Lock In Your Safety Reach And Match Schools
Its important to look at your academic record and abilities and focus on colleges that match them. Before you invest time and money in applying to any colleges, compare the average admitted students credentials to your own. That will help you figure out if youll almost certainly be admitted , if youll probably be admitted , or if you may not be admitted . You should also consider the cost of tuition, percentage of the student body receiving financial aid, and average amount of aid this information will help you and your family rank the school for its financial feasibility too.
However…heres the most important thing about choosing your safety, reach, and match colleges: make sure they’re all schools youd be happy to attend. Truly, legitimately, genuinely happy. Dont treat your safety schools as throwaways, and dont make your reaches the three most selective schools youve ever heard of. Keeping an open mind is often the secret to success in collegeand that “safety” school might be your dream school after all.
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How Is The Department Of Education Involved
The U.S. Department of Education became involved in education accreditation when returning soldiers from the Korean War wanted to go to college on the GI Bill. With so many individuals wanting a college degree, unscrupulous degree mills sprang up to take advantage of unsuspecting prospective students. To ensure taxpayer dollars weren’t spent on worthless degrees, Congress created a law that required any post-secondary institution accepting students that received federal financial aid to meet and maintain certain minimum academic quality standards.
While the DOE doesn’t accredit schools and has no direct control over accreditation, it recognizes organizations that accredit schools. If an accrediting agency isn’t recognized by the DOE , its accreditation granting powers aren’t given much weight or respect in the academic or professional communities.
My Answer To: Does The College You Attend And Graduate From Determine Your Success For The Future
Manager, Strategic Initiatives at Deloitte
Hannah, a high school student in North Carolina, asked:
“Does the college you attend and graduate from determine your success for the future? For my school’s summer reading book this year, we read “Where You Go is Not Who You’ll Be” by Frank Bruni. In small groups, we had a lot of discussion about how even though some people make it big in life coming from not as well known or prestigious schools, the majority come from well-known places. The argument wasn’t as valid because even though Bruni did not go to an Ivy, he got into Yale and received the Morehead Scholarship for UNC-Chapel Hill. Chapel Hill alone is considered high up there to many people living in North Carolina, like me. And getting the Morehead scholarship is an even bigger honor. Did you go to an unknown college or somewhere small and still make it big? Do you have any regrets about where you did/didn’t end up? How do you define making it big yourself?”
I attended the University of Oregon, got in with a 3.2 GPA, did quite well and graduated in four years. I was one of those high school students who focused more on sports and a social life than I did on excelling with my school work so that I could go to a prestigious school. It didn’t mean I wasn’t as smart as my classmates who did excel in school and go to great universities, and it doesn’t mean that those peers are more successful than I am today. Quite the opposite!
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Sign #: You Love Learning But Youre Still Unsure Of Your Career Path
If you always have your head buried in a book, crave learning new information, and question everything, it might be a sign college is for you! College is a built-in community of learners who enjoy pursuing knowledge. Simply discussing life with fellow students and professors can be an enriching experience. Sometimes the connections you make with fellow like-minded people help you uncover your career passions and can lead you to the career of your dreams.
Colleges and universities, especially ones in the US, offer general courses and electives you can apply to any major. Theyâre designed to help you decide your career path without costing you additional time in college. These general education courses help refine your interests and define your career goals. In fact, many students choose to wait until their 3rd year before they even declare a major.
If youâre still unsure of a career path, you may want to consider academia. Then you can stay in college forever!
Judging Schools: Look Beneath The Surface
Society often prizes delivering life in bite-size morsels. Social media updates are all fractions of thoughts that give us a sense of a greater thought. High school students often try to categorize prospective colleges into these same info-bits: nerdy, preppy, middle of nowhere, small, etc. While it has been said that stereotypes are often rooted in the truth, they can be short-sighted. It can leave us seeing only half of a story.
