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How do you pick a college?

How do you pick a college? Is any college a good college? How old do you have to be to start college? What prerequisites are good to start in highschool?

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Daniel’s Answer

Hi Maria!

Don't trust those "best university" publications. These magazines do not tell the whole story and could be biased toward certain universities. My suggestion is to visit some universities on their campus days to get a feel. Also, I would take this time to meet with current students to ask what their experience has been like. In my opinion, this is the best way to really find out what university you should attend. I visited universities that I thought would be my top two and ended up hating them by the time I left (one told our group ghost stories on the tour) One of the universities in my bottom three ended up where I attended and I absolutely loved it there! The difference happened during campus days and talking to current students.

Picking the right university to attend is important but knowing your career path is much more vital to your long term success. I am not saying all universities are alike but obtaining your degree in a field that interest you is much more vital to your work happiness. I have friends who work in fields completely different than their degree because they ended up hating what they spent 4-8 years learning. I implore you not to make this mistake. Really think about what you want to spend your work life doing and then once you decide go after it! Spend your time thinking about your future career and try to not get hung up on the best/right university

I hope this helps and good luck on the journey!
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Jacob’s Answer

Start by selecting a major that interests you, and remember, it's perfectly fine to switch majors if you find it's not the right fit. Next, investigate various colleges that offer your chosen major. Don't overlook the option of starting at a community college to earn an associate's degree before moving on to a university. This is not only a perfectly acceptable route, but it's also a smart financial decision.
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Cindy’s Answer

I agree with both Jacob and Daniel but want to add a couple of thoughts. To add to what Daniel said, pick your career and then the major that will get you there. There are many websites to help you pick a college. One of them is collegeboard.org. They will ask you questions to narrow down your choices. Questions such as: how close to home to you want to go, and do you want a small, medium, or large campus? Then look at their websites to see if they have the major you want and other things of interest to you. Always look at the requirements to get in. If your high school average is in the 70's and they want a top 10 student, it probably is not your top choice. However if you are a freshman, then maybe this is just the motivation you need. You ask if any college is a good college and the answer is no. However, most employers won't necessarily care where you went to college. It's hard to answer the prerequisites question without knowing what classes are offered in your school district. Check with your guidance counselor.
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gregory’s Answer

i would start by thinking of what depgree program you want see what colleges filter that role. secondly i'd check the pricing make sure it's not too expensive. 3rd is location, make sure you know if you want be far from home or be close to.
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gregory’s Answer

Firstly, let's consider what kind of degree program you're interested in and then we can look at colleges that offer that. Secondly, we should take a look at the cost to ensure it's within your budget. Lastly, think about the location. It's important to decide whether you'd like to study close to home or venture further away.
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Molly’s Answer

Hello Maria!

Great question! The #1 thing I would recommend is to research beforehand colleges that interest you, as well as look into their degree programs. Choose what majors or areas of study interest you the most and then go from there depending on which universities and colleges have the best programs based off of that certain major. This helped me tremendously when deciding what I wanted to study, as well as where to study. Another detail to question is also the distance related to your friends and family. If you want to live somewhere particularly closer to your family, then that is an option that you need think about when planning for college.

Age does not matter when applying for colleges. The typical age is 17 to 18( primarily when individuals are leaving high school). If older though, then that is a-okay! For pre-requisites, choose what interests you and what you think you will enjoy the most long-run. Typically, there are general courses that every student will be required to take. However, once delving more into your chosen major will be when you are able to take your necessary courses that pertain to your certain major.

I hope this helped and good luck in your endeavors.

Thank you
Molly H.
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