“Party Schools” – Fact or Fiction?

Written by Guest Author Vivian Kerr

Any parent about to send their child off to college worries whether they’ll truly be getting a return on investment. No one wants to fork over $100,000+ on 4 years of undergraduate just so their student can party like a rock star the whole time. But are these so-called “party schools” really deserving of their reputation?

In 2012, the Top 10 party schools are as follows according to Princeton Review:

1. West Virginia University

2. University of Iowa

3. Ohio University

4. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

5. University of Georgia

6. University of Florida

7. University of California

8. Florida State University

9. Miami University of Ohio

10. Syracuse University

So where on this list is the notorious Penn State? Proof that schools, unlike leopards, might actually be able to change their spots, Penn State has dropped out of the Top 10 . You may recall Penn State’s wild ways documented on a 2009 episode of This American Life called “#1 Party School.” This year it was re-ranked as #11.

This year Penn State was also ranked as one of the top fifty universities in the world, according to the Academic Ranking of World Universities in Shanghai. Its reputation for academics is stellar. Students may like to party there, but it would seem they also like to study. Check out the entire podcast from 2009 from This American Life and judge for yourself!

But what about the new Top Ten? It’s true that these schools have active social organizations, including fraternities and sororities, but keep in mind many of these so-called party school “rankings” are online, vote-based. If enough students decide their school is a big “party school,” it may unjustly get ranked as such. Each of these schools has significant “pros” besides the party school label “con.” Find out more on Princeton Review.

This is all the more reason to take tours of prospective schools with your son or daughter. You’ll want to talk to academic chairs and look at the campus itself, of course, but also consider a drive or walk around on a Friday or Saturday night during the school year. Are there a lot of students out? Drinking in public? But more importantly, does it feel safe? These party schools almost uniformly have local police and campus patrols to keep their undergrads in line. Ultimately, it will be up to your student to strike the balance between work and play.

About the Author:

Vivian Kerr: Vivian Kerr has been teaching and tutoring in the Los Angeles area since 2005. She graduated from the University of Southern California, studied abroad in London, and has worked for several test-prep companies including Grockit & Kaplan for whom she taught ACT, SAT, GRE, GMAT, and did admissions counseling. 

The Campus Perspective

We suggest that you weigh this perspective as about 15% of your decision.

Campus Size:  Campus sizes can range drastically from school to school, from under 1000 students (the size of your high school or smaller), to over 35,000 students (the size of a small city!).  Do you want a small school? A medium school? A large school?

• Small schools typically have under around 2,500 undergraduates attending.  Smaller colleges tend to have smaller class sizes.  You may have fewer lecture courses and more courses that emphasize class participation and hands-on learning and far more interaction with the faculty.  Professors will usually teach the classes as opposed to teaching assistants.  Smaller colleges may also offer fewer academic programs and may also have fewer activities and extracurricular programs to choose from.  Smaller colleges may have a strong academic advising system and a strong sense of community and connection on campus. 

• Medium sized schools range in size from about 2,500 to 10,000 students and will usually offer a happy medium between small and large schools, depending on which end of the spectrum you’re at. 

• Large schools typically have over 10,000 students.  Larger schools will tend to have larger classes and a wider variety of academic programs and extracurricular programs to choose from.  They may also have well-funded athletic programs, big sporting events, and state-of-the-art research facilities.  Classes may be taught by professors, but some will be taught by teaching assistants.  It’s hard to know what size school you may thrive on, so you need to visit at least one school in each category to see what attracts you and where you can picture yourself. 

Geographical Location:  There are over 4,000 colleges in the United States.  You need to think about where in the United States you want to be for the next four years of your life, and maybe even more considering many college graduates settle in the area they went to college in.  Seriously weigh the pros and cons of attending college close by home, far away, or somewhere in between.  Can you get there by car or is it a train ride or a plane ride away?  Consider whether proximity to home is worth the risk of attending a school that may not be the best fit for you.  Think about optimum distance: somewhere that’s close enough so it’s easy to get home for holidays or for a weekend here and there.  Keep in mind, it can get expensive to purchase an airline ticket every time you want or need to go home.

Once you decide on the general location you want to be in, you’ll need to then think about whether you want to be in an urban, suburban, or rural area?

