The age old saying, “if only I knew then what I know now…” plays over and over in my head when I think about some of the decisions and mistakes I have made over my academic career. So, if I can help even one person make a better-informed decision about choosing a college and program that is best for them, then it will all have been worth it. Be smart and learn from other people’s mistakes!!! ; )
The very first thing that is so important is to make sure your SAT scores are EXCELLENT, otherwise you will be stuck going to a so-so school or having to go to a community college for the first 2 years to prove yourself academically to the 4 year universities in which you are applying to (which is not always a bad thing, though…).
Second, think to yourself where you want to be in the next 5 to 10 years. What subject area will make you happiest and get you to your life’s destination? What subject areas are you great at that motivate you to strive for success? Knowing just that will help you to narrow down which schools and programs would be best for you to apply to.
Take for example, if you are a strong math and science student that is thinking you might want to eventually go to a graduate level program, such as: medical, dental, or pharmacy school, then the undergraduate college you choose is CRUTIAL. Look at the graduate schools that you want to apply to and find out which undergraduate schools they are affiliated with. If you go to one of their affiliated schools for your undergraduate, your chances of getting into their graduate program is greatly increased. Don’t be fooled by people telling you that, "at the end of the day, all 4-year universities are the same and it doesn’t matter where you go", because it DOES matter where you go. I cannot emphasize this enough.
Let me give you an example of two very close friends of mine (I will give them different names so they won’t be embarrassed…). Kim went to an ivy league school and received a degree in chemistry. She had a 3.2 GPA and an above average DAT score. She applied to several outstanding dental schools and got into most of them. My other friend, Jen, went to a state school and received a degree in biology. She had a 3.89 GPA and also an above average DAT score but did not get into ANY of the dental schools she applied to (and she literally applied to every accredited dental school in the USA). If you compared their volunteering, extra curricular activities, and work experiences, they were both nearly identical. Ivy league schools, or other top ranked prestigious schools, have extremely tight-knit alumnus and you will have way more pull if you are trying to get into a competitive graduate school.
Don’t panic if you want to go to medical school (or any other competitive graduate program) and are currently in a state school or in community college. I am not saying that it is impossible to get into these types of graduate programs, I just feel that your life would be much easier in the sense that you would have a huge, competitive edge over the thousands of other students that are applying for the same spot as you. If you are in a community college now (or in a school you would like to eventually transfer out of…), do everything in your power to get strait A’s so that you will be able to transfer easily into a great 4-year university (I know MANY people who have gone through this route and were very successful). I went to a so-so state school, and if I could do it over again, I would have transferred to a better school after the first 2 years. The majority of the people that I know who had great academic aspirations to go to law school, medical school, pharmacy school, etc. went to a community college right out of high school, transferred to a good 4-year university and are doing outstanding in their graduate programs.
One important fact that my high school advisers left out (and I wish I did this) was that it is much easier to get into super competitive 4-year university if you apply to their less competitive departments. Let me give you an example. If you want to go somewhere like UCLA and graduate with a degree in Biology, it will be VERY hard to get into their biology department if you are applying right after high school. So, what you can do is apply to their less competitive departments, like English or Dance but take the core classes for Biology (or whatever competitive major you want) and then simply transfer into that department after your first 2 years or so when you have completed the core major requirements. Then, you will graduate with the degree you wanted for sure!
If you are unable to go to a 4-year university right out of high school, then community college is a great choice. I think that community college is a great “buffer” in between high school and your bachelor’s degree. I say this because sometimes people (whether they want to admit it or not) are just not academically or emotionally mature enough to jump strait into a 4-year institution. Teachers at community colleges are generally better at teaching the fundamentals and you can really strengthen your study skills when you are there so that you will be fully ready for your difficult load at your future 4-year university. It is better to feel yourself out academically at a community college than waste thousands of dollars messing up at a 4-university. If you want to eventually go to graduate school when you are done with your undergraduate, it is pertinent that you have an excellent GPA – regardless of which school you go to.
College IS for everyone – you must find a program and school that is right for you. You can be successful in school and life after school when you choose a degree which suites you best. For many jobs outside of science and super specialized fields, it DOES NOT matter what you majored in – it just matters that you have a degree and experience in the related field in which you are applying to. Every person deserves to be educated and enlightened in life and to have that chance at a better future. I don’t want to hear any excuses, like you had kids too young, or are married or can’t afford it. There are tons of options for people in those situations which offer grants, scholarships and loans. Check out FAFSA for more information!
College opens so many doors – spiritually, mentally, emotionally and professionally.
There are so many different types of schools for people to choose from, such as community college, state colleges, and private schools. The key is to find out which schools would be a good fit for you, because after all, you will be spending roughly 4 years there! ;)
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!!! GO TO COLLEGE – YOU OWE IT TO YOURSELF AND TO SOCIETY!!!!
Information on ivy league schools
Information on different graduate schools
Steps on how to get into ivy league schools
Example of an affiliated undergraduate/graduate school
Financial aid for college tips
A great community college to go to!!! : )
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Hi Kristina,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Going to college is really about finding "who you are" - what you are passionate about, what kind of meaningful career you'd like to have, the type of life style you'd like to have...etc. There is no right or wrong answer, but people should take the time to explore during college.
I am an immigrant, came to the US at age 12 with virtually no English skills, and six years later, I was fortunate enough to go to an Ivy League school. I graduated ~10 yrs ago, so I hope my humble two cents are still relevant:
- SAT is not the best but the standard way for college admission to compare applicants. It's good to take a PSAT/SAT early on, say in 9th grade and get a "reality check". I completed bombed my first PSAT. I was so ashamed that I started to study for SAT every day. People often say that you can't prepared for SAT, but the truth is that you can. I memorized 50 words a day, and it dramatically helped my verbal score.
- For students who are taking a lot of AP classes, consider taking less so that you do not overburden yourself and end up getting worse grades. For students who are not taking advanced courses, consider challenge yourself a little.
- If you have a particular passion for something go for that! I had a friend who was accepted into Brown University, but she wants to be an artist. So, instead she went to an art institute in New York. Many people think it's such a missed opportunity, but now she is a fashion designer for Calvin Klein, making excellent money, and travel around the world. You can do anything you want and be successful at it.