Our Founder Gives Helpful Advice

Lately, many JLP students who are seniors in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties have received multiple acceptance letters and are confused on how to pick the right school for them. This prompted us to jot down some quick tips on how to handle this situation.

Now that you’ve gotten those college acceptance letters in, how do you choose?

Many high-school students send out numerous applications to many different schools. Some students stick with the standard two-safe and two-dream school formula, while others apply to as many as possible. So, what happens when students get accepted in to more schools than they anticipated? Here is JLP’s advice on picking the most suitable college:

· * Visit, visit, visit and stray from the beaten path. Take the recommended student-guided tour, but once that’s over, go explore the campus on your own. Most visitors can walk right in to the academic buildings where classes are being held; peek inside the classrooms. With out a guide, go to the main drag where the other kids hang out and talk to other students about their experiences.

· * Decide how close you want to be to your family. Financially, is it better to be next to or live with your family? Will you be able to afford flights home for all of the holidays? Decide how important staying close is to you.

· * Choose which region you prefer. Do you favor an urban or rural, tropical or seasonal environment? These are important factors to decide; remember that you will also be LIVING here for the next four years. This is the beginning of your formative adult years.

· * Determine whether you will need a part-time job while pursuing your academic studies. Is there enough work in the town where you will be living? Find out if there is a strong possibility for part-time employment or if you would qualify for a work-study program.

· * See if students are satisfied. Don’t just look at the school’s website to decide if students are happy. With all of the survey and review websites offered today (Yelp or Yahoo, or even more specific ones like College Confidential), you can view different opinions and interact with current students and alumni in order to ask real questions about your intended institution.

· * Find out if they offer your precise program of choice. If you know you may want to study something specific, you better make sure your future university offers a program for you.

· * Essentially, follow your GUT; go with your instincts and it will lead you to your perfect match.