Some people are very practical about everything and adopt the same attitude while they are searching for colleges to pursue higher education. While other people are dreamy, they are the same when they are trying to choose a college. The best way is to pick the middle path; apply to colleges that are high on your wish list such as College Platon but also to those that you have a good chance to get into.
Here are lists of things you can do:
- Do on hand research; in other words, visit the colleges that you have short listed and take a tour of the facilities. Ask the questions that are likely to give you the best answers and also a clear glimpse at the picture behind the planned trip. You should also try to spend the night at the college. Spend a whole day in the college; eat at the cafeteria, attend a few classes and stay in the dormitories at night. You will get a different picture of the college when you are not shepherded and chaperoned by an official guide.
- Consider the work options; this is especially required if you are seeking financial aid such as a loan to complete your course. If there are opportunity to work at the campus to support yourself, that will be very helpful for you if you wish to keep your debts at the minimum. If you want to seek work opportunity outside the campus, then the location of the institute will be important as you are not likely to get any jobs if your college is located in the middle of nowhere.
- The ranking and reputation of the college you have studied in matters a lot if you aim to go into a competitive field such as law or medicine then your institute will have a lot to do with the path your career will go. There are other career options where the ranking will not matter so much.
- The ratio of student and teacher in your chosen discipline is very important. If there are too many students in a class, you might have trouble catching what the teacher is teaching. In a smaller class, you can expect to get more individual attention and guidance from the teacher.
- Last but not the least, some schools might not have the majors that you wish to pursue. Make sure you understand the options that are available to you.
