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Caitrin
Student
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Question
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How should I look for colleges ?
How do I explore colleges with my major? I’m not entirely sure what I wish to major in, however am thinking of political science. Where and how should I look for educational opportunities? I am currently a sophomore in high school.
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4 answers
Doc Frick
Career Coach and Mentor
1616
Answers
California, CA
Updated
Doc’s Answer
Caitrin the top 5 considerations when choosing a college.
• ACADEMICS - Academics should be one of the most important aspects to consider when choosing a university to attend. An academically rigorous school will challenge you to think outside the box and grow as an individual, most universities offer political science.
• COST - The cost of attendance is a pivotal aspect of the college selection process. Before you choose a school, you should weigh the return on investment. Investing in higher education is a big investment for both you and potentially your family.
• CLASS SIZE - Class size has a big impact on learning. There is a difference between having smaller discussion-based classes and big lectures with hundreds of students. Honestly consider which learning style works best for you as well as what type of relationship you want to have with your professors. Larger schools often have teaching assistants working with bigger classes.
• LOCATION - Whether it’s a small school in the middle of a large city or a university that makes up most of a small town, choosing your school should go beyond the campus. There are benefits to small and large campuses and communities, so you will want to do your research to find out what it’s like to live there.
• GRADUATING - At the end of the day, college is merely a stepping stone on the way to a brighter future. Consider each school’s graduation rate. If only a small portion of students are completing the full program, there’s bound to be good reason. Any reputable university’s website should provide their graduation rate, the percentage of students who are working in their field of study and those who had a job within six months of graduation. You can also find this information on Niche and The Princeton Review. College is expensive and you should come out of it feeling like it was worth your while. If you’ve chosen a more competitive career path, you may want to prioritize colleges with an abundance of career and internship resources for their students.
• ACADEMICS - Academics should be one of the most important aspects to consider when choosing a university to attend. An academically rigorous school will challenge you to think outside the box and grow as an individual, most universities offer political science.
• COST - The cost of attendance is a pivotal aspect of the college selection process. Before you choose a school, you should weigh the return on investment. Investing in higher education is a big investment for both you and potentially your family.
• CLASS SIZE - Class size has a big impact on learning. There is a difference between having smaller discussion-based classes and big lectures with hundreds of students. Honestly consider which learning style works best for you as well as what type of relationship you want to have with your professors. Larger schools often have teaching assistants working with bigger classes.
• LOCATION - Whether it’s a small school in the middle of a large city or a university that makes up most of a small town, choosing your school should go beyond the campus. There are benefits to small and large campuses and communities, so you will want to do your research to find out what it’s like to live there.
• GRADUATING - At the end of the day, college is merely a stepping stone on the way to a brighter future. Consider each school’s graduation rate. If only a small portion of students are completing the full program, there’s bound to be good reason. Any reputable university’s website should provide their graduation rate, the percentage of students who are working in their field of study and those who had a job within six months of graduation. You can also find this information on Niche and The Princeton Review. College is expensive and you should come out of it feeling like it was worth your while. If you’ve chosen a more competitive career path, you may want to prioritize colleges with an abundance of career and internship resources for their students.
Dino Ubalde
Educator/Psychologist/Life Coach
204
Answers
Tracy, California
Updated
Dino’s Answer
Hello Caitrin, it's great to have you on board with us. We're ready and excited to assist you on your career path. Your question is highly commendable, especially coming from a sophomore student like you. Let me provide you with some valuable insights drawn from the common experiences of our students.
First off, make a point to arrange a meeting with your school counselor. They are there to offer guidance as you journey through your college life. Counselors frequently run specific programs to aid in this process. An example of such a program is a college life talk, which includes participation from various colleges and universities. They showcase their programs and there's a Q&A session afterwards. Occasionally, they even provide in-depth explanations at their individual booths, coupled with their promotional materials. Students have found these activities to be extremely beneficial.
Seeing as you've shown an interest in Political Science, begin by researching schools in your local area, either virtually or physically. Collect data about college admission requirements, program offerings, GPA requirements, entrance exams, tuition fees, and scholarship opportunities. The more information you gather, the better prepared you'll be to make well-informed career choices. Wishing you all the best!
First off, make a point to arrange a meeting with your school counselor. They are there to offer guidance as you journey through your college life. Counselors frequently run specific programs to aid in this process. An example of such a program is a college life talk, which includes participation from various colleges and universities. They showcase their programs and there's a Q&A session afterwards. Occasionally, they even provide in-depth explanations at their individual booths, coupled with their promotional materials. Students have found these activities to be extremely beneficial.
Seeing as you've shown an interest in Political Science, begin by researching schools in your local area, either virtually or physically. Collect data about college admission requirements, program offerings, GPA requirements, entrance exams, tuition fees, and scholarship opportunities. The more information you gather, the better prepared you'll be to make well-informed career choices. Wishing you all the best!
Erica Payne
Strategy Consultant
4
Answers
Los Angeles, California
Updated
Erica’s Answer
Hi Caitrin - what an exciting time to be thinking about your future area of study. Before even looking for colleges with your major I would first do a little self-reflection and maybe some research to figure out what are the majors you are most excited about and why. People attend college for a whole host of reasons. Understanding what you particularly want to get out of college might help in confirming what major you want to pursue. For example, if your purpose of going to college is to help you get a job later in life then it would be good as you look at different majors to see what jobs do these majors often lead to and would I want to do that job. That is just one example of how to approach deciding a major. Your desire to attend college could be completely different - which is great. But understanding your motives I find can be helpful in figuring out what the next step is. Good luck!
Ann Gianoglio Burk, MBA
Student/Customer Care Manager | Operations Handywoman | People Developer | Lvl 62 Elf Lore Master LOTRO
151
Answers
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Updated
Ann’s Answer
My favorite website for searching schools is niche.com. They rate schools based on a number of factors, and you can even read reviews from students on there.
If you're interested in political science I would search best political science colleges and then start reviewing.
Once you've read through start with 5 schools you're interested in and then contact their admissions office to learn more about the school and schedule a visit. Visits are so important, because you can get a feel for the culture and environment while you're there. This will help you to determine if the school would be a good fit for you.
I hope this helps. Good luck!
If you're interested in political science I would search best political science colleges and then start reviewing.
Once you've read through start with 5 schools you're interested in and then contact their admissions office to learn more about the school and schedule a visit. Visits are so important, because you can get a feel for the culture and environment while you're there. This will help you to determine if the school would be a good fit for you.
I hope this helps. Good luck!