The Foreign Service Journal, June 2007

76 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / J U N E 2 0 0 7 S CHOOLS S UPPLEMENT “The main reasons I chose Barnard were its location in New York City, its affiliation with Columbia, and its strong academic record.” And what U.S. college was ranked by U.S. News and World Report as the most diverse college on the East Coast? Wellesley — an all-women’s college. In addition, going to a women’s or men’s college doesn’t mean you will never see the opposite sex. Most sin- gle-sex colleges schedule regular intercollegiate social events, and many have a course-sharing arrange- ment with other colleges in the area. For example, Barnard and Columbia students share cross-registration. Smith and Mt. Holyoke students can take classes at Amherst, Hampshire and the University of Massachusetts, all part of the acclaimed five-college consortium in Massachusetts’s Pio- neer Valley. 7. Is it about the money? Will financial aid factor heavily into your decision? Is admission need-blind at the colleges you’re considering? (“Need-blind” means that your finan- cial need does not factor into the admissions decision.) If financial aid is important to you, you may not want to apply on an early-decision basis anywhere. Why not? Because E.D. means that you are legally bound to attend that col- lege if you are accepted, regardless of what financial aid offer they make. Although colleges pledge to meet your financial need even if you’ve applied E.D., the fact remains that financial aid offers vary from school to school. (Early Decision, however, does give you an edge in being admit- ted — so weigh your options accord- ingly.) Early Action, on the other hand, is not binding. If you apply to 6 to 10 schools, both Early Action and Regular Decision, and you have cho- sen them well (so that you don’t have too many “reach” schools but more “match” and “safety” schools), you should have an array of financial aid offers to choose from. Finally, your financial situation may determine that you will apply only to those schools where you are considered an in-state resident. If your family has been living overseas, it’s very important to review state res- idency requirements carefully to avoid any nasty surprises (see Resources, p. 84). Public universities often feature an honors program that has the atmosphere of a challenging small liberal arts college within a large state university — a great option for smart kids on a strict budget! And don’t for- get the military service academies or ROTC, which pay your tuition in exchange for military service. Also, even if you believe your fam- ily’s resources will only cover in-state tuition, consider adding some private colleges or universities to your list and applying for financial aid. Sometimes the difference in price tags is not as much as you might think after scholarships and loans are fac- tored in. 8. Are you quirky? Four years of traditional liberal arts and sciences provide a great education for most students, but some people march to a different drummer. If you’re one of them, there are colleges out there just for you. How do you feel about taking one class at a time — living and breathing just one subject for a month of field trips, lectures, discus- sions and multi-media presentations? This is what a college with a “block plan,” such as Colorado College, offers. Tired of people telling you what classes to take? Schools like Hamp- shire College and Sarah Lawrence College let you design your own cur- riculum. At the other extreme, St. John’s University requires a classical education for all four years of college, where you will get to know the great minds throughout history through readings in humanities, sciences and music. Are you way, way past high school and ready for college right now? Simon’s Rock College allows gifted high school students to start college early. At Deep Springs College, a two- year school, members of the all-male student body (each of whom receive full scholarship) are up before dawn running a farm as part of their com- pletely self-sustaining lifestyle, in addi- tion to studying and taking classes. In a nutshell — if you’re quirky, there’s a quirky school out there for you! 9. Do you have special needs such as Attention Deficit Hyper- activity Disorder, dyslexia, pro- cessing issues or learning disabil- ities? Most colleges and universities now have learning support programs for mainstream special needs, such as ADHD or dyslexia. To get full use of your college’s resources, you will need to supply the college with med- ical and psycho-educational reports. Unsupported special needs can detract from your college experience, so plan carefully. Make sure you not only have support on campus, but are prepared to use outside coaches, spe- cialists and counseling if necessary to help you stay on track. Bear in mind that there may be more outside resources in urban or affluent areas. Some colleges and universities are specifically geared toward special needs students, such as Landmark College in Vermont (a two-year pro- gram). 10. Are you a super-jock? Will you participate in college athletics? Schools are classified under Divisions 1, 2 and 3, with Division 1 generally being the most focused on recruiting star athletes. For full guidelines on Choosing a college near relatives can be a win-win situation. Continued on page 80