• Rural campuses are located in the country, near farms or wilderness areas and are usually in a small town.  Rural campuses can provide access to outdoor learning opportunities, such as agriculture or environmental science.  Most students live on campus on a rural campus, which tends to increase a college’s sense of community.

• Suburban campuses are in small cities, large towns, or residential areas near cities.  They can combine some of the best features of both urban and rural areas, offering access to nearby cities and outdoor activities.

• Urban campuses are located in cities.  Some are spread throughout a city, others are self-contained within the city.  They usually attract culturally diverse students and there are plenty of options for entertainment on and off campus.

Campus Religious Affiliation:  There are many colleges out there that have specific religious affiliations.  If religion is very important to you, consider the colleges that are specific to the religious community you are from.  If you are looking at schools that have a religious affiliation but you are not a religious person or are not even a member of that religion, make sure you do your research before attending.  Visit the school and make sure that you feel comfortable there.  Is the community welcoming?  Will they judge you for not being part of their religion?  You need to make sure that you will be in an environment you will be very comfortable in.  Religious schools may also have academic requirements not affiliated with non-religious schools, so make sure to do your research.

Chemistry with Campus:  Does the college feel like home?  As cheesy at it may sound, do not discount the feeling you get when you step foot on the college campus.  Usually you will feel some kind of chemistry when you are on your visits.  We’ve had students go to visit their number 1 school and decide to knock it off of their list because of the way it made them feel, even though they weren’t sure exactly how to articulate that.  We’ve also had students be dragged by their parents to visit a random school they’ve never heard of it and then the school becomes their number one because they just fell in love with how they felt when they were on campus.  Follow your gut feeling and the instinct you get when you visit these colleges.

Any additional tips to share?  Leave your comments!

About Smart Track™ Toolkit: The toolkit is a web based service that assists families with everything from admissions and test prep, to student athletics and financial aid. Our intuitive software and on-demand workshops are key components to making sure students find their top choice colleges, and families can afford to send them there.

About the author: Laura Guarino is the Student Services Coordinator with the College Resource Center, LLC. Laura has a degree in Human Development from Boston College and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in School Guidance Counseling.  She is also enrolled in a certificate program in College Admissions Counseling.  Laura is at the forefront of the college admissions process for the families of The Smart Track™ Toolkit.

Connect with us

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http://twitter.com/uchoosecollege

The Social Perspective

We suggest you weigh this perspective as about 15% of your decision.  While academics clearly reigns first in the overall equation, in college you are only in class for about half the time you were in high school.  While you will have a lot more homework and studying to do, you will also have a lot of free time.  You need to start thinking about what’s really important to you.

Clubs:  Are you involved in any clubs in high school that you want to continue in college?  Or have you always wanted to be a part of a club but never had the time?  Examples include dance, debate, drama, movies/film society, political organizations, student government, music, theater, etc.  Colleges want to see that you will be a valued member of their college community and that you will be involved on campus.  Even if you have no interest in any clubs or organizations right now, we highly encourage that you try to find something you could be involved in once you get there.  Remember, if you don’t see a club offered that you would really love to be a part of, don’t be afraid to try to start your own club or team.  Colleges and future employers love initiative!  If for nothing else, remember there’s often free food at club and organization meetings!

Sports & Athletics:  Are you into sports?  If so, think about if you want to play at the college level.  Many colleges have many different sports to choose from at many different levels.  Usually, college sports will be at the Division I, II, or III level.  If you don’t want to play at the Div I, II, or III level, consider joining the sport at the club or intramural level.  Generally, club sports regularly participate in scheduled practices and employ part-time coaches.  Intramurals are teams of students competing against other students within that college, while club teams compete against other schools across the state and even the nation. Usually, intramurals do not offer coaching or regular organized practices.  Alternatively, are you just into working out and being active? If so, make sure that the athletic and recreational facilities on campus are up to your standards.

Greek Life:  Are you interested in joining a fraternity or sorority?  Sometimes Greek life can get a bad reputation for being nothing but a non-stop party.  However, at many schools, Greek life can offer an opportunity for students to develop socially and intellectually.  You will be able to meet students of various backgrounds and enjoy a close bond of friendship and brotherhood/sisterhood with other students who can become a support network for you.  At some schools, one of the primary purposes of the fraternity/sorority community is to develop high scholastic achievement within.  There may be peer tutoring, upperclassman counseling, and study hours.  In a fraternity or sorority there may be opportunities for leadership and socialization, as well as community service and athletics.  Do some research to see if you may like to pursue these activities.  Many schools will have information or interest sessions where you can learn more and ask questions.  Furthermore, some schools will not allow students to pledge until their second semester freshman year or their first semester sophomore year.

