Questions you may want to ask about the college:
- Does the school offer the courses/major I want?
- Do I want to be on a big campus with a lot going on, or do I want to be on a small campus with more personal attention?
- Do I want to stay close to home or explore new places?
- Is my budget limited or can I attend any college?
- Do I have the grades, SAT, or ACT score necessary to get into the college of my choice?
- Do I prefer a campus located in the city or rural area?
- Does the school offer athletic or extracurricular activities that interest me?
- Do I feel like the campus life is a good fit?
- Are there flexible scheduling options?
- Can I see myself spending 4 years of my life here?
- Are study abroad programs available?
- What percentage of students graduate and get jobs?
Here is a useful checklist!
Start here: Admissions Information
- What are the admissions requirements?
- What is the typical student profile? (Average GPA/test scores_ of an accepted freshman from last year?
- Do they use weighted or unweighted GPA for admissions?
- Do they consider extra curricular activities, work experience, community involvement in your decision-making process?
- Do they require letters of recommendation from teachers and/or counselors?
- Do they consider the rigor of my schedule?
Application Information:
- What is the application fee?
- What is the deadline for applications?
- When will the college let me know their decision?
- Do you offer Early Decision or Early Action?
Expenses:
- What is the cost of attendance?
- How much should I budget for tuition, books, room/board?
- Am I required to buy a meal plan?
General Information:
- Is the college state or privately owned?
- What is the average class size in the freshman class?
- Are freshman required to live on campus?
- Can I bring my car? Is it easy to park on campus?
Financial Aid:
- Do you offer tuition scholarships? What are the requirements?
- Do you offer scholarships that are not academic based?
- Are there loans available from your college?
- Do you have a work-study program? How does it work?
The following videos and links, courtesy of Mr. David Wu, school counselor in Henry County, could help your research.
Youtube channel with 360 video walk/drive/flyover of 100 college campuses, all on Youtube.
Alphabetical list w/direct Youtube links: artofcollege.org.