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college!
I'm a junior. I'm supposed to be doing college visits and all that jazz this summer, but I have NO IDEA what I'm doing. I get good grades, and I want to aim for Ivy league, but I have no idea of what I'd like to major in. I don't know which colleges to visit or how to schedule tours or what to look for once I get there.. Pretty much any information about deciding on a college would be welcome. Thanks (:
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Want to answer more questions in the Work & School category?
Maybe give some free advice about: Colleges & Universities?
Well, first off, don't worry about what you want to major in. Many students don't have any idea what they want to major in, even when they start college. But you could think about what you're interested in. Do you have an interest in technology? Math and Science? the Liberal Arts? If you have a specific field of interest then you have a starting point for your potential major.
If you go to collegeboard.com you can fill out your information into a match maker. At the end of this survey you will be presented a list of colleges that fit your responses. I took it and among the results was a long-time dream school -- the school I attend now! So it definitely is a great tool. The location is here: [Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
Some things you should consider when selecting a school include:
1) location - do you want to be near your family? Do you prefer city life or living in the country? etc.
2) Name - you mention wanting to aim for an Ivy. So perhaps you want a school that is highly regarded. You should consider some schools that are comparable to the ivies. My college is a private institution that has been compared to Harvard, for example. Just remember that you can get a great education at a number of colleges and universities, to include state schools.
3) Extracurriculars - are you an athlete? a musician? etc. If you want to continue anything in college, check to see if the schools offer those activies.
You don't have to pre-schedule tours. Actually all you have to do (at any school I've heard of) is show up at the campus center, sign up for the next tour (my school offers them on the top of every hour), and voila. In the fall you should consider spending a night in a dorm. That wasn't feasible for me, since I didn't live in the states when I was applying. So it's obviously not a 100% necessity. But it would definitely give you a feel for the school that campus brochures and scripted tours wouldn't.
As a last note, make sure you don't get caught up in the gimmicks. Sure, an all-you-can-eat buffet would be fantastic. But is it necessary? Make a list of the most important things that you need. Then decide on schools from there.
I hope this helps you out!
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