are on campus?

Social Aspects
• How do students spend their free time?
• What are the most popular extra curricular activities?
• What do most students do on the weekends? Stay on campus? Go home?
• Are there sororities and fraternities on campus?
• How many students participate in Greek life?
• Are parties allowed on campus?

Community/Transportation Aspects
• Do you like the surrounding city or town?
• Is the city or town big enough for your taste? Does it have a variety of restaurants, museums, nightclubs, parks, and movie theatres?
• Is the city or town small enough for your taste? Is it rural and peaceful?
• Will you have to have a car to live on campus? Can you walk to most restaurants, nightclubs, etc.?
• What is the city's public transportation system like?

Athletic Aspects
• Is the college considered an athletic school?
• Are there athletic scholarships available?
• What sports are played at the school?
• Do athletes have to miss a lot of classes in order to participate in games?
• Do athletes have their own dorms?

Safety Aspects
• How safe is the campus? How often are crimes reported?
• How are safety issues addressed?
• Is the campus well lit?
• Are there emergency phones on campus?
• Is there a pick-up service for students walking at night?
• What if you can't visit?

There are always circumstances in which a student cannot visit a college campus in person. If you are unable to make a campus visit but are still interested in finding out about the college, you have several options. You can call the school's admissions office to ask any questions you may have. If they do not have an answer, they will direct you to someone who does. You can also talk to your high school guidance counselor. He/she may have information about the college that you are interested in. If your guidance counselor knows someone who goes to that college, he/she may be able to get you in touch with that student so the two of you can discuss what the college is like. Finally, if you can't visit a campus in person, you can always take a virtual tour of the school.

Tips for Visiting College Campuses

The campus visit is an essential part of the college decision process. Visiting different campuses will help you better understand which college is right for you. Here are some tips to keep in mind when visiting the campuses.
Pick the schools you want to visit. Make a list of schools that you are interested in attending. If you can't visit every school on your list due to time constraints or financial reasons, try to narrow down the list to only your top choices. Pick the ones that you really want to see in person. If you find it hard to narrow down to your top choices, then pick schools that are very different from each other, e.g. small, large, rural, urban. This will help you compare and contrast schools so you can decide which type is right for you.

Research the schools. Before you visit a college campus, you should do a little research on the school. Look through brochures and view the college's website to find out basic information. This will give you more time on the tour to find out information that is not found in the printed material.

Pack a journal. Since you may be seeing a lot of campuses, a journal will come in handy if you forget any details about certain colleges. Write down academic, financial, housing, athletic, and social facts related to each college so you will not mix up information. You can refer back to this journal when deciding which colleges you want to send applications.

Meet with various members of the campus community. Meet with an admissions officer to discuss the school's requirements, deadlines, and financial aid programs. Talk with professors to get a feel of what they expect out of a student. Speak with current students to see what they think about the college as a whole. Ask if they are happy with the college choice that they made. Since students are not employed by the college, they will not give you biased answers.

Take the admissions tour. The tour guide will show you the main parts of the campus as well as answer any questions that you may have. Take advantage of this opportunity to find out history and other facts about the college.

Take your own tour. After the admissions tour is over, you may want to take time to tour the campus on your own. This will allow you to view areas that were not part of the admissions tour, such as the parking facilities or actual classrooms. Check out areas that will specifically pertain to your major. If you want to major in biology, check out the labs. If you want to major in music, take a look at the music rooms.

Don't forget to ask questions. You may want to prepare a list of questions to ask beforehand just to make sure that you don't forget anything. Ask questions regarding academic, financial, housing/food, social, community, athletic, and safety aspects.

For more information about visiting college campuses, see tomorrow’s blog. Remember, if you can't visit a campus in person, you can always take a virtual tour of the school.

Graduate Program Transfer Question

Here is a question from one of my readers...

Question: Is it possible to transfer from one college or university to another without starting my program over?

Answer: It is quite common for students to transfer from one school to another at the undergraduate level. In fact, some schools (many 2-year colleges) are designed to be transfer schools and offer only the first two years of undergraduate study. Their graduates often go on to do the last two years of a bachelor’s degree at another school.

The situation regarding graduate programs is more complicated due to the nature of graduate education. It is sometimes possible to transfer to another university after beginning a graduate program in the U.S. The policies, however, will vary by individual school; therefore, it is important that you inquire of the university where you plan to transfer as to exactly what courses they will accept for transfer. You should make sure to inquire about the general transfer policy as well as the specific policy which pertains to the school from which you will be transferring. It is likely that some of your previous graduate credit will not be accepted. You should choose the school you are transferring to carefully, and you should probably discuss this with your current graduate advisor.

College Transfer, In Reverse

This is something interesting about transfers…

Research by Sara Goldrick-Rab and Fabian T. Pfeffer (Sociology of Education, April 2009) using data from the National Education Longitudinal Study indicates that approximately one third of traditional-aged college students transfer from one college to another within eight years of high school graduation. Only 6 percent transfer from community colleges to four-year colleges, while 15 percent will “reverse transfer” from four-year colleges to community colleges. According to the authors, reverse transfers are more likely among students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds.

