Sample Four

　　Directions:

　　You are going to read a list of headings and several selections from the “Top Ten Worst Reasons” for selecting a college. Choose the most suitable heading from the list AF for each numbered paragraph (15). There is one extra heading which you do not need to use. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. (10 points)

　　[A] They’ve offered me the most scholarship money.

　　[B] It’s the cheapest.

　　[C] It’s a great party school.

　　[D] They’re ranked number one in the “Moron’s Guide to Colleges and universities.”

　　[E] “I know I’ll get in.”

　　[F] They offer the hottest “WhoWantsToBeaMillionaireByAge25” major.

　　“It’s where my boyfriend or girlfriend is going.”

　　Get real! If the relationship ends, you may find yourself scratching your head, trying to figure out how you ended up at a college that doesn’t suit you in any way. If the relationship survives, the distraction might just affect your grades and /or stifle your social life. Either way, you’ll most likely find yourself wishing you’d given your college choice more serious thought.

　　1.It’s important to pick a school that has an active campus life, whether you plan to live on campus or commute. A major part of your college experience, after all, will come from interacting with other students in clubs, organizations, and social situations. If there are too many distractions, however, you may have difficulty concentrating on studying, not to mention attending 8 a.m. classes.

　　2.While it’s important to apply to a “safety school”, one for which you are well qualified, don’t cross your dream college off the list without first doing your homework. Although most schools are vague when it comes to revealing admissions criteria, you can get a sense of your chances of acceptance by reviewing the profile of the previous year’s freshman class. Ask about the mean Sat score, the range of high school averages, the number of students with a class ranking similar to yours, and the percentage of all applicants.

　　3.While it’s fine to set high goal for yourself (including financial goals), it’s important to be realistic. No college can guarantee financial success for each of its graduates. That’s not to say you won’t be rich by your midtwenties, but it’s going to depend largely on your ambition, had work, and luck. Also, since many college students end up changing majors, its’ a good idea to enroll at a college that has a wide selection of programs.

　　.There are a number of excellent guidebooks that offer information about colleges and universities, all of which should be considered important resources in your selection process. However, be careful about those rankings. Take a good look at the criteria on which the rankings are based; some of these factors may not be all that important to you. Stick to the hard facts (studentfaculty ratio, class size, percentage of courses taught by teaching assistants, etc.)

　　5.Don’t compare apples with oranges. If college “A