At Marks Education, we never recommend that ranking dominates the conversation of where a student attends college. There are so many great schools out there, and each should be considered for its ability to provide a student with meaningful academic and professional experiences in a positive campus and social environment.
While academics are certainly an important factor to consider when choosing a college, campus life can be equally important. Almost all upper-level colleges can provide solid academic and professional opportunities, but not all have that warm campus feeling you might be looking for. Others might have fantastic programs but few clubs that interest you, disconnected residence life experiences, or terrible dining halls. While none of these factors may be, on their own, enough to disqualify a school from your interest, they’re still worthwhile to consider when making an informed decision about where you’ll spend the next four years. Read on to learn more about how campus life can shape your college experience.
Campus Culture
Campus culture is the backdrop against which your academic life takes place. No matter which school you attend, they all have their own sense of campus culture and community that may or may not be right for you. Your school environment shapes your daily interactions and everything from classroom dynamics to how you spend your weekends. That’s why it’s important that you research the school’s ” personality ” as you make your plans to apply.
There are many ways to try to gain a sense of the college’s personality. During college visits, pay attention to the bulletin boards, listen to campus radio stations, or check out their social media pages to gain some insight into what matters to the community. Check out our blog on how to do great college research for more information, but we find that students whose personal ethics align with their overall campus culture report stronger feelings of connection and greater satisfaction with their school of choice.
Living on Campus
The choice to live on campus represents much more than just where you’ll be sleeping. While the standards of living are certainly worth exploring in your campus research, in any case, whether you live in traditional dorms, apartment-style housing, or themed living-learning communities, your housing situation creates your immediate social network and influences your daily routines. The shared experiences of navigating communal living, negotiating with roommates, participating in activities, and building community in shared spaces help you develop interpersonal skills that will extend far beyond graduation, meaning it’s an incredibly important factor to consider.
Many students find that residential life provides them with some of their first opportunities to independently navigate complex social situations, develop conflict resolution skills, and learn to advocate for themselves. Some schools make it a point to help students living on campus foster these skills through resident advisors, community programming, and thoughtful housing policies, but even for commuter students, some campuses have programs designed to build community beyond the classroom intentionally, which are worth considering if this population applies to you.
Clubs and Extracurriculars
When choosing a college, it’s important to think outside of just job opportunities and course catalogs. While these things are certainly some of the most important factors to consider, a campus’ extracurriculars are great ways for students to tap into their interests and potentially gain quality professional experiences or perspectives.
Student organizations, clubs, performance groups, volunteering opportunities, and recreational activities provide an important counterbalance to academic pressures. They’re not only great ways for students to blow off steam, enjoy time with friends, and experience new things, but many students also often find themselves developing professional skills and earning leadership opportunities that might not be available in the traditional classroom.
As you further your college research, try to identify some out-of-the-classroom opportunities that interest you. Not only are these great things to mention in an application’s “Why Us?” Essay, but it can also help build your confidence that you’re choosing the right school.
Campus Resources
Campus resources should extend beyond just classroom walls. From cutting-edge laboratories to well-stocked libraries, writing centers, and academic support services, the facilities a college offers directly impacts your educational quality. However, equally important in terms of resources supporting student well-being are counseling centers, health services, recreation offices, and spiritual life programs.
The accessibility and quality of campus resources can significantly influence how students navigate challenges during their college experience. Increasingly, colleges recognize that academic success depends on supporting the whole student body, meaning that many have spent time expanding their mental health services, offering comprehensive wellness programs, and displaying more integrated approaches to student support.
As you research, we recommend that you seek out these resources to ensure your future campus has everything you need to succeed. Make sure that not only do these resources exist, but they’re also readily available to students during high-stress times– like finals.
Location
It’s common that a student researching colleges might underestimate how much the surrounding community integrates with campus life. However, a college’s urban, suburban, or rural setting is powerful in shaping activities, internship opportunities, cultural experiences, and even transportation. So, it’s important to spend time thinking about what environments you best thrive in and what you might want from your campus.
Urban campuses often offer more cultural attractions and professional networking opportunities that, while valuable to your future career, can lack the traditional sense of campus cohesion. Rural campuses might create the tighter-knit bond you’re looking for, but might also limit off-campus opportunities. This is just scratching the surface in terms of why the relationship between location and student choice matters, but we hope it gets you thinking about what different schools offer based on urban vs. rural or large vs. small. Learn more through this blog!
Conclusion
At Marks Education, we encourage students to look beyond academic rankings to understand how other factors impact their college experience. While the classroom should remain central to your college choices, the full campus experience is also worth considering if you hope to have a college experience that is as meaningful socially as it is professionally. The right college match connects you with a community that simultaneously challenges you and supports you!
Looking for assistance building a college list that suits your student’s “best fit?” Contact our counseling team for more information and a complimentary consultation!