怎样选择一所适合你的大学

The college search doesn't have to begin and end with the Ivies and the name brand schools. There are many schools out there to choose from — some known and some less known, all worthy of your attention. Here's some advice for trying to find the school that works for you.
大学的搜索不必开始和结束于常青藤和名校。除此之外还有很多的学校可以选择—— 有的听说过，有的少有人知，都值得你的关注。这里是一些尝试帮助你找到合适学校的建议。

1. Start with who you are and why you are going.
1、开始于“你是谁”，“你要做什么”

You need to examine yourself and your reasons for going to college before you start your search. Why, really, are you going? What are your abilities and strengths? What are your weaknesses? What do you want out of life — something tangible or intangible?
在开始你的搜索前，你需要测试自己，问自己准备去上大学的理由。为什么，你真的要去吗？你的才能和强项是什么？你的弱点是什么？生活之外你需要什么？——有形的和无形的。

Are you socially self-sufficient or do you need warm, familial support? Talk with your family, friends and high-school counselors as you ask these questions. The people who know you best can help you the most with these important issues.
你是喜欢自己一个人呆着，还是喜欢温暖，需要家庭的支持？在你问这些问题的时候和你的家人、朋友、高中的学习顾问谈谈。越了解你的人越能在这些重要问题上帮助你。

2. Size matters: Your college does not have to be bigger than your high school.
2、大小问题：你的大学不必大于你的高中

Most good liberal arts colleges have a population of fewer than 4, 000 for a reason; college is a time to explore, and a smaller community is more conducive to internal exploration. It is not the number of people, but the people themselves and the kind of community in which you will learn that really matters. Many large universities have established honors colleges within the larger university for these same reasons.
大多数好的文理学院有它们的理由使学生人数小于4,000；大学是一段探索的时光，一个小型的群体更利于内部的探索。不在于人数，而你在的学校的师生群体才是真正关键的。许多大型的大学因为同样的原因，在内部建立了荣誉学院。

3. A name-brand college will not guarantee your success.
3、一个名牌学校并不能保证你的成功

Think about the people in your life who are happy and successful and find out where (and if) they went to college. Ask the same about famous people. You will likely find that success in life has less to do with the choice of college than with the experiences and opportunities encountered while in college, coupled with personal qualities and traits.
想一想生活中你认识的快乐和成功的人，然后找出他们在哪上的大学（或者是否上了大学）。同样对你认识的名人问这些问题。你很可能会发现：选择一所大学对人生成功的重要性，要小于在大学中的经历和意外的机遇，还有个人的个性特点。

Employers and graduate schools are looking for outstanding skills and experience, not college pedigree. As you search for colleges, ask about student outcomes; you will find many colleges that outperform the Ivies and "name brands, " even though you may have never heard of them! Visit the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) for help on sorting through the information and for great questions to ask when visiting and choosing a college.
雇主和本科学校找的是杰出的技能和经历，而不是学校背景。当你选择学校的时候，问一问学校毕业生走向，你会发现许多学校比常青藤和名牌学校做得更好，即使你都没听说过它！访问NSSE寻求帮助来分类整理信息，也作为挑选和访问学校的一个好问题。

4. You don t need to pick a major to pick a college.
4、你不用因为考虑专业而挑选一所学校

Very few high-school students have enough information or experience to choose a major. You need the variety and depth of college coursework to determine your interest and aptitude. Most college students change their minds two or three times before they settle on a major, and they can still graduate in four years! Being undecided is a good thing and will leave you open to more academic experiences.
高中学生很少有足够的信息和经历去挑选一个专业。你需要多样和深度的大学课程来决定你的兴趣和倾向。多数大学学生在确定下一个专业之前改变过两到三次，但是他们仍然能在4年之内毕业！没有决定是一件好事，他可以让你开阔更多的学术经历。