Today’s college search process requires students to consider several factors as they select the best fit for themselves. The age-old considerations are campus size, location, academic and cultural fit, and cost.
The regional strength of an academic institution should be another top-of-mind concern, especially when looking ahead to the job market, said Gabe Cramer, managing director of mentoring at college admissions consulting firm, Command Education.
For example, “If you’re going to a school in Boston, there’s tremendous competition among Northeastern, Harvard, MIT and Boston University, to name a few, [looking] for job opportunities in the area, which are likely to go to graduates from the more prestigious schools here,” he said.
As you edit down your wish list of schools, it’s also worth investigating what the undergraduate lab and research opportunities are like. “Are they accessible and plentiful? Some schools are unbelievable research engines, but it may be difficult for undergraduates to secure such opportunities,” said Cramer.
Finally, as you go on campus visits and speak to regional admissions officers, “Trust your gut. There’s no science behind it, but your instincts are often correct. Whether you have a strong positive or negative reaction, it tends to be true. You’re the one going there. Even with all of the advice you take in, it’s you spending the next four years or more of your life there. You will also spend a ton of time NOT in class, since it’s not an 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. schedule anymore. Your out-of-class time will influence your experience, too,” said Cramer. “You have to feel comfortable with that.”
Taking such due diligence a step further, savvy students should investigate curriculum and degree offerings at their top pick higher institutions of interest. Their differences may be the determining factor in deciding where to enroll.
Additionally, career services offerings are still major considerations, according to Rob Franek, editor-in-chief of the Princeton Review, a leading tutoring, test prep, and college admissions services company.
“Are students going to move on from this school to earn a career of substance? Does a college offer out of classroom experiences through internships, co-ops, experiential learning opportunities, international experiences? All of this should complement what they’re doing inside the classroom to make them launch into an exceptional career upon graduation,” he said.
The fire-hot political climate on college campuses is another dynamic that’s influencing college choices now.
“I think it’s certainly something students should consider,” said Franek. “Whether a school leans left or right politically, whether queer students are accepted or not, if diverse students interact — it’s part and parcel of what your experience will be in and out of the classroom. Students would be doing a disservice if they didn’t think about those things with counselors and parents as part of research and fit.”
Here are some schools and future-proofed courses that might pique your interest.
With the Middle East in turmoil, and unrest elsewhere, you may be inclined to hone your peace-making and negotiating skills for the world’s sake.
If so, George Washington University’s Elliot School of International Affairs offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in Middle East studies, Asian studies/Latin American studies, hemispheric studies or a Bachelor of Science in international affairs.
If you focus on the Middle East, classes in Business Arabic, the Israeli media, the Arab-Israeli Conflict, land and power in Israel/Palestine will be par for your course curriculum.
Additional academic institutions to target for such study include Tufts University, American University and Smith College.
Healthcare heroes shined during the pandemic, and the fields they practice in haven’t lost their allure. Aspiring nurses should look into Angelo State University in Texas for its award-winning nursing programs. The BSN degree offered here prepares students for careers as Registered Nurses (RNs) in any healthcare setting. Dosage calculations in nursing, adult health nursing, pharmacology and obstetric and pediatric nursing practicum are sample courses here.
Research Baylor University, Drexel University, University of Delaware, and Villanova University also offer comparable, high-quality programs.
With wildfires and other natural disasters ever-present, considering a career in environmental studies is timely. Schools like Emory University, Northeastern University, SUNY Binghamton, and Colorado Boulder are winning picks for this subject, to name a few.
For example, at SUNY Binghamton, graduates of either their BA in environmental studies or BS in environmental science programs here, should be able to tackle wide-ranging environmental and societal concerns in these areas. Some classes to consider are environmental ethics and policy, farm-to-table food, and humans and physical environment. Typical career paths for grads span positions within advocacy groups or consulting firms, environmental law, and jobs in public and private sectors.
We are living in a social media world. Such platforms are our go-to, real-time sources for both breaking news and product/service marketing, and much in-between.
It follows, then, that schools for wannabe social media magnates and journalism majors are a magnet. Top candidates include American University, Arizona State University, Boston University, New York University, Syracuse University and University of Wisconsin-Madison.
At Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications, bachelor’s degrees are offered in the fields of advertising, broadcast and digital journalism, public relations, magazine news and digital journalism, television, radio and film. Specific classes for those the social media-minded include social media for communicators, social media and society for public relations, and social media and data for the music business.
Calling all mental health crusaders. With crime and mental illness at all ages and across all socio-economic norms dominating the news, psychology experts should be well employed well in to the future.
Great schools for such majors include Agnes Scott College, Barnard College, Florida State University, The Ohio State University Columbus, Quinnipiac University, Siena College, and State University of New York Geneseo.
For the B.A. in psychology degree at Siena College, interesting courses included in the curriculum are child psychology, theories of personality, tests and measurements and physiological psychology.
The wave of entrepreneurship in America shows no sign of crashing. If you want to swim with the sharks and be your own boss, obtaining a business school or finance degree is a wise option.
Some of the best places to pursue such academic interests are Babson College, City University of New York Baruch College, Miami University, Pace University and University of Florida, among others.
At Baruch College’s Zicklin School of Business, the BA in entrepreneurship helps students to cultivate their entrepreneurial mindset to prepare them for experiences in new ventures, or at large companies, or nonprofits in the fields of technology, finance, health, education, or the arts. Classes sure to ignite the solo-flying spirit include developing an entrepreneurial mindset, family enterprise dynamics, the art of persuasion, social entrepreneurship, new venture funding and multicultural entrepreneurship experiences.
In our digital age, those at the forefront of computer engineering and computer science can forge their own paths more easily than many others. Whether it’s forensics, gaming, machine learning, artificial intelligence or drone software, the opportunities and avenues are plentiful and exciting for today’s ambitious computer gurus.
Exciting pathways begin at degree-bearing institutions such as Brown University, California Institute of Technology, New Jersey Institute of Technology, and University of California Los Angeles. A bachelor’s degree is also offered in the related field of electrical and computer engineering technology here. Classes include calculus, circuits and systems, microprocessors, engineering ethics and technological practice and principles of operating systems.