Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Finding Your Fit!


Happy November everyone! Fall is the busiest time of year in the Admissions Office--Chelsea and I have been visiting high schools, going to college fairs, and we've just finished up our big Open House...you can see the awesome Lion Ambassadors in full LA gear at the Open House in the picture! So now...we're taking a minute to breathe!


I wanted to talk to all of you about the importance of a college visit. This doesn't solely apply to Penn State, but to any college that you're thinking of attending. Before you fill out an application, MAKE SURE you go visit that college! See what it's like...talk to the people...talk to the students...eat the food!! I know that sounds silly, but that's food that you're going to be eating every day, so you should make sure you like it. Doing research on web sites is great, as is looking through brochures. But did you ever notice that on web sites and brochures, the weather is always sunny, flowers are always blooming, and everything just looks perfect? Those things are definitely true, but they are the very best of what a school has to offer--it's important that you go there for yourself and see the worst! Check out ALL of the buildings, see some classrooms, TALK TO STUDENTS! Students are the best resource!


They've done studies that show that within about 3 minutes of being on a college campus, you can get a sense for whether or not you feel like you "fit" there. "Fit" has to do with a lot of things--location, size, and most importantly, how you FEEL there. You wouldn't spend $50 on a pair of jeans that didn't fit you right--there's no reason to spend thousands of dollars on a college education at a place that doesn't fit you right!


That said, Penn State York has lots of opportunities to visit! You can take part in our "Be a Penn State Student for a Day" program, where you get to shadow a student for a day! Give our office a call if you'd like to come visit!


Have a great fall!

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