Religious Community:  If being part of a religious community is important to you and your beliefs, make sure that your future colleges offer such.  Consider applying to a religious specific college, or at the very least make sure that there are religious organizations and support systems in place at your schools if that is important to you.  At most schools with religious communities, students can participate in worship services, various faith-centered clubs and organizations including community service and social justice activities. 

Community Service:  Colleges (and future employers) want to see that you are involved on campus and love to see that you’ve been involved in community service endeavors.  See what colleges offer in terms of community service clubs and opportunities.  Many colleges will have rich community service groups that will connect students to service opportunities domestically and internationally. 

Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC): ROTC is a college program that prepares young adults to become officers in the U.S. Military.  In exchange for a paid college education and a guaranteed post-college career, cadets commit to serve in the Military after graduation.  Each Service branch (Army, Navy & Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard) has its own take on ROTC.  If you are seriously considering ROTC, make sure your colleges offer ROTC in your specific Service branch and make sure you are well informed.

Overall, you want to go to a school that meets your social needs in addition to your academic ones.  As I mentioned before, although you are going to school primarily for academics, you will obviously have a life outside of class.  Be sure you know what you want and that your colleges offer what you want.

In addition, it’s important to understand that being at the right school that meets most if not all of your needs makes the college experience much more enjoyable.  Don’t just apply to where your friends are applying, where your parents went, where your boyfriend or girlfriend attends, or where you think you can afford – instead of applying to the “right fit” college for you.  You will be limiting yourself unnecessarily and choosing the wrong school will result in lost time and money in the end.  Don’t settle!

Remember, this is your future and this process cannot be completed overnight.  Get thinking! What’s important to you?

Any additional tips to share?  Leave your comments!

About Smart Track™ Toolkit: The toolkit is a web based service that assists families with everything from admissions and test prep, to student athletics and financial aid. Our intuitive software and on-demand workshops are key components to making sure students find their top choice colleges, and families can afford to send them there.

About the author: Laura Guarino is the Student Services Coordinator with the College Resource Center, LLC. Laura has a degree in Human Development from Boston College and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in School Guidance Counseling.  She is also enrolled in a certificate program in College Admissions Counseling.  Laura is at the forefront of the college admissions process for the families of The Smart Track™ Toolkit.

Connect with us

http://www.facebook.com/smarttracktoolkit

http://twitter.com/uchoosecollege

Why It's Important to Explore Career Options Early

You may be wondering: Why focus on planning my career while I'm still in high school? Can't I make the decision later? The colleges I'm considering won't make me decide upon a major until my sophomore year in college.

Exploring Career Options Early Helps You:

•  Choose the best college for the career(s) that interest you.
• Avoid having to extend your time in school. When students switch to a new major later in their college career, it may require taking additional courses and extending the time, and often the money, you must spend on college.
• Make sure you enjoy the career you choose. Imagine spending four years studying for a particular career only to find once you start working that you hate it!
• Make contacts that could help you later on with internships, jobs and recommendations.
• Open possibilities for career-based scholarships, such as those promoting science and technology.
• Improve your impression on college admissions and scholarship committees.
• Be happier. Being well-matched in the right school and major makes the whole college experience more enjoyable.

You can always make a final career decision later. It's important to at least begin to explore your interests, abilities, and values and to weed to out the careers that you are not interested in or that may not be suitable for you. Many colleges specialize in specific areas of study. For example, one school may have a world-renowned engineering program, but have very little to offer in the areas of languages or performing arts. Therefore, it is important to have an idea of your interests before starting your college search.

If you make the decision to major in a particular field after you are already in school, you may be forced to change schools in order to accommodate the educational requirements of your newly chosen major and/or career path. Chances are high that not all of your class credits will transfer, and you will end up having to take additional courses. Not to mention the hassle of physically moving to a new location and getting used to a new school. This would cost you and your family a lot of valuable time and money. Depending on the situation, it could add as much as year or two to the time it takes to graduate!

