Prospective Students

    So your a high school senior and you've decided to go to college. Now what do you do?  You have probably heard a thousand times that this will be the most important decision of your life. It is a very important decision and the whole process can be overwhelming. That is what this site is for we'll give you the guide lines to help you with your decision process.

Step 1- Deciding On what to study (Academics)

    The first step in your decision process is deciding what you would like to study. This is the whole reason that you are going to college in the first place. To begin this process start by writing down things that interest you. What classes did you enjoy taking in high school? What fields interest you and would make you want to learn more about them.

    Once you have found the area that you would like to study its time to do some research. Get on the internet and look up schools that offer degrees that you want to study. See where the rank with other schools. Look at the size of the school and the class sizes. Some people may want more one on one attention then others. It depends on what you prefer. Look at their career development system. Do they help get you internships? Do the help with Job placement? Do the have clubs and groups that relate to your degree?

See what career options and programs John Carroll University offers: www.jcu.edu/academics                

Step 2- Actually Picking the School That Fits You

    Now that you actually know what you want to study and the schools that offer your degree, its time to start narrowing down your possible school. The next thing that you should do as a possible student of these schools is list out the most important criteria for you. This criteria should include a number of things though.

    Take into account the location of the school. If you get home sick you aren't going to want to go to a school far away. if you are an independent individual then it will probably be fine for you to be far away from home. Also with location take into account the region of the country the school is in. You can tell what the weather will be like. If you hate the cold you aren't going to want to live somewhere that get a lot of snow. This new school will be your home for many months out of the year so you want to make sure that you are happy and comfortable with your surroundings.

     Another important criteria that you should take into mind is the school's social life and extra curricular activities. Everyone says that you should pick a school based on academics, but lets be honest there is much more. You will be using the blunt of your time in classes and studying but their is plenty of time for having fun as well. See if the school offers any activities that you already enjoy doing like a sport or a club that you were a member of in high school. See what activates they offer that you have never done but you would like to participate in. An example of this would be if the school has fraternities or sororities, this could be a new learning experience for you.  (See what Activities you can get involved in at John Carroll:  www.jcu.edu/campuslife/tab_involved.html )

     See how the schools athletic teams are and if there is games that you can attend. Look at the nightlife around your school as well. Is there a major city around that you can visit. Do they have museums or pro sports teams. Do the have clubs and Bars close by that would serve as a spot to blow off some steam. There is a lot that you can learn as a person by seeing and experiencing new things and meeting new people. The social atmosphere has a lot to do with your personal development as a person while in school, so keep this information in mind.

See what there is to do at John Carroll and around the Cleveland area: www.jcu.edu/campuslife

   Recommendations for finding the best school for you...

 1. Get as much information as possible. Its never hurts to be over informed about anything.

 2. See if you can find someone that you know from high school, in your family or even a teacher that is going to the school or went there in the past. This will give you a good idea of what the school is like.

3. Make sure the you VISIT any school that you are considering going to. Its important that you get a first hand experience of what the school is like and how the people act there. (Schedule a visit to John Carroll: http://jcu.gotoextinguisher.com/event/) 

4.Once you think you know the school that you want to go to schedule an overnight stay. Stay with a current undergrad and see what its like to go to school there for a weekend. This can show you what the social and academic worlds will be like.

5. Meet with professors in the field that you are looking to study. this will give you a better idea of what the demand of your time with deal with and what is expected of you.