Expand Your College Options

i am really stressing out on applying to colleges right now and i really need some advice. I want to go to pharmacy school (University of the pacific) but i have a 3.4 GPA and i do not think i can get in

what should i do so that they will accept me and my GPA will not matter as much? I do track and field. I mad the Varsity team freshman year and i got Most Valuable Player my junior year. Will that help?

Faiza of CA 10:19PM September 25, 2008

So many parents and children panic about getting into the "right" college/university. In my career, which has involved dropping out of college for a while, returning as a transfer student and graduating from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU); working in and/or researching corporations, education, and nonprofit organizations, and getting my PhD in sociology from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign.

College choice is not a life or death decision. I know people from top schools who haven't really succeeded in any way (not a lot of money, nor happy with their job) and others from very unknown colleges who have done very well. I'm not saying that what school you attend has no effect. The difference between, say, most community colleges and top schools are very clear. But the difference between your first choice and your last may not be as large as you think, and is only one factor among many that will affect your career. Others include how well you do at that school; how much effort you put into pursuing your field in terms of internships, networking, pursuing professional activities, etc.; not to mention what is going on in the world at a particular time!

The most important thing is to determine what most interests you, and find the best college/university that you can that fits both those interests and your pocketbook. Then go to school, and continue to evaluate your interests, and career options, as you learn.

The only reason to panic about college is if you are kinda like George W. Bush; you are a C student, and have your heart set on the presidency. You usually can't do that without a top school and associated connections. However, it may not work anyway, say if you don't have the "right" family, who knows the "right" people, etc.

In some cases, a student may have to choose between full financial aid at a lesser school, and much less funding at a highly ranked school. That is a personal decision that only you can make. Certainly not having to worry about funding will allow you to make more of your academics, pursue more interests, etc. On the other hand, your level of intellect may demand that you go with the more expensive school. A state/public school offers cheaper tuition, but frequently larger courses. On the other hand, if one is careful about choosing classes, one can limit that effect. There are many ways to manage cost versus quality.

The way that I pursued college allowed me to get into a higher ranked school than I might have otherwise; I was a transfer student. After dropping out of undergrad initially, I went back home, worked and took community college classes, I then applied to CMU (sometimes called an "honorary" ivy league). They could see that I had gained some life experience, and was focused on my goals, and therefore likely to do well. Of course, most parents will resist this path! And many undergrads don't want to leave friends in the middle. However, these are some options, depending on your situation.

Expense was kept down overall by attending CMU for only 2 1/2 years. Also, I had chosen a major in high demand (information systems), and when I graduated I was hired immediately for $30,000 (equivalent of $50,000 today). I did take out loans, about $28,000. On the other hand, it was much less than if I had attended for four years, and it was a very good return on investment. My payment was about $300 per month. Additionally, not having to work too much allowed me to pursue my degree more vigorously.

If you want to be assured that you will work after you graduate, look investigate professions that are in high demand. Some of the high demand areas may look a little boring; are "green collar", environmentally-related jobs; nursing; accounting/corporate finance; and information systems.

However, there are a variety of jobs each of these areas. One could work doing engineering, communications, or advocacy work in "green collar" jobs. One could do accounting in a corporation; work as a "forensic accountant," investigating potentially laundered money; or doing accounting and budgeting for a university. In information systems, one could work alone doing programming for a variety of applications, from games to web pages; or have a job with more interaction with people doing business analysis to determine software design. A nurse can work in the operating room; with individual patients in the traditional role; or do medical records analysis. In most of these positions, one can work anywhere in the country.

However, the most important thing for career development is that one *genuinely* is interested in, and loves, their work. For me, that has been the best guarantee of getting good positions.

So, don't panic over college. Instead, focus developing your interests and your talents (need to have both in your area!) get into the best college you can, then work diligently, play and enjoy your experience.

Good luck!!

Lara

Lara of MD 5:02PM August 25, 2008