Lets take the University of Maryland, a large state school with over 25,000 undergraduates on their flagship campus. Sound like a daunting number, so you cross it off your list? Well, U of Md certainly isnt right for everyone. But, before you toss it by the wayside, consider this: beyond the introductory level, class size is very manageable. The schools various honors programs subdivide the larger student population into smaller, cohesive communities. Dorms and clubs further dissect the originally amorphous sounding number into manageable groups. Many big schools will tout the fact that they have the resources of a big school with the feel of a small school. U of Maryland has gone to great lengths to ensure that you feel like much more than just a number.
Similarly, schools that have a student body barely larger than your high school will have some of the same advantages and opportunities as a larger university. Dont judge the proverbial book by its cover instead, read the pages within.
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University Of The East
If you are from UE7, you may compute your GWA using the method presented in the How To Compute Your GWA if You Are a College Student section of this article. However, according to their website, UE also uses Grade Point Average for their retention policy. On the other hand, they use GWA for qualification for Latin honors.
Talk To Advisers And Professionals
The best source of college advice is your school counselor. Theyve helped lots of students who are making the same decisions you are. Your school counselor can tell you more about college majors and program offerings. Here are five questions you might want to ask a counselor.
Check out BigFuture for a list of 20 questions to ask your counselor to get the conversation started.
You can also reach out to professionals working in the field youre interested in. They can talk to you about how they got from college to where they are now. Whether theyre your parents, guardians, family members, or people you interact with professionally, set up a time to interview them. Be prepared with a set of questions to ask.
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What Makes A College Right For You Anyway
First things first: there is almost certainly more than one right college for you. Some might be reach schools, some might be safeties. In any case, when youre searching for colleges, try to remember what college should be. It’s a place where:
- You’re comfortable being yourselfbut also challenged to be better.
- You find people to talk with late into the nightwhether its because you totally agree with each other or youre debating something you care about.
- You have opportunities to study things that fascinate you, play the sports you want to play, work at internships that help clarify your career plans, and join the clubs you want to joinand you are expected to take advantage of those opportunities, because they wont just fall in your lap.
- You learn how to learn, communicate well, and solve problemsskills all employers want to see, no matter what industry.
- And you can get this kind of education without breaking the bank and taking on crazy amounts of student debt.
Speaking of college costs, heres the dirty little secret: because there are so many schools out there and a variety of financial aid to be had, you can almost always find a college that meets your needs and your budget.
Even if you’ve dreamed of going to a certain college your whole life, not checking out your other options is a mistake. Finding your perfect college match takes time and effort, but it’s worth it in the end.
How You Define Success
Ultimately, it is up to you to determine how you define success for yourself. If you are able to start your own business, continue a family business, or start small in a company and move your way up without a degree, do you consider that success? Or will you always feel the need to have graduated from college no matter your career path? Do some self-reflection on how much a degree matters in your own definition of success for yourself.
Photo by Godisable Jacob from Pexels
There are countless reasons why you really should go to college. One of the most common reasons why students attend college these days is for the opportunity for an increased income and a boost to the resume.
College grads, on average, make much more than those working with only a high-school diploma.
Employers really do look at your education as an important aspect of your resume and many companies wont consider an applicant without a minimum of a bachelors degree. In addition, many companies offer higher entry-level salaries for a college degree. And if you study while you are working, you may be eligible for a salary increase once you graduate.
The easiest reason to go to college: Your career choice. There are just some career paths that necessitate a college degree and there is no getting out of it. Do your homework on the job and career you dream of and check entry requirements, as well as what it takes to move ahead in the field so you know full well if a degree is required.
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What Are You Good At
Understanding your natural skills and talents can go a long way in helping you make an informed and confident decision when choosing a major. It may be your parents’ dream for you to be an artist, but what if you skew more toward business or the sciences? Just because someone else has a degree path in mind doesn’t mean it’s right for you.
One way of determining which academic fields best suit you is to take a close look at your class grades in high school, as well as your ACT or SAT scores. Doing this can highlight your strengths in specific academic areas.
Tips For Your College Application
Preparing to apply to college is a process that can start at the beginning of high school. Colleges will look at all four years of your classes, grades, and extracurricular involvements, so it helps to consider your college goals as you make choices throughout 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade.
