My Boarding School Blog

After high school graduation and all the partying has subsided and the time comes for you to take on the next level you find yourself a bit lost on the path you are headed to. Most American students face the same feeling right after graduating from high school, well for those who didn’t prepare thoroughly at least, finding the right college or university can be difficult when you are unprepared.

In the United States there are a lot of colleges and universities to choose from but not everyone can gain easy admission especially for the most prestigious ones like Harvard University, Yale and Princeton University. These top notch educational institutions are very selective and only highly qualified students are admitted.

It would be best to list a number of choices to be able to have a back up if in case you don’t get to the first few ones on top of your list. Prepare this list way before you graduate preferably a year from your graduation because the usual processing time for college applications take around 10 to 15 months.

The most important thing to assess before going through the process of selecting the right college or university for you is to choose what career or type of degree you want to take. Higher education is the key principle that will most likely determine what you are going to be as an independent adult. Higher education or a college degree is very useful in landing a job that can pay for the lifestyle you want to achieve in the future whether you plan on becoming a successful entrepreneur or a family man capable of providing for a family. A college degree will also add to your market value when you decide to become employed and join top ranking companies worldwide. Knowing your desired course or degree will be helpful in choosing the right school for you that can offer the best learning experience in the subject matter that you would want.

The next steps would be to assess the different factors that can contribute to your school selection like costs, location, environment, housing arrangements and school curriculum. These are all important factors to evaluate in choosing the right college or university. Are you thinking of living in a dorm? Are you comfortable in a sub urban community or do you want hustle and bustle of the city? Try to narrow your list down to those colleges and universities that best suits your needs and most of your wants because once you’ve made a decision you’ll be spending almost 4 to 5 years of your life there. It would be nice to have pleasant memories of your college experience to tell to your kids when you grow old.

Gather resources and inquire among friends regarding their experiences in their own college and university to gain enough knowledge on what it will feel like. You can go online and check out websites like Petersons, National Center for Education Statistics and University of North Texas.

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Ever wonder where famous celebrities and prominent leaders graduated from. What were they like when they were still in school? Are they already a promising star in high school or were they a late bloomer in college. It’s interesting to know how it’s like for prominent leaders such as President Obama or famous Hollywood actors such as Adam Sandler or George Clooney to picture how they study and be a normal student living the campus life.

Most of you would be surprised to know that not all Hollywood stars are school drop-outs. A beautiful face is not enough to ease your way to stardom as some of the most famous celebrity faces known for their glamour and good looks also has a college degree at hand. And besides good looks don’t last forever.

Among these pretty faces is Jodie Foster who enrolled in Yale and took Literature. She graduated with a B.A. degree and was awarded magna cum laude. The voluptuous catwoman, Halle Berry studied broadcast journalism in Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, Ohio. Friends star Courtney Cox graduated at Mount Vernon College finishing interior design and architecture.

Legally blonde movie actress, Reese Witherspoon, attended a university just like the character she played but not to study law rather to study English Literature at Stanford University. Behind the beautiful smiles of Natalie Portman lies an intelligent woman who graduated with a degree in Psychology from Harvard University. Alias star, Jennifer Garner attended Denison University studying chemistry and drama. Late night anchor comedian Conan O’Brien is an alumna of Harvard University and even in college he was already immersed in the comedy industry by being a contributing writer for the Harvard Lampoon humor magazine. Last but not the list on the Hollywood A-list would be the bombshell, Brooke Shields who proved that beauty is beyond skin deep one must have something to hold on to after the beauty fades away. She studied French literature and graduated with honors.

The most powerful and influential leaders of our time has endured endless nights in college too. United States President Obama graduated from Columbia University with Political Science as his major and took Law in Harvard Law School. He enjoyed many firsts as he became the first black president of the prestigious Harvard Law Review. Former president Bill Clinton was even on a scholarship in University of Oxford before he went to get his J.D. in Yale Law School. Warren Buffett, a successful American investor attended University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he received his diploma in just three years. He then applied to Harvard Business School but was rejected because he was too young. He finished his graduate studies in Columbia University.