Ways to Explore Your Options Now

Get a job or internship in a field you may be interested in. This gives you an opportunity to try on a career and investigate an industry. It also gives you marketable skills and experience, making you more attractive to both employers and colleges. You may have to work for free at first, but it might be worth it.

Interview people with interesting jobs. You'll learn a lot about various career options, and you'll make contacts that may help you with a job or internship later. Not only that, but the more you know about a particular field of study, the more educated a decision you can make later on.

Develop your hobbies and talents. Try new things. Explore what you love to do, and get out and do it! Not only will life be more enjoyable, but you just may find a career that you love. Also, you'll be improving your attractiveness to colleges and scholarship organizations.

Utilize career assessments to help you identify your strengths and opportunities.  Research-based assessments of work-relevant interests, abilities, and values help people explore career options that are a good match for them.  It provides guidance and information to help people make important career and educational decisions. Ask your guidance counselor if your school offers any of these types of assessments to their students.

Research the trends of various fields - economic, demographic, geographic, etc.   You'll want to know which fields out there are growing with many new opportunities, great income potential, in your favorite locations, working with people you enjoy as opposed to a declining field where your choices and opportunities will be limited and there would be a large chance of facing unemployment and returning to school to be trained in a new career.  You won't know this unless you do the research!

Attend career fairs. It's a good way to build new contacts and explore career options. Check with your guidance counselor and in the job section of your newspaper for a schedule of upcoming events.

Any additional tips to share?  Leave your comments!

About Smart Track™ Toolkit: The toolkit is a web based service that assists families with everything from admissions and test prep, to student athletics and financial aid. Our intuitive software and on-demand workshops are key components to making sure students find their top choice colleges, and families can afford to send them there.

About the author: Laura Guarino is the Student Services Coordinator with The Smart Track™ Toolkit. Laura has a degree in Human Development from Boston College and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in School Guidance Counseling.  She is also enrolled in a certificate program in College Admissions Counseling.  Laura is at the forefront of the college admissions process for the families of The Smart Track™ Toolkit.

Connect with us

http://www.facebook.com/smarttracktoolkit

http://twitter.com/uchoosecollege

What Should I Do if I Hate the Colleges My Child is Applying to?

By Sam Coren of Student Advisor

Hate is a strong word. But when it comes to looking out for your kid, it's easy for parents to have knee-jerk reactions when it comes to the college search. Like many teenagers I too had to deal with defending the colleges I wanted to apply to until I was blue in the face. My dad? Every school I thought would be a good fit for me he deemed too expensive, too dangerous (I wanted to be in a city), or too far away and no amount of arguing could convince him otherwise.

While I know he had my best interest in mind, it made my college application process much more stressful than it should have been. Fortunately things worked out in the end - I went to my dream school, graduated with honors, and have a pretty fantastic career. My dad came to the realization that I probably would not have gotten to where I am today if I didn't go to a college I was 100% behind. However getting to that point was not easy, and I couldn’t help but think that much of the tension could have been eliminated if we were better at communicating with each other.

So let's say you're in my dad's shoes 6 years ago and you absolutely can't fathom your child going to any of the schools they have in mind. What should you do to avoid a whole mess of unnecessary drama? Here are some suggestions:

Before you express your disagreement, ask your child "Why?"

Understanding your child's reasons for choosing schools to apply to is absolutely essential to being a supportive parent in the applications process. For me, I only focused my search on schools with strong internship programs and those who offered the niche major I wanted. Size was also another important factor - I didn't want to be lost in a sea of 100+ undergrads in every class. When I explained this to my parents they had a much easier time digesting which schools were going to be better for me than others even if they weren’t completely in love with them.

Don't be a victim to college rankings and brand appeal.

Everyone knows about the various "best college" rankings that come out every year. It's easy for parents (and students) to get caught up in the craze of getting into the highest ranking, most-selective schools. But guess what? The "best college" according to whatever magazine might not be the best college for your child. There are over 2,000 four-year colleges in the US alone and there are plenty of amazing lesser-known schools out there that don't make the Top 100 for any given year. Use college match tools to uncover the hidden gems that might be a good fit and read up on college reviews to see if current students and alumni believe if the school is worth the money.

Understand that picking a college is the first "grown up" decision many teenagers will have to make.

