Some students persuade themselves that campus life really isn’t all that important. They figure that college will be a lot like high school; go to class, go to a practice or a meeting, go home. But college is a 24-7 environment: It’s your classroom, your social life, and your home all wrapped into one package.
Other students assume that they have to attend a huge campus to have a lot of opportunities. In fact, many discover that small or medium sized schools make it easier to get involved, whereas big schools may be so anonymous that it’s difficult to meet people.
You may also want to think about schools with unique identities-church-affiliated colleges, historically Black colleges, single-gender colleges and other special places. What activities are you interested in? Are you a big city or small town person-or somewhere in between? Do you want to be recruited to a professional team-or just compete in the sport you love? The lists in this chapter can give you some places to get started, but don’t be afraid to add your own personalized requirements for a college. The choices depend on you and your personality. Finding the right environment is important as you look ahead to a great college experience and a great future.
Before You Visit
If you have a particular activity interest, arrange to visit these programs and their facilities. If possible, ask to speak with faculty or staff who work with the program.
If you are interested in a sport, try to arrange to visit with a member of the coaching staff. If it’s not possible to meet, try to get a name and an e-mail address for an inquiry.
When You Are on Campus
Ask students what they do on weekends and for fun. What campus events do they most enjoy?
Dive or walk through the surrounding community/neighborhood. Is it an area that you like? Ask whether the college has a relationship with the community or whether there are tensions.
Visit residence options for freshmen. If possible, ask a resident assistant or hall assistant about the programs available to those living in the residence. Are they programs in which you would like to participate?
Look at signs, posters, and announcements around campus. Are ther many for activities and events that interest you? Does the political and social atmosphere of the campus seem to fit your personality and values? Reading the student newspaper should give you a sense of what is going on from a student perspective.
Ask a student about his or her favorite campus activities and traditions. Do these sound like fun and interesting to you?
_________________
A Checklist for finding……..
Vibrant Community
Doing Your Homework
[ ] What activities available on campus match your interest? Are mosr of the activities you enjoy open to non-majors? For example, if you are interested in theatre but majoring in biology, will you still be able to participate in theatrical productions?
[ ] What percentage of students are involves in campus activities?
[ ] Are there campus activities that you have never tried but which sound interesting to you?
[ ] If you are interested in athletics, does the college offer the sport you play? If you are interested in varsity competition, what are its policies regarding walk-ons? Is there an active intramural program for non-varsity athletes?
[ ] What cultural and entertainment opportunities does the campus provide? How does it make use of facilities in the surrounding community?
[ ] What special events or speakers were on campus in the last year?
[ ] Is the college a suitcase campus? That is, what percentage of the students leave campus on weekends? If there a vibrant city nearby with a wide range of cultural and social opportunities, students going off campus during the weekend might be a good thing; but it is not a good thing when everyone is going home every weekend!
[ ] What kind of residence options does the college offer? What programs are available to help you make friends, meet people, and settle in? How will your roommate be selected?
[ ] Are there health facilities or programs on campus? What kind of counseling and crisis support does the campus offer? Does the college provide resources for students with physical or learning disabilities?
Chapter 5: Successful Outcomes
One of the problems with U.S.News & World Report annul survey of colleges is that it measures a college’s quality largely by SAT scores and high school grades. But if you think about it, these are indicators the college had nothing to do with.
Perhaps a better way of measuring a college’s quality would be by studying “outcomes”-what happens after students graduate? Indicators of successful outcomes include the acceptance rate into graduate or professional schools and the percentage of seniors getting employment in their chosen fields soon after they graduate.
Ultimately, successful outcomes are linked to the alumni who in a real sense, are the “product” of a college education. What kinds of professions did they enter? Have they distinguished themselves in these professions?
This is how Colleges of Distinction measures successful outcomes.
While entering students are not expected to know right away what their major will be or what they want to become in life-freshman and sophomore years should be largely reserved for experimentation and discovery-it is too often the case that by senior year students still don’t know what they want to do.
Colleges of Distinction are especially good at orienting students, right from the beginning, to what they might become in life. They often begin this process by introducing freshmen to the Career Services Office during orientation so that they know what resources are available to them.
Sophomores are then encouraged to consider employment-related internships and externships. Tied closely to these programs are career counseling seminars that help students orient themselves to career possibilities, workshops for resume writing and mock interviews, and career fairs where firms can meet future employees.
By senior year, students enrolled at Colleges of Distinction not only have a fairly good idea of what they will do in their first job, but are well on their way to submitting resumes and having interviews.
For those who plan to go on to a graduate or professional school, the same Career Services Office, working with pre-professional advisors (especially pre-med and pre-law) will give advice about available scholarships and the various exams necessary to get into graduate, medical or law school. College professors, of course, having all gone to graduate school, are an excellent source of advice on master’s and doctoral programs.
At most Colleges of Distinction, more than 85% of those seeking employment after graduation will find well paying jobs with advancement potential within six months of graduating. Similarly, 20% or more of the graduating class will go directly to graduate or professional school. Sixty percent will have gone on for further education within six years of graduation. Finally, the “product” of Colleges of Distinction-the ultimate outcome-are alumni. Perhaps the major goal of these colleges is to prepare the future leaders of our society-the business leaders who keep our economy strong, the political leaders who govern us, the professional leaders who impact our lives in many ways and on a daily basis. Colleges of Distinction are especially strong in the number of these leaders who attended these institutions. These people not only give of themselves to society in general, but also support their institutions in various ways, including new graduates get their first job.
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