The Foreign Service Journal, June 2007

J U N E 2 0 0 7 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 75 S CHOOLS S UPPLEMENT empties out on evenings and week- ends. 5. Going straight to med school, or temporarily dabbling? Do you have definite career plans, or do you want to take varied subjects before deciding on a path? What subjects are important to you? Do the col- leges you’re considering offer many specialized classes in these subjects? Can you have a double major? One of the beauties of the American college system is that at most institutions, you do not need to declare a major course of study until the end of your sophomore year. That gives you time to “try on” certain subjects and see what appeals to you. Of course, colleges vary widely in requirements. Many will require you to stay within the bounds of a core curriculum for the first two years, and once you declare a major, you may well have more specialized require- ments to fulfill. But for most American college students, there will be room for interesting electives. If you know what career you want, start researching it. Ask professionals you admire where they went to school. Conversely, ask universities with these programs what their grad- uates are doing now. In the case of visual or performing arts majors, you will have to put together a portfolio or arrange an audition. Check now on any unusual admissions requirements such as advanced high school courses, AP test scores or SAT subject tests. 6. Co-ed or single sex? The majority of college students nowa- days attend school in a co-ed environ- ment, and the number of same-sex colleges has dwindled. Still, a small contingent of all-women’s and all- men’s colleges is going strong. Those who advocate them point to sharper focus on academics and, particularly for women, the opportunity for lead- ership in traditionally male-dominat- ed fields. Or maybe you just don’t like sharing bathrooms with the opposite sex! But just as often, gender has noth- ing to do with it. Nancy Huemer, a freshman at Barnard College, says, Do political and religious diversity matter to you, or would you feel more comfortable with people, well, just like you?