What are some important things to consider when looking at colleges?

Hi Adriana, what an exciting time for you!

College has all the potential to be an amazing and life changing experience, and a great way to achieve that experience is doing exactly what you are doing now: A little research and planning.

This answer is going to focus on your college studies and career readiness through college. However important factors to personally consider are costs (tuition, in-state vs out of state), scholarship opportunities, Admission requirements (SAT/ACT scores, GPA), etc.

My personal opinion is that a student is most rewarded with his or her college experience when they are heavily involved with their university. One regret I have from my time at UC Santa Barbara was I didn't seek out anything extra outside of my classes. Looking back, I wish I would have explored more research opportunities, internship possibilities, and additional ways to further my writing.

So with that, I would begin by thinking about what subject areas you are most interested in exploring and developing your skills in. You do not need to have your specific major chosen right now, but think about what sort of areas of study peak your interest. From there, research what sort of opportunities different universities offer to get involved with those areas of interest. As I mentioned earlier, things like undergraduate research opportunities, chances to work closely with professors and other faculty (Maybe in the lab or out in the field), and extra curricular activities such as student publications and heavily involved clubs and service programs.

It's always good to have an idea of how you want to be involved with your university because being involved is a great name to get your name out there! Getting involved is an awesome way to best prepare for landing a career once you earn your college degree. Once you begin college, you will inevitably find brand new things that peak your interest that you may want to get involved with, which is great!

In summary, start researching colleges and universities that have things that interest you! Because once you're in college, it's up to you to find those opportunities and make the most of them.

All my best,

Bryant

<span style="background-color: transparent;">Collegeboard.org is a great resource for this! I poured through the pages of universities all over the U.S. when I was a senior in high school. Collegeboard was my go-to site! They put all of the information in one place and it is very easy to use. They even have various filters you can apply to see only colleges that have programs you are interested. To determine academic rigor, look at the admissions requirements, G.P.A. of past admitted applicants, SAT/ACT scores, class rank etc. This will give you an idea of what scores and grades you need to be accepted. However, don't be discouraged your application will be reviewed based on the full picture! College-board will help you get an idea of what is most important to the specific school you are applying to.</span>

This professional recommends the following next steps:

• <span style="background-color: transparent;">Chat with your Guidance Counselor</span>
• <span style="background-color: transparent;">Create a Collegeboard.org account</span>
• <span style="background-color: transparent;">Start using CollegeBoard as a resource to look up schools.</span>