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Surefire Strategies for Finding the Right College

By Jorine Johnson, Director of Admissions | Posted on Thursday, June 29, 2023

Most students wrestle with the answer to the question of what they want to do after college. This common conversation piece involves some really big life considerations: career, faith, family, hobbies, hopes, goals, and dreams. Yet the question is not so much about what you will do, but rather who you are becoming. Those four years (or two years if you’re transferring credits) will shape your life. The friends you make in college, the professors that help nurture your curiosity, and the learning environment you’re in are the building blocks to your future. At Northwest, we are here to come alongside you and provide some tips that will help you in this journey.

Arrange a Campus Visit

Many schools offer helpful, daylong preview experiences. If an individual visit is more your thing, you can meet with an admissions counselor and tour the campus. Campus visits are opportunities to explore the community—attending chapel, sitting in classes, and even meeting with faculty in your intended major. During your visit, get to know the college community who can answer authentically to the following questions:

  • Will my professors actually invest and mentor me—in and out of the classroom?
  • What are current students saying about their college experience?
  • Will I be closer in following Jesus upon graduating from college?
  • Are these the people who will genuinely care for me while I’m away from home?

I recommend coming for the full in-person visit option to really get the immersive experience of campus. You can take a look at all our visit options by visiting northwestu.edu/visit.

Get to Know Your Admissions Counselor

When I was seventeen and looking at colleges, I felt intimidated meeting my admissions counselor. I didn’t have great experiences with salespeople in general, and I didn’t realize how helpful an admissions counselor could be. True to their name, an admissions counselor is there to help counsel students to find the right fit for their college experience. It helps no one when students are left disappointed in their experience and transfer out. Getting to know your admissions counselor can help narrow your search in finding the right college experience for you.

This is why visiting college can be helpful. Not only calling your admissions counselor, but meeting your admissions counselor in person is really important. Admissions counselors provide a wealth of information and knowledge of campus life, the application process, resources like scholarship opportunities, and who to introduce you to for further connections.

Find your admissions counselor based on where you live at northwestu.edu/admissions/contact.

Embrace New Experiences

The years ahead are a time to stretch, grow, and refine yourself. Explore how you’ll find meaningful community, leadership opportunities, clubs and organizations, and spiritual formation. Look for faculty who are accomplished scholars and staff who are practiced educators. Internships can open extraordinary doors if the college is locally well-connected and centrally located.

Determining the right college is an important financial investment for the future, and the return includes tangible outcomes like launching into a strong career and developing critical skills. But the other outcomes, such as community and relationships, are just as important. “Even more interesting to me as a psychologist and as a human being is life satisfaction,” says Dr. Sarah Drivdahl, Northwest University provost. “College grads have much higher life satisfaction. They’re happier, they’re healthier, and they even live longer.”[1] Not to mention the eternal impact of students’ faith and the critical development that takes place at a Jesus-first university like Northwest.

If you’d like to explore how Northwest University could be a great fit for your college experience, contact us today at northwestu.edu/visit.

 

[1] Drivdahl, Sarah. “Does College Still Matter.” Pursuit Magazine. Spring 2022 Edition. Retrieved from July 29, 2022, from https://www.northwestu.edu/assets/documents/pursuit/pursuit-spring-2022.pdf.