How to Choose the Best International College

Getting admission to an international college is exciting. The big campus, huge college building, solemn lecture rooms, sophisticated laboratories, big dorms and the colorful atmosphere may intensely attract you at the first glance. However, before you hurriedly choose a reputed international college, you should ask yourself and the college some questions to decide whether the college is really right for you. The college may have a good repute, but whether you will fit there is an important thing to consider. Let us see what factors you should think upon while choosing the best international college.

It is very important that you feel comfortable during your education, because only then you can make the most of your course. Take a tour of the college campus you wish to take admission to. Talk to other students, visit the library, eat in the cafeteria and check the housing facilities for students. This will give you an idea if you will really like the college atmosphere and will enjoy your course.

It is also important to find out all the costs you will pay for your course, like tuition fees, costs of books, fees for library, lab and computers, travel expenses, etc. And then comparing them with the financial aid you will get is necessary. Ensure that you understand the type of the aid you are awarded and when and how you are expected to pay it back.

Many colleges require candidates to give entrance exams to get admission. If your desired college has an entrance exam, inquire well about it and prepare for it. Inquire how these exams are scored and how perfectly you can make preparation for them. The result of such exams will decide the courses you can take.

The requirements of class credits for graduation differ from college to college. E.g. some colleges may focus on the required courses in your major, whereas some others may need you to have a broader education and a great extent of electives outside your major. Understand how many courses are needed within and outside your major and also ask if this can be flexible.

Learning about the class structure of courses for your degree program can help you select environment which makes the best use of your learning preferences. If you prefer personalized attention and a straight access to professors, small class size is better.

If you want to take a particular course, inquire well about its availability in the college. Some colleges do not offer certain courses at ever semester or it may be difficult to get into the course due to the limited size of the class. Find out the possibility of your entry to the course and landing on waitlists. Waiting for the classes while you are in college is wastage of time and money. Understanding the limitations of the course schedule of the college helps you plan better around these hindrances or help you determine if this is the right college of your desired course.

The average graduation rate of colleges is 60 to 80 percent. If the college you are planning to take admission to has a graduation rate below this, it may be a red signal for you. Find out also how long it takes for students to earn a degree. If the graduation rate is low, it is possible that there is something wrong with the college system. Finding out the overall graduation rate and that for your major will help you better estimate the efficacy of the college.

Some colleges employ teaching assistants on the jobs of teaching freshman courses. Enquire about this and if freshman courses are taught by teaching assistants, talk to other students about whether the teaching quality is good.

This is also important because different colleges use different teaching methods, like lectures, fieldwork, group discussions and so on. The more varied the methods, the better it is for you to understand the topic and level of enjoyment in learning.

Online courses are getting increasingly popular these days. If you want the flexibility associated with online courses, find out if the college offers them. They are the best for students with a busy schedule and save money and time.

You learn to earn. Therefore it is necessary to find out about the earning opportunities after the completion of your course and whether the college will be actively helping you in this matter. Inquire about the job placement options the college will offer.

In addition to these questions, many other questions may come to your mind. Don’t hesitate to ask them, because choosing an international college is a big commitment. Ensure that you are well-informed before choosing one.

This article is helped by ETC International College.