The acceptance letters are rolling in, and now it’s time for you to decide which college is the right fit.
You’re making a big investment of time and money into your college education, so it’s important to get it right. Now’s the time to dive even deeper into your college research, and ask admissions officers these five questions before you make your final enrollment decision.
1. Do You Help With Internships?
Even though you haven’t yet started your college career, it’s important to think of next steps. When you’re out of college and looking for a job, having a solid base of relevant internship experience can help you get hired. Neha Gupta, author, speaker, and founder of College Shortcuts and Elite Private Tutors, recommends asking the colleges you’re considering how they facilitate student internships. Specifically ask about career fields that are interesting to you. See what kind of connections and resources they have that you can leverage into an internship and eventually a career.
2. What Are Your Support Resources?
Zach Rinkins, author of I Am College Material! Your Guide to Unlimited College, Career, and Life Success recommends asking about retention support on campus, which includes tutoring, mentoring, counseling, academic, and social support. Offerings like this are important because at some point during your college career, you may require some sort of extra aid or guidance. Having resources like tutoring or mental health professionals readily available on campus—and at no extra cost—can make the difference between an easy solution to a problem and a college-long struggle. It also may be what allows you to stay in school instead of taking time off or dropping out.
3. How Hard Is It to Change My Major?
Even if you have a good sense of your future major, Allen Koh of Cardinal Education recommends asking about the college’s policies on changing majors. College is an eye-opening experience and you never know what you may encounter that could interest you in an entirely new field. “Some universities have strict rules on changing majors,” Koh explains, “which could impact your ability to graduate on time.” While you can’t predict the future, it will be helpful to know how flexible a school is so you can avoid a situation where you unexpectedly extend your undergraduate experience and your financial commitments.
4. Does My Aid Apply to Studying Abroad?
If studying abroad is an appealing part of college for you, Olivia Valdes, founder of Zen Admissions, suggests you ask about how your financial aid package will be applied to abroad programs. She says to specifically ask, “Does the college place limitations on which study abroad programs are eligible for aid?” You should be able to continue receiving federal aid while studying abroad if you enroll in an approved program, but all other forms of aid are not necessarily applied to study abroad programs. Find out the school’s policies to be sure you can have the type of study abroad experience you want in college.
5. What’s It Really Like Here on Weekends?
Michelle Hollin, director of recruiting for Barrett Honors College in Phoenix, advises potential students to ask about the city or town near campus and how accessible it is by car or public transit. She also suggests asking, “Is it student-friendly? Are there fun or cultural things to do?” Smith also says to ask about living on campus versus off, and find out what percentage of the student body lives in the residence halls on campus and how many of them stay over the weekend. She warns, “‘Suitcase campuses can leave out-of-state students feeling homesick and less engaged.”
These are a few questions you may not have considered, but don’t hesitate to ask about anything else you’re wondering. It’s your education and up to you to gather the information that will help you make the best choice possible.