Equally famous are sports athletes and many of the world renowned players we have are college graduates. To name a few, we have Tiger Woods who went to Stanford University but was not able to get his degree. Shaquille O’Neal got his degree from Louisiana State University and Michael Jordan who went to University of Carolina which he took up Geography. He left the university to enter into NBA but returned to finish his degree.

Many will contest that these famous stars and icons could have had made it big on their own using their talents, looks and skills alone but what most of them did was to finish their education and get that degree even though it looks as though they don’t need it anymore. Most people think that power, fame and success can replace the knowledge gained from school but we are mistaken, a good foundation will make a person standing tall when all the fame, beauty and opportunities fade away.

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A lot of students wonder why a college education is important. Parents also sometimes ponder if college is really necessary thinking of the costs and fees in pursuing higher education one cannot help but to stop and think twice if the importance of a college education is all worth the money and effort.

Building a career in life is a goal most students with a college education are aiming for. Better jobs after graduation are laid out for students with a college degree compared to high school graduates. Probably the main reason for taking up college is because it is the door that opens to a brighter future ahead in terms of employment, career and financial stability.

Education as many say is an investment that will yield greater returns in the future. A college degree propels careers in the right direction through a reputable university or educational institution. College education also develops a person into being a well rounded individual who knows how to get along with peers and colleagues of different personalities and diverse cultures. A college graduate develops skills in problem solving, reasoning and analytical thinking which is very essential in the real world. The oral examinations and case presentations help build confidence and enhance communication skills which will come handy for job interviews in the future.

Experiences in college are one of a kind and will last for a lifetime. The college life opens up a student’s mind to the vast world of different cultures, personalities and opportunities. Most graduates would say that the most significant part of their lives is those days they have spent in college. Friendships that are formed will last until one graduate and moves on to have a life of their own and in the course of their lives they will bump into each other with different life experiences but will always reminisce what they have shared in college.

Another important reason why college is important is because of the connections it builds to its students who in later life become one of the leaders or influential persons in society. Students who graduates from Harvard University, Yale and Princeton and become its alumni usually are the individuals who takes public offices, leads businesses and initiators of change.

For parents the gift of providing their children with a higher form of learning where he can cultivate his skills and talent is a gift on its own. Seeing their children graduate and become mature, responsible and well-rounded individuals who can potentially change lives and initiate change for the better is a fulfillment worth every cent that goes into that college education.

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The US is perceived to be the ideal destination for students from other countries to pursue their education. World class institutions like Harvard, Princeton and Yale are the emblem of excellence among the world’s best universities and colleges. These prestigious schools offer competitive curriculum and advanced technology combined with the best teachers highly specialized in different fields and courses. Professors in these institutions lead in advanced and cutting edge research published in respective journals.

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2010 showed Harvard University at the top. The rankings were powered by a reliable information provider, Thomson Reuters, which gathered data from extensive research in more 15 countries all over the world. Seven of the top 10 universities ranked showed educational institutions from the US namely, Harvard University (1), California Institute of Technology (2), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (3), Stanford University (4), Princeton University (5), University of California Berkeley (8), and Yale University (10).

The United States has a rich diverse culture that welcomes international students to easily adapt and fit in. Universities in the US offer various courses on an infinite array of study in different fields. Specialized courses are even offered only in the US. Accreditation is also an advantage of studying in America as most of the academic courses are accredited by international organizing bodies. Application of academic concepts is best practiced in training and these schools often provide affiliations with respective specialized institutions in the medical, science, political and education fields. Since higher education in the US is very prominent worldwide the US government gives a substantial financial budget to maintain its high quality of education. An estimated annual budget of US$71 billion was allocated for the US Department of Education for 2011.

Advanced technology and modern methods of teaching is practiced in colleges and universities in the US. Media and libraries are utilized to give students access to information they need in their studies. Libraries in these universities provide a vast resource for information and are made conducive to a learning environment. Campuses are situated in spacious grounds with facilities for recreation, social events and relaxation. Dormitories in universities foster the chance to interact with students from all over the world, build friendships that could last a lifetime and provide an all around learning experience of different cultures and ideology. Ideal academic curriculum, high quality teaching and advanced facilities don’t come cheap. Surely enrolling in these prestigious universities and colleges are expensive but good thing that there are many student loans available to help and aid these potential students to experience premiere education at its best.

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