Most students apply to several colleges typically, eight or nine is a good number. That way they can maximize their chances of getting accepted. Students usually apply to two to three safety schools, or ones where their credentials are well above that of the average accepted student. They also apply to schools to which getting accepted is more challenging – usually two to three match schools and two to three reach schools.
The application forms themselves are not all that time-intensive. You should give yourself at least a month before your deadlines to fill them out and proofread for any errors. As an international student, you might be in a good position to emphasize any language skills or unique multicultural experiences that you have.
The aspects of your application that require months, if not years, of planning, are your SAT/ACT scores, TOEFL scores, essay, and letters of recommendation, as youll learn more about below. First, lets consider another piece of your college application, your high school transcript.
Depending on college policy, you might need to translate your transcript.
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Record Save And Update
And there you have it! Pretty easy, right? Now you can keep track of your college GPA throughout your entire academic career. Bookmark this page and you’re GPA will be here when you return. Not happy with your results? Check out our comprehensive guide on how to raise your GPA for practical tips on bringing up a low score.
More Calculators!
Frequently Asked Questions About Choosing A Major
It depends on the school. Some students enter their first year with a declared major, while others can wait until their junior year. Individual departments may set their own rules, so make sure you ask.
If you can’t decide on a major, you have several options. Taking classes from different disciplines can help narrow your choices, as can meeting with your academic advisor to review the pros and cons of the options you’re considering.
Yes, you can always change your major. That said, if you complete a significant number of classes related to one major and then switch to another, you may need to stay in school longer to meet the credit requirements of your new major.
Definitely not. Colleges want students to think carefully about their decisions and not rush into any major if they’re unsure.
BestColleges.com is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.
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Make Sure Youve Chosen The Right Subject
It is fundamental to be 120% sure about your subject. You will spend your next three to six years studying it, and then the next 40-50 years working in the area. If you have doubts about your choice, read as many things about it as you can. Check job options, course contents, salaries Google is your friend. But you definitely do not want to realize after two months of studying that you want to be a dentist instead of a mathematician after all
Sign #: You Need A Degree For Your Dream Job
If you dream about becoming a doctor, lawyer, or engineer, youâll need an advanced degree or maybe even two. A simple search will help you determine if your dream career requires a degree. But keep in mind that even if your dream job doesnât require a degree, some companies choose to only hire graduates. The practical skills you learn in college, like time management, study skills, stress management, and assertiveness, are skills many employers look for in their employees.
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What Should I Do If I Dont Want To Go To College
College isnât the only option after high school. Some students need time to narrow down what they want to study, while others choose vocations that donât require a degree. If youâre not quite ready for a 4-year university experience, here are three alternatives to college.
1. Consider community college: Community colleges offer many of the same general education courses available at 4-year universities. You can receive a 2-year associateâs degree from a community college and apply those classes to a four-year college. Sometimes waiting one or two years, exploring degree options, and solidifying your future plans before heading to a 4-year university will make your years at the university more fruitful and set you on a path for success after graduation.
2. Take a gap year: Many students choose to take a gap year to âfind themselves.â This is common for students who arenât sure what they want to do and need time to explore, learn, and create new experiences. During a gap year, many students:
- Travel to another country
University Of The Philippines
If you are from UP, you may compute your GWA by using the same method mentioned above on computing GWA for college students. Grades from the previous program are included in the computation if you shifted to another program4. Also, grades on classes that are outside of the programs curriculum are also included in the computation.
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Q Would You Provide Some Tips For Students When Evaluating Schools
It is important to do a cross-university comparison. Go to the accreditation site and see what other universities are accredited by the same body . One can learn much about the validity of accreditation when you see a range of schools that hold the same accreditation.
Also, donât be shy about looking into the âdetailsâ page of an institutionâs accreditation . Beyond simply holding an accreditation, the details page will tell you if there are/were any overriding particular concerns that the accrediting body had about a universityâs finances, quality of instruction, etc. Donât shy away from schools that may have those details â it is perfectly common for an accrediting body to ask for progress reports on particular items of interest to them. But when you start to see âwarnings,â pay close attention.