The Importance of Self-Assessment

For this question there are three major answers: four-year school, two-year school, and vocational/technical/trade school. Each type of institution has its merits but how you answer this really comes down to your educational goals.

A technical/vocational/trade school is going to get you specialized training for a specific career, for example: welding, auto mechanic, hair and beauty stylist, etc. They are generally low cost institutions with an exceptional number of connections in the specific career fields they instruct. A technical/vocational school is going to be a great choice if you are interested in a specific trade.

A two-year school, or community college, is going to provide an Associate’s degree. Some Associate’s degrees are specific to their field and can get you right into that specific career (Surgical Technologist, etc.). Of course, if you only want a few business classes to get your feet wet to start your own business then a community college could be the way to go for you as well. This could also be a great option for you to get your general education requirements or improved grades to get into the four-year school of your choice. Think of it as an academic stepping-stone.

A four-year institution will generally award a Bachelor’s degree and provide more of the “traditional college experience” with more availability for on-campus housing and a larger assortment of clubs and activities.

This question is important for a number of reasons. Obviously, there is the physical size of the campus. Many large institutions feel like a city of their own with towering residence halls and sprawling academic buildings; a campus on which students can get lost—literally! On the flip side, there are any number of extremely small schools with a limited number of buildings that could hardly cover a city block. This question lends itself to the next question as well, discussing the LOCATION of your school interests. I suggest you think about how much walking you want to be doing when you go to class, dinner, the library, and the gym. A large school will have a lot of walking whereas a small school might have many of those buildings directly next to each other.

In addition to physical size, you should consider the size of the student body. Do you want to be one out of fifty thousand students or one out of a thousand students? Both have pros and cons that are largely dependent on your social and relational desires. Either way, you may want to think about how many academic compatriots with which you will surround yourself. This is especially important because it impacts class size and student/faculty ratio. If you really thrive with personal, hands-on attention then a smaller student body may be best for you but if you enjoy the large lecture hall style instruction then a larger student body could fit you best.

Grove City College is right in the middle in terms of campus and student body size. Our campus is roughly 170 acres with around 2500 residential students. I always like to say that it is “small enough for you to know everyone but big enough for you to meet someone new every day.”

Regardless of where you end up, however, your school is really only as big as you make it. It can be enormous if you get out and get involved or it can be the size of your dorm room if you never leave.

This is a multi-faceted question with just as many answers. Do you want to be living in the middle of a city with academic buildings surrounded by functioning buildings of the community, a rural town hours from “civilization,” or a school just outside the hustle and bustle of the city but close enough to enjoy the amenities? In which part of the country do you want to be located? Do you want to study full-time outside the United States? Would you like to have a major climate difference in hometown vs college town? All are valid questions that need to be asked.

Your answers to these questions are generally derived from both your hometown and where you want to live. Growing up in Smalltown, USA may not mean you will end up in a rural school if you have an interest in exploring a city, and vice versa. A decent answer to this question may take a little exploring. Try visiting a few cities or rural towns to decide what you like. Think back on any vacations or trips to different parts of the country. Did you like that area? Are you interested in a specific region that you have not visited? Maybe it is time to take a trip to that area. This could be coupled with a campus visit to a few schools. Campus visits and how to assess schools will be covered in an upcoming post so keep an eye open for it.

While this particular question is going to be the topic of a later post, it is still something you should begin thinking about as soon as you feel comfortable with it. To put it simply: The answer to this question is derived from a combination of your interests, passions, and career goals. Having a firm grasp on what interests you is going to help you find a program that will cater to those passions and, in theory, lay the groundwork for a career that incorporates them. The key is getting as much experience NOW versus waiting until college. There are a seemingly infinite number of programs, majors, and areas of study that you can pursue but you may never know about them if you never look or start talking with those in the profession now. The key is making sure you only consider the colleges who have ALL of the areas you are interested in. This will cut down on being disappointed and stressed when you decide and the school of your dreams does not have your major or have to transfer at a later date when you decide and the school does not offer what you feel called to do.