When it’s time to start researching your primary choices for a college or university to attend, there are several steps that you’ll want to take in order to ensure that you’re getting a fair view of the academics, social life, etc. Talking to a professor is a great move, but making your decision entirely based on what that one professor said would be very unwise. Attempt to research the college in a variety of ways and look at many different aspects of college life.
Your first step will be to get prospective student materials. Those are the packets that the schools send out to the interested students; they have information ranging from size of the campus to possible scholarships. All of this will help you in your decision. Next, talk to someone from admissions. They will know all of the details that you’re trying to figure out and can also put you in touch with your next resource, a professor or department head. Talking to the head of your particular area of interest can be very helpful! Next, look online at statistics for the school, articles regarding them, and a variety of other information that you may find. Finally, start talking to people. Current students, former students, and alumni will all be able to give you a first-hand perspective on what the school was really like.