RESEARCHING COLLEGES: LOCATION AND STUDENT LIFE

Exploring campus location and student life will help you to find schools where you will feel like you belong and have a fun college experience.

Begin by looking at where a college or university is located.  If a college campus is in a large city, you will have many opportunities to explore and will have access to many different types of culture.  If a university is located in a medium-sized city, it will provide many of the same opportunities with a more manageable scope and potentially a lower cost of living.  If you are looking at a school in a small city or in a rural location, you will probably have easy access to nature and a student body that is close-knit and stays together on the weekends.  

If you grew up in a major metropolitan area, explore something smaller for college.  If you grew up in a small town or in a rural location, explore something a bit bigger during your research process. ‍

Student life is an important piece of finding colleges and universities that will fit you.  Pay attention to where students live.  Are students on campus all four years, or do they move off campus after freshman year?  What do students do on the weekend?  Research student activities on campus.  Are students involved in club sports or volunteering?  Do students congregate at big sporting events or do they spend time together in nature?  Is there a vibrant music scene off campus, or are students involved in political activism?  If you are a part of a religious community, do you see your community reflected and supported on campus?  

Can you see yourself on the college campus that you are looking at?  

When you look at a college, do you think you will fit in there?  When you look at the students at that school, do you think that you would have fun with them on the weekends?

For help with college research, e-mail me:  michelle@samaracollegeadvising.com