all colleges review a student’s high school GPA prior to admission because it is a strong indicator of whether he or she is likely to be successful at the college. The more selective the college, the higher a student’s GPA must be in order to qualify for admission. In addition to a high GPA, the admissions committee of a highly selective college expects high test scores , Advanced Placement classes , and meaningful extracurricular activities , which you'll learn more about in a later chapter.
PREVIEW
Setting
Some students want to go to college in a big city setting, like New York City. Others may prefer a small town or a rural area. Some like mountains, some prefer coastal areas, others like the open plains of the Midwest. There are colleges in all types of settings . What kinds of settings can you think of? What kind of setting do you prefer? When you go to college, will you want to experience what it’s like to live in a setting that is different from your home town?
New York University is in a large city (urban) setting
Size
College size does not refer to how big the campus is. It refers to how many undergraduates are enrolled at the college . Colleges come in small , medium and large . A small college has about 5000 or fewer undergraduates. Classes tend to be smaller and students are more likely to have an opportunity to get to know their professors. A medium size college will have between 5000 and 10,000 undergraduates. A large college will have a student body of over 10,000. Combined with the people who work on, or visit the campus every day, it’s like a small city! At a large college or university, your classes may have many students and your T.A. (Teaching Assistant) will be active in your education. The size of a college is an important selection factor for many students.
PREVIEW
Personality
Colleges have distinct personalities . A personality can be best described as how the campus feels — the vibe. What are the students like? Are they driven and competitive? Laid back? Artsy? Politically active? Boho? Are sports a big part of the vibe? What does the campus look like? Is the architecture old and traditional, or sleek, contemporary or high tech? Some colleges attract students with similar interests, like science and technology, performing arts, environmental issues, etc. Some college campuses are noisy, and crowded with students and faculty, rushing to and from class. Some campuses are calm, quiet corners away from the bustle of the
Some colleges attract students with similar interests—like social activism.
everyday world. Most colleges are coeducational or “coed” (meaning that it admits both men and women.) But there are a few colleges that admit only men, including Morehouse, Hampton-Sydney, St. Johns University and Wabash. There are also colleges that admit only women, including Barnard College, Bryn Mawr College, Mills College, Mount Holyoke College, Simmons College, Scripps College, and Smith College.
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Chapter 3 | Let’s Go to College
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