Keys to Transfer Success

The following is a list of Characterists to consider when choosing a college to attend.

Size - A college's size is most often determined by the number of students it has. A college's overall size can affect class size, social life, availability of courses and resources, the range of activities, and your opportunity to participate in them.

Location - Is the college close to home or far away? Is the college near an airport, train station, or bus station? How do you get to it? Is the college near anyone you know? Is the weather warm or cold, rainy or dry? What activities are near the college (museums, sports events, hiking, and so forth)?

Setting - A college's immediate surroundings make up its setting. College settings are usually described as urban, suburban, small town, and rural. Setting also refers to the campus. Does the campus have a lake or a pond? Is it flat or hilly? Is it wooded? What style is its architecture? Is the campus big or small? Is the campus spread out or are the buildings close together? How far are the classroom buildings and the library from student housing or the parking lots?

Cost - College costs vary quite a lot. Whether you attend a two-year or a four-year college affects your costs, as do other factors, such as whether you choose a public college or a private college.

Financial assistance - Some colleges can offer more support than others. Whether you can afford a particular college depends on more than its costs. Your true cost is also based on how much financial assistance you receive. As you gather information, try to learn how many students receive assistance from the colleges in which you are interested and what types of assistance they receive.

Available majors - Most colleges, especially large universities, offer many academic programs. Some specialize in areas such as performing arts, religious studies, culinary arts, or technology. Colleges have different strengths. Academic opportunity- At many colleges, once you are accepted, you can major in whatever area you want. However, some areas of study, like engineering and nursing, may be limited to a certain number of students. Therefore, checking any restrictions a college may have on your favorite program is a very important part of gathering information.

Student-faculty ratio - A relatively easy piece of information to find is the number of students at a college for each faculty member. This ratio is often used to indicate the opportunities that students have to interact with their professors. At a college with a 13:1 student-faculty ratio, you are likely to have more access to professors than at a college with a 25:1 ratio.

The faculty - How many faculty members have advanced degrees? Are most classes taught by full-time professors, by their assistants, or by part-time faculty? Who has received research, writing, or teaching awards? Do any departments receive more of these awards? Are any of the departments recognized nationally when compared to departments at other colleges?

Accreditation - In order to drive a car, you must earn your license by showing the Department of Motor Vehicles that you meet a set of standards. In a similar way, a college earns its accreditation by showing it has met certain standards. One type of accreditation is the kind the college earns as a whole. The college shows that it meets standards for its educational program, the services it provides, and its facilities. Accreditation is important to a student because it ensures access to federal financial aid programs and it provides a vehicle for transfer of courses between colleges. NDSCS is accredited by the Higher LearningCommission-A Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, the largest of the national accrediting associations. Several programs such as nursing, automotive, dental, etc. also are accredited which means their curriculum and faculty meet national standards.

College facilities - The buildings and other facilities on the college campus are an important factor when you are comparing colleges. Are the buildings in good shape? Are classrooms comfortable? If you are going to live on campus in a dormitory, how big are the rooms? How close to the classroom buildings are they? How are the heating and air-conditioning systems throughout the campus? Is the library up-to-date? Is it crowded? Are the chairs comfortable for studying? Does it have electronic resources as well as books? Do science and technology labs have modern equipment? Can you easily set up your computer in your room? Is it easy to access the Internet from different places on campus? What are the athletic facilities like? How many dining halls are there and where are they located? Where is the student union (a center of activity for students) located and what facilities does it have? Health-care facilities- Learn what facilities are on campus in case you get sick or have health concerns such as asthma or diabetes. Is medical care available 24 hours a day? What kind of health insurance does the college offer? Where are hospitals located? Are there any hospitals on campus? Does the college charge for health-care services? If so, how much? Campus security- How much crime, and what kind, takes place on campus? Is the college well lit at night? Does the college have an escort service to walk students across campus at night? Does the college have its own security force? How easy is it to reach them? Are emergency phones readily available if you need to dial for help? How well protected are the parking lot and bike racks? How secure are the buildings where students live?

Transportation - If you plan to live on campus, you might have questions about how easy it is to get from campus to nearby shopping, entertainment, or airports. Does the college provide buses or other transportation? Are parking spaces available to students who live on campus? If you plan to live off campus and commute to class, you will also want to know about public transportation and parking spaces. You may want to know how close buses or trains come to campus, how often they run, what hours they run, and how much they cost. If you plan to drive to campus, you should know how much a parking permit costs, how crowded parking lots are, and their distance from classrooms, the library, and other facilities you would regularly use.

Diversity - College gives you a unique opportunity to interact closely with people whose experiences and outlook are different from your own. Many colleges try to attract students who represent the diversity of our population.

Religion - Many colleges have interfaith chapels that serve many denominations. They may also have advisors for specific religious groups. You will want to know whether services for your own faith are held on campus or in the community.

Students with special needs - If you are disabled or have other special circumstances, get the information you need early on about how the college can help you. Most colleges have offices or counselors who can work with you to solve or prevent problems. Many colleges provide help for students whose first language is not English. Other factors are important as well. For example, students who have learning disabilities may prefer small classes. Challenge and reputation- Some colleges are harder than other colleges. Courses are tougher, the workload is heavier, and competition is stiffer. One way to judge the difficulty of a course is to look at the skill level needed for taking the course.

Student activities - What clubs does the college have? Do many guest speakers and performers come to the college? What opportunities does the college have for you to get involved? Will you be able to act in a play or sing in a chorus? Will you be able to be active with student government? Can you become active with a college newspaper or other publication? If you like sports, will you be able to play with a college-sponsored team? Are there intramural sports available?

Your overall feeling for the college - Some colleges may not feel right to you no matter how many strengths they have. Others have weaknesses but still feel right to you. At some point ask yourself: "What does my heart tell me about the college? Does it feel like a place where I would like to be?" You may receive lots of advice from others and, in some cases, pressure to go one place or another. Certainly the views of others are important. But at some point you must listen to your own inner voice and whether it says to you, "This college will be great for me!"

Excerpt taken from The Kids' College Almanac, Third Edition, by Barbara C. Greenfeld and Robert A. Weinstein (JIST Works, © 2005). The authors' intent with this book is to counter the misinformation that junior high and high school students get about college, so that fewer of them will dismiss college attendance without having any real information.