10 Things You Should Know about College Websites
One of the best resources for students thinking about college is the college website (or portal). Here you'll find the most distinctive and best features of each school—or at least what the college would like you to think are its best features. Here's what to do:
1. Surf the college. You might think you're going to the University of X, or X State, but actually all universities are made up of different entities called colleges (or sometimes schools). So for the best information, navigate to the college page of the university website—for example, the college of liberal arts, engineering, or business or the school of visual arts, hotel management, or buffalo herding. Sometimes these colleges will be named after famous people, in which case you'll have to look for the name of the guy who put up the $100 million for the naming rights—e.g., the John G. Hoofalos College of Literature, Science, and the Arts.
2. Tab to the tabs. The main information you'll need should be under one of these tabs or buttons at the top of the page: ADMISSIONS, ACADEMICS, RESEARCH, and CAMPUS LIFE. Be sure to start with them. Also, be on the lookout for tabs for both PROSPECTIVE (or FUTURE) STUDENTS and CURRENT STUDENTS. There's usually much better information for those already at the college than for those thinking they might like to go there.
3. Scour the admissions area. Here you'll find out essential matters about the admissions requirements, application procedures, deadlines, and that all-important info about financial aid. You'll be able to guess if you can get in and, once in, whether you'll be able to afford to stay.
4. Scope out the "extras." Take a peek at the special programs at the college—for example, the first-year experience (FYE) course or freshman seminar, the honors college, the study-abroad program, and any community service ("service learning") and internship opportunities. These differ widely from college to college and can be a good gauge of the mission and focus of the college, as well as of how many bucks it has to spend on such programs. And while these might seem like "extras," they could be some of the most valuable educational experiences you're going to have at college.
Extra Pointer.
And while you're at it, how about the free services offered up every year: the writing center, the academic advancement center, the tutoring service, the health service and counseling center, and the center for students with disabilities? All of these could be valuable to you and could be a measure of how many resources the college has.
5. Bone up on the requirements. Many colleges have a number of courses that you are required to take—sometimes called core courses or general education (gen. ed.) requirements. And if that weren't enough, there are distribution requirements—different areas of study (for example, humanities, social science, science) in which you have to take a specified number of classes. Carefully consider how many such "must do" courses there are and how restrictive a college program you're buying into. It's well worth knowing in advance just how much force-feeding you'll be subjected to.
6. Check out the majors. Some schools might have only about 20 majors, while others can list as many as 354. So, especially if you have a field you think you'd like to learn about, it's important to check to see that the college actually teaches that area. You'd be amazed at how often some hapless student arrives at college only to find that it doesn't have the major he or she planned on taking.
Four-Star Tip.
And while you're thinking about majors, it'd be a good idea to click on the link for the department home page for that major. There you'll find a list of requirements for that major, a list of the faculty who teach in that major, and, with any luck, some course pages with actual syllabuses. Check out what the faculty teach and what they think about in their research.
7. Cruise the course schedule. Colleges have two kinds of listings for the courses taught. One is the course catalog, which lists every possible course offered at the school—a sort of history of all courses that have ever been taught and a hope chest for ones that might be taught. The other is the course schedule, a listing of the courses actually offered in a given semester (e.g., Fall 2008, Winter 2009). Concentrate on the course schedule. Ask yourself: How many courses are being taught, how big are the courses, how many hours a week do they meet, and are they lectures or discussions (or both)?
Extra Pointer.
At some (more secretive) schools, the course schedule is password protected. If you can't get to the course schedule, wait till you visit the campus and then ask a student if he'll log in to let you see the course schedule. (Promise that you won't peek at grades and personal E-mail. Or maybe your accomplice can watch over your shoulder while you surf the schedule.)
8. Assess the atmosphere. Colleges have met YouTube. So at many college websites, you'll find professional-level videos offering you "tours of the campus." These videos will give you a pretty good idea of the things the school wants to highlight—their shiny new buildings, modern labs, lovely student center, enormous football stadium, beautifully landscaped lawns, and enticing offerings at the food court. Enjoy the tour, but take it with a grain of salt. They never show you the overflowing toilets in the dorms, the lectures with 1,000 people in them, and the buckets under the leaks in the up-for-demolition psych building.
9. Go clubbing. It's always nice to see what kinds of student clubs a college has. You might just be dying to join the Jews for Jesus or the Wiccans, the Young Green Republicans or the Democrats for Ron Paul, the Rock/Paper/Scissors Club or the Death Cab for Cutie fan club. And, even if you don't want to join in on the fun, the information will give you a better feel for what's going on at the school and what the students are like.
10. Start the conversation. Sign up to receive information. This will place you on the school mailing list, which puts you on the college radar screen. Some schools will communicate via snail mail and others will simply send you periodic emails to keep you interested in what they have to offer. The other advantage is that college reps will have your name when they come visiting the area. You may be invited to presentations or even to lunch depending on the rep’s schedule or particular agenda. It never hurts to show interest and signing up for basic information from a school is a good first step toward establishing a conversation.
Francine Schwartz is the Founder of Pathfinder Counseling LLC.