For 18 years you've helped your child make decisions on everything from which clothes they should wear, which classes to take, what friends they can hang out with, etc. Now it's their turn to control their path to success and plan for their future. Badgering your child into picking the college that you would want to go to is a surefire way of alienating them and hurting your relationship. This isn't to say that you should remove yourself from the process completely - it's important for you to guide your child to the places where they can find answers if they're having trouble.

Be careful how you dish out your advice.  It's better to ask questions that make them think about consequences than to accuse them of being flat out wrong. For instance, if a school on their list looks out of your family's price range ask them if they've looked into the financial aid program, scholarships or loans. Once they understand the risks and responsibilities of choosing a pricier school they can make a better-informed decision on the matter.

Sam Coren is the Content Manager for StudentAdvisor.com, a Washington Post education site for college reviews and free resources on “all things college.” You can read more of her insights about the college search process on the StudentAdvisor blog.

Researching & Choosing a College

What is the ideal college for ME? Which colleges and/or universities offer the courses of study, campus size, geographical location, extra-curricular activities, quality of faculty and political atmosphere that you want or need in a school? Ideally, your final college choice should meet, or even exceed, your desired criteria.

Be careful not to select a college for the wrong reasons-- where your friends are going, where your boyfriend or girlfriend is going, where Mom or Dad went, which has the better sports teams, or where you think you and your family can afford. Choosing the wrong school can result in lost time and money in the long run.

It is likely you are going to spend at least four years at a college. Therefore, it is important to find a school that is an excellent match for your interests and needs. Don’t settle for less. But don’t start the college search process with any prejudices about any type of school. Keep your college options open.

 Seven Steps to Finding the Perfect School

1.      Compile an initial list of colleges that interest you based on specific criteria (majors offered, size, location, extra-curricular activities, etc.). Your original list of schools should include twelve to thirty potential schools that meet most (or all) of your general selection criteria.  Ask your guidance counselor if your school uses a college search software program to help with this process.  Otherwise, College Board has a good college search function that's free.

2.      Find schools where you fall in the top 20% of the admitting class. These students routinely receive more free college scholarships and grants and need less student loans and work study money. If financial aid is important to you and your family, doing this will increase your chances of receiving free college scholarships and grants.  

3.      Narrow your list of possible colleges to about fifteen by doing further research into the original list of institutions you selected. At this point you will be able to eliminate institutions from your original list based on more specific criteria.

4.      Finally, cut your list to a minimum of six. You will now be able to do more extensive research and go visit their campuses. Compile a list of your top schools in order of preference. Your final six or more colleges (we recommend having 8-12) are the ones to which you will actually apply for admission. We recommend to have at least (2 - 4) "Safety schools," colleges you're very likely to gain admissions to, (3 - 5) "Target schools," colleges that you're pretty sure you will get in to based on standardized test requirements and GPA, and (2 - 4) "Reach schools," those colleges that may lie just outside of your academic achievement statistics, but not out of the realm of reality. 

5. Apply to your finalists.
1. Research the requirements.
2. Mark deadlines on your calendar.
3. Ask for recommendations.
4. Work on your admissions essays.
5. Fill out your applications.
6. Apply for financial aid.
7. Send all documentation in accurately and on time.

6.      Analyze award packages. There is an art to comparing award packages. You must first determine if each offer is really the best you can get from that college. If not, there are often ways to successfully request more money and improve your package. 

7.      Decide and go for it! Now that you have a firm handle on the financial packages, put it into perspective with all the information that you collected from the schools, and decide which school would be the best overall choice for you. Sign on the dotted line. Obtain financing, including filling out applications for any loans you may need.

Any additional tips to share?  Leave your comments!

About Smart Track™ Toolkit: The toolkit is a web based service that assists families with everything from admissions and test prep, to student athletics and financial aid. Our intuitive software and on-demand workshops are key components to making sure students find their top choice colleges, and families can afford to send them there.

About the author: Laura Guarino is the Student Services Coordinator with College Planning Strategies, LLC. Laura has a degree in Human Development from Boston College and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in School Guidance Counseling.  She is also enrolled in a certificate program in College Admissions Counseling.  Laura is at the forefront of the college admissions process for the families of CPS and The Smart Track™ Toolkit.

Connect with us

http://www.facebook.com/smarttracktoolkit

http://twitter.com/uchoosecollege