Finding the Right College for You: College Search Tip #2 (566)
Before you can get into a top college or any college, for that matter, you have to decide where you want to apply. Deciding where to go to college is not easy. Finding the right college for you can be the biggest decision that you and your parents make together.
There are some important factors for you and your parents to consider when doing a college search. Where you apply influences where you get in, and where you go to college can have a big impact on your career and future in general. I have come up with a list of THE most important things to consider when doing your college search. Here is one factor to consider. There are more secrets in my book, The Keys to the CASTLE.
2) Extra Curricular Activities Offered
Some people may think this is a shallow thing to consider, but I would strongly disagree. Although, I personally would place academics first, I think extra-curricular activities are a close second because they are what bring balance to your life. For many, college without certain extra-curricular activities like sports or arts, would be unbearable, if not financially impossible (that is, if you get a scholarship. However, keep in mind, that a scholarship can disappear in a flash after an injury or other reason that makes performing impossible).
College can not only be a time for you to continue an activity that you started in high school, or earlier, but it can also be a time to try something new. You never know what you might try and really enjoy. If you have something that you want to do competitively, maybe even more so than your studies, then it is worth researching which colleges and universities are in the top 10. If, on the other hand, you want to continue competitively, but you know that you could never play at a top 10, then consider researching if someone with your background and skill set, could still participate. In general, I would suggest considering a college that has a wide variety of things to do and the money to provide state of the art equipment.
SOME QUESTIONS TO ASK:
A. How competitive is this activity? Can anyone participate? How did they rank against others in the same conference, competitions, etc?
B. What do students do for fun? Do students have time to have fun?
As you may know, conducting a college search is only the first step in the college admissions process. If you want to increase the odds of getting into a top college or your child getting into an Ivy League college, then The Keys to the CASTLE (College Admissions Secrets & Tips to Look Exceptional to admission officers) book will help you. Reading The Keys to the CASTLE book will increase the odds of you getting accepted to your dream college.
Until then, do your homework. Do not be afraid to ask everyone and anyone you know (alumni, Admissions Office Reps, students in college now who attended your high school, siblings of students who are in college now whom you know from your high school or extra-curricular activities, etc.) who might know what you don’t. Also, ask the colleges for brochures, read available books, and check out different websites. And, when it comes right down to it, trust your gut.
