College Characteristics

COLLEGE CHARACTERISTICS

The following are some questions to consider as you look at colleges. These questions are meant to get you thinking about colleges and are by no means everything that should be considered!

Cost: This is important to discuss with your parents!

Are you considering public and/or private?
How large is the financial aid program of the college? What is the average award?
Does the school have merit-based scholarships?
Will I be willing to take out a loan or work on campus to help pay for tuition?

Geographic Location:

What area(s)of the country would you consider? Which would you NOT consider?
Would you consider another country?
How far from home do I want to be?

Surrounding Community:

In what kind of environment do you want to live? Urban, suburban, rural?

Near mountains, ocean, or dessert?
Near a cultural center?
In a small college town?

Size:

Do you want your school to be

Small (under 2000)
Medium (2000 – 12,000)
Large (over 12,000)

Weather:

Does this affect how you work and live?
Do you like snow, rain, or cold?
Would you like a warm climate?
Is smog a factor?

Campus:
What physical characteristics do you like?

I.e. Traditional architecture, modern facilities, compact, spread out, part of community.

Prestige:

How important is this to you? Is this important to your family?

Atmosphere:

In what kind of community would you do well?
I.e. Laid back, Intellectual, politically active, social justice oriented, career oriented?
Is it a diverse student body – ethnically, geographically, and socioeconomically?

Social Life:
What is the dominant social life on campus?

Is it a commuter school where most people live at home?
Do many people who live on campus go home on the weekends?
Is a Greek system popular? Are there theme houses where communities are formed

School Spirit:

Are there many planned campus activities on weekends?
Do students go off campus for most of their activities?
Are sports events a big part of campus life?
Who organizes most activities? Greek houses, dorms, clubs, special interest groups?

Student Body:
What characteristics are important to you?

Homogeneous, diverse, single sex, liberal/conservative, tolerant of different lifestyles, involved/uninvolved in the community.

Majors:

Are you interested in a major that not every college has? I.e. Engineering, Architecture, Business, Fine Arts.
Do you need to know your major when you apply?

Requirements:

Does the college have a core curriculum? Distribution requirements?
What, if any, are the graduation requirements?
Are grades optional?

Faculty Student Relations:

Do teachers and students get together outside of class? E.g. school teas, club outings?
Do teachers know the names of their students?
Is it a large impersonal learning environment?

Teaching Style:
How do you learn best and what kind of classroom do you prefer?

I.e. Primarily lecture, primarily discussion, seminar, hands on labs

Athletic Programs:

How important is participation in sports for you and at what level? I.e. Division I, II, III? Intramural?
Are scholarships available?

Activities:

Are there specific activities that in which you would like to participate? Ie. debate, TV/radio, drama, journalism?
How easy/difficult is it to be involved?

Academic Pace:

In what environment would you learn best? Intense, relaxed, competitive?

Special Programs:
Are there any special programs that are important to you?
I.e. study abroad, double degree, consortium, research opportunities, ROTC, internships, community service, support services.

Religious Tradition:

Is the college Catholic, Jesuit, Christian, etc.?
Are there required religion courses? Required chapel?
Is it religiously homogenous?