FINDING A SCHOOL
There are many opportunities to study in the U.S. When you are choosing a school, it is necessary to analyze different considerations: Where do you want to live? How far do you want to stay from home? Which are the best colleges for your major? Which college gives you the best scholarships opportunities?
It is important to consider the region of America where you want to live. Many Mexican students choose to study near the border (in the southern US) to be near to their families and visit them during the semester. In my case, one of the reasons for selecting San Antonio, TX, was that the city is just five hours from my house, and I can easily visit my family during the holidays or on some important weekends. A region’s weather is another consideration; for example, if you like to be in a cold place, you can elect to study in the northern U.S.
Another factor to consider when choosing a place to live is the style of life of the city or state and the development that it has. If you are interested in the film industry, you should probably select California for the importance that Hollywood has in the movies. However, if it is your purpose to learn English, California is one of the worst places to study because most of the population speaks Spanish. On the other hand, if you want to be in a big city with good transportation service, New York probably is one of the best places to study. Washington is also a good place to live with good transportation services; the most important thing about the city is that this is the Federal Capital of the United States and is full of political activity.
But probably your most important consideration is the relation that the university has with your major. For example, it is very true that it is better to study for an Art Major at a Liberal Arts College that in a normal university. There is always a best place for study according to your study area: engineer, business, science, medicine, etc.
U.S. News provides a complete review of colleges according to the study areas and the region of U. S. If you have some colleges in mind but want to know which University ranks higher or compare the Universities, you can go to America’s Best Colleges 2008. In general, according to it, the Top National Universities are the following:
- Princeton University (NJ)
- Harvard University (MA)
- Yale University (CT)
- Stanford University (CA)
- University of Pennsylvania
- California Institute of Technology
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Duke University (NC)
- Columbia University (NY)
- University of Chicago (IL)
You should note that every university is different and, therefore, has a different style of life. Some colleges require living in the dorms, making the campus full of students all the time and usually you have many activities to do on campus. Some colleges have a varied Greek Life, and if you enjoy being involved in these kinds of organizations, you should look for them in the University. Also, it is well known that the amount of work and the difficulty of study vary from college to college; you can ask current students about the class difficulty in their universities. No one knows you better than you; look at yourself and what you really want. Probably the College Personality Quiz can help you to know what kind of college is better for you according to your personality.
If you are looking for a school that can adapt to your necessities, you’ll find it; don’t be afraid to ask and try to get many options. Click here if interested in more resources: Important References Remember, there’s a College just for you.