What All College Bound Students Should Think About

People in search of a new home are often told that the three most important factors are location, location, and location.  Students in search of their ideal college should keep that in mind, as it can greatly help them to narrow their search.  Students can also learn from the experiences of their peers who are just a bit older.

For the last several years, the trend has been that the majority of New Jersey students who leave the state to attend college do not go far away.  The “top 10” most popular colleges with Garden State students are all within a relatively easy drive: Penn State University, The University of Delaware, Drexel University, New York University (NYU), Villanova University, Temple University, Saint Joseph’s University, Syracuse University, Lehigh University and the University of Maryland at College Park.  So college bound students would do well to start the search for their dream school by touring these schools that have, year after year, attracted thousands of their peers.

Students should also think about the environment they find most appealing: urban, suburban or rural.  Those who have dreamed of attending college in a big city should start their search in New York City (NYU, Fordham, St. John’s, Pace), and continue on to Philadelphia (UPenn, Drexel, St. Joseph’s, Temple) and Boston (Boston U, Northeastern). Those who prefer a more serene environment will find a host of institutions in the countryside of New Jersey’s neighboring states.  

Since a main purpose of attending college is to prepare for a future career, students should focus on those schools that offer an exemplary program in their field of study.  There is certainly no shortage of top colleges in the northeast for any particular major. 

Students seeking to major in business can aim high with exemplary programs at several Ivy League universities in nearby states:  Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Cornell, and the University of Pennsylvania.  Other highly respected business programs are offered at Georgetown, Carnegie Mellon, Penn State, and locally at Rutgers University.

Those seeking a career in nursing might consider Boston College, Johns Hopkins, NYU, Villanova, and the nearby, highly regarded, College of New Jersey.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with staying in-state to attend college, and about 45% of New Jersey students do so.  New Jersey is home to eleven public four-year colleges and universities where students can take advantage of in-state tuition.  Rutgers University, alone, enrolls about 65,000 students annually. New Jersey also boasts 14 private colleges and universities, including Princeton University, which is often ranked as the premiere college in the country. So high school students do not need to embark on a major road trip to begin their college search!

Susan Alaimo is the founder of SAT Smart. For the past 25 years, SAT Smart’s Ivy League educated tutors have prepared students for the PSAT, SAT, ACT, Subject Tests, AP courses, and all high school subjects. Visit www.SATsmart.com or call 908-369-5362.