Listen Up

The College Process

With so many choices, the process of deciding which colleges to even consider is overwhelming.  However, I have managed to ease this process by completing certain tasks.

First of all, Fisk Guide is my greatest resource.  I began by looking at schools with comparable PSAT/SAT/ACT scores.  Once I read the profiles of schools of which I fell in range, I focused on schools that had strength in my potential major (Fisk Guide states the notable majors in each school). 

            Subsequently, I’ll look on the websites of the schools that interest me.  Most of the websites are quite similar so I focus on the webpage for my major and I compare curriculums. 

If a school interests me, I will visit.  When I visit, I find it useless to compare such superficial elements such as athletic facilities and dorm amenities since they are very similar between almost all schools.  However, there was an instance where a dorm room was so inhospitable that I immediately decided against even applying.

During the information session, I focus on student-teacher ratio and the amount of Teaching Assistants present. Additionally, I don’t focus on faculty that won prestigious awards (for example, Noble Prizes).  Often, those professors don’t teach undergraduates and if they do, they usually do so in very large classes.

I use the tour to talk with current students about admissions, the environment and academics at a particular school.  Usually, I gauge a school (in one respect) by the random students I speak to on campus.  No matter how great the school appears to be on paper, if the students do not seem to be intelligent and friendly, I disregard it as possibility. 

This process is quite time consuming and costly if one considers travel.  Hopefully, this whole process will pay off next year when decisions arrive.     

More Pamphlets

Another pile of college pamphlets arrived, each illuminating how "different" and "amazing" their college is.  After I scan the pile for a second, I immediately throw them out.  Glossy catalogues made by marketing teams hired to decrease the acceptance rate of their respective institutions no longer impresses me. 

    At first, receiving these brochures was exciting.  Who wouldn't get excited with a letterhead from Harvard or Yale saying that your PSAT scores were "outstanding"? However, fairly quickly I realized that there were about 50,000 of us "outstanding" test takers and a combined total of 2,000 spaces (for Harvard and Yale). 

   Occasionally, I will find some useful information in these pamphlets.  For instance, Carnegie Mellon's brochure included admissions statistics about each of its undergraduate schools.  Additionally, I had never heard of Washington University of Saint Louis until I received a booklet from the school.  I further researched and am now considering applying. 

   Ultimately though, all the booklets say the same things: academics, research, study abroad and fun.  School visits are essential to really see if the school is right.