[M.D. Holloway]

Don't go overseas till your 3rd year and then just do the fall.

When choosing a school you really have to think about what kind of person you are. Do you like action 24/7? Do you want a campus that is a city onto itself? Can you blend in with all sorts? Do you have a high tolerence for filth? Can you deal with large classes and being taught by a TA and not a prof? Then a State School is for you.

or

Do you want smaller clases thaught by a prof? Less varity of courses? Better dorms and better food? Smaller campus means more drama? Potential boondocks? Then maybe a small, private college is for you.

Pick 4 state bigs and 4 privates, 2 long shots (ivys or pseudo ivys) and a local community college in case you freak out or don't get in or can't decide. Vist the ones you get into.

Selection criteria - don't do a school sponsored tour! Find someone who already goes there and offer to buy lunch for an hour or 2 of their time:
1) Go on a Monday - check out the dorm bathrooms and staircases
2) Visit the Campus police and ask to see the arrest log (believe it or not it will give you a good sense of what went on over the weekend and will tell you how fun the school can be!)
3) Visit Greek Row (get a Pelican to contact his ol house and set you up!)
4) Check out the library, go to the reference librarian and ask for help on a specific topic (like the alloy selection of an oil cooled engine) and see how they treat you.
5) Find out where the students eat and sample such.


The school that gives you the best vibe will be your school. Remember, unless you are going to go to an Ivy, it really makes no diff were you went. If you do get to an Ivy then study a science or engineering and be prepared to work your arse off and then you won't get any better pay than a state dude but you will get a better knod for grad work. That won;t get you more money either but it does give you a few cents worth of bragging rights for about 3 years after you graduate then nobody gives a *****.