Common College Admissions Questions: Key Tips

Answers to Common College Admissions Questions

Key College Admission Tips

Any other words of wisdom you can offer prospective students as they begin the college evaluation and application process would be greatly appreciated. Final thoughts?

Our panel of admissions officials offer some great suggestions for high school students -- from enjoying high school to best finding the college that's the perfect fit.

Here are the answers to this question from each member of our panel:

Eric Kaplan, Lehigh University

Trust yourself. Consider colleges and universities because you find them interesting or appealing. Do not be overly swayed by what your friends are doing.

Take a few risks. Look at a few places that you've never heard of or that you do not think you'd necessarily be interested in. This is a great way to learn about yourself.

Realize that the college admissions process is a human one. While numbers play a role, we are more interested in you as a person. Therefore it is important for you to make your best personal effort in completing applications.

Try not to set your heart on one institution. There are hundreds of fine institutions and dozens are probably a good fit for you.

Terry E. Whittum, Stetson University

Relax... too many people try to make the college selection process appear to be a life or death decision. It isn't. Your final two years of high school should be among the best years of your life. Do the best you can academically and do the work necessary to find the right school for you. But if you make a mistake, don't worry, thousands of students transfer from one university to another every year.

Joyce Lantz, Valparaiso University

There are thousands of colleges and universities from which to choose. Find the one that is the best fit for you! When starting your search, take some time to do some soul-searching. Make a list of what is important to you in a college and, then, seek out your match. Good luck!

Eric W. Fulcomer, Ph.D., Bluffton University

Visit your top three campuses, ask lots of questions, spend the night on campus, do your research, and choose carefully.

Dr. Brian Sajko, Eureka College

Look and think outside the box. Don't just think you must go to the local school or college and, in turn, don't just rule out the local school because it is so close to home. Look and listen to the people -- not the facilities, etc. -- and, most of all, trust your gut instinct. If it feels right and you get that tingle up and down your spine -- that's the place for you!

Back to our main page: Answers to Common College Admissions Questions.

Get More College Planning Resources

Quintessential Careers is your source for college, careers, and job-search information, resources, tools, and links. Go to our Go to College -- College Planning Resources section.

Maximize your career and job-search knowledge and skills! Take advantage of The Quintessential Careers Content Index, which enables site visitors to locate articles, tutorials, quizzes, and worksheets in 35 career, college, job-search topic areas.

Find a New Job

What:
Where:
jobs by

Job-Hunting Tools: