Selecting the right college
The process of selecting a college is both challenging and important. You need to set certain criteria for potential colleges in order to make sure you find the ideal fit, academically and ambience-wise.
As a student, you must be clear about your abilities and desires before you decide which college your want to join.
You then need to formulate your own college criteria; hopefully, you will find several matching colleges and/ or universities.
When it comes to deciding how good a college is, students rely largely on word of mouth, college/ career fairs and directories.
Here are seven parameters that could help you narrow down your options.
Top seven parameters
i. Academics
The most important aspect of a college is its academic programme and philosophy.
You must find a college or university that best matches your academic abilities and goals.
ii. Reputation
The reputation of a college is a very important criterion.
For instance, potential architects should seek well-known colleges that provide an architectural programme/ opportunity to explore this discipline.
Many schools only offer a liberal arts education; thus, those pursuing unique degrees (like engineering) must find schools that cater to such interests.
iii. The curriculum
Searching for colleges that offer the right courses and facilities needed for the specialisation you want to take up is very important.
If you are not sure yet, look for a school with a broad-based liberal programme.
The curriculum and methods of teaching should be up-to-date.
A good college adapts new teaching methodology with the changing times. If you want to opt for Science, you must make sure the college has up-to-date labs, computers and other facilities.
iv. Location
Choosing a college according to location is another crucial factor.
You must decide in advance which location is suitable for you.
You need to decide if you want to live at home or if you want to live in an another city.
For example, students living in smaller towns may choose to shift base to metropolises like Mumbai and Delhi in order to pursue courses of their choice in reputed colleges.
v. Extra-curricular activities
A rich social life is an important part of college. You should find out if the college you is interested in has clubs or other organisations you can be part of.
If you like sports, make sure your future college has teams in the sports you want to watch or participate in.
vi. Cost
It is very important to find out what the tuition fees are.
Out-of-town students will have to consider food and lodging facilities. Usually, colleges have an enquiry section to help prospective students with these issues.
vii. Academic standards
Find out what the cut-off percentage for each college is.
If your scores aren't high enough, you may have to wait for the second cut-off list or emphasise other attributes to the admission officers.
Things to do
To get the complete picture, turn sleuth. Here's how:
i. Visit the campus
Visit a number of colleges to get a feel of the campus and the people.
Many schools offer open houses and campus visits on weekends.
ii. Talk to students and the alumni
Nobody knows as much about a college as its students and alumni.
The students can tell you about campus life and academics.
The alumni can tell you whether a degree from this institution fulfilled their educational expectations and how it helped them in their careers.
The last word...
It is always advisable to apply to at least three to four colleges.
Of these, at least one should be a college where you are almost guaranteed admission, and one where you have at least a 50 percent chance of getting in.
In case you are unable to obtain admission in the college of your choice, get admission in another college and consider switching later -- either a year later or after your Class XII.
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