If you are properly prepared and you’ve planned out what you want this is less likely to occur.

Transitioning from a Community College to a Four-Year School

If you want to start out at a community college (or are already enrolled in one) and then transfer to a four-year school, make sure you have a plan. If you try to make the switch without mapping out your steps, then your transition will be harder. Here are the steps you should take to transition from a community college to a four-year school.

Make a list. Come up with a list of objectives to help you determine the right path for you. Think about where you see yourself in five or ten years. Here are some questions to consider:
• What career would you like to pursue?
• What academic preparation is required to enter this career field?
• Which four-year institution has a good academic program for your field of interest?
• What are some of the characteristics you are looking for in a four-year school?

Choose a transfer school. The earlier you can select a four-year institution to attend, the better off you will be. Universities and colleges differ widely in the courses they accept for transfer. By choosing a transfer school as early as possible, you will save a lot of time and effort because you will know in advance which courses will transfer to your selected school. When choosing a transfer school, check to see which schools have articulation agreements. Articulation agreements provide specific transfer policies that make it easier to transfer from one school to another. Be sure to visit schools and take virtual tours of campuses to help you pick a four-year school.

Meet with transfer advisors. Because not all universities and colleges accept the same courses for transfer, it is critical that you work with a transfer advisor at your community college as well as one at the school to which you want to transfer. These advisors will help you map out courses to meet graduation requirements at your community college and transfer requirements for your chosen four-year institution.

Focus on academics and extracurricular activities. Most community colleges operate under an "open admissions" policy, which means that anyone with a high school diploma or GED may attend, regardless of prior academic performance and extracurricular involvement. However, to be accepted into your four-year school of choice, you need to stay focused on academics, achievements, and extracurricular activities. Keep your grades up and become involved in your community. Your transfer school wants well-rounded students.

Research financial aid options. Four-year institutions are more expensive than community colleges, so be sure to look into your financial aid options. Look for scholarships by performing a free scholarship search (never pay for that service). You should also complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to apply for state, federal, and institutional aid. Even if you don't think you'll qualify for need-based financial aid, you should still complete the FAFSA to be eligible for low-interest student loans. The FAFSA can be completed online at www.fafsa.ed.gov as soon as possible after January 1st of the year for which you are requesting aid.

For more specific information on transferring to a four-year school, contact your community college transfer advisor.

Pros and Cons of Community Colleges

If the idea of going to a four-year college or university seems a bit daunting, you may want to consider a community college. Take into account the following pros and cons of community colleges to help you make a decision.

Pros

Small class sizes – Because classes at community colleges are smaller, you would have the opportunity to interact more with your classmates than you would at a larger, four-year college or university. Small classes allow for small-group discussions where active participation and hands-on learning is encouraged. This may be beneficial to you if that kind of interaction helps you learn more information than if you were just listening to a lecture.

Interaction with professors – Since professors at community colleges have fewer students than those at larger colleges, they have more time to get to know each student individually. They will be more involved in helping you make the most of your college experience. Furthermore, small school courses are usually taught by the actual professor. This is in contrast to larger universities where classes are sometimes taught by teaching assistants.

Gives you time to try again – If you are unable to meet initial entrance standards required by the four-year school of your choice, a community college can give you a second chance. If your ultimate goal is to go to a four-year school, you can transfer after you have improved as a student. Going to a community college will give you the opportunity to improve your grade point average, score higher on standardized test scores, and have a broader knowledge of specific academic subjects. Once you have enhanced your academic record, you will have a better chance of being accepted at the four-year school of your choice.

Spend less money – Community colleges are cheaper than four-year colleges and universities. If you want to get a four-year degree, but you're not exactly sure what you want to major in, it may be beneficial for you to go to a community college for the first two years. That way you can take all of your core classes (just make sure they will transfer) and not spend as much money as you would if you went to a four-year school for all four years.

Cons

Smaller variety of courses/majors – Since community colleges are two-year schools, they don't offer the range of courses and majors that a four-year school offers. If you want to go to a school with a variety of classes and majors to choose from, a community college may not be your best option.

Miss experience of living on-campus – This may be a pro to some. Most community colleges do not offer the option of living on-campus. By not living on campus, you miss out on many college experiences such as sharing a dorm room and many living-on-campus conveniences such as rolling out of bed ten minutes before your class starts.

Not as socially involved – Because many community colleges do not offer as much when it comes to campus life, you may find it harder to be socially involved with fellow students. Community colleges offer less in terms of big sporting events and other social opportunities. If you want a college with an abundance of social activities, a community college may not be for you.

Difficulty transferring credits – If you decide to transfer from a community college to a four-year school, keep in mind that some credits may not be transferable. Sometimes when you transfer from a two-year school to a four-year school, you may be required to retake courses that you have already completed at the community college. This may delay your graduation date. Before you decide to attend a community college, you should find out what courses are transferable between your community college and the four-year school that you want to attend.

Before you make a decision about whether or not to attend a community college, you need to weigh the pros and cons. Just remember that in order for you to be content during your time in college, you need to pick the kind of school where you are most comfortable and the kind of school that is most conducive to your needs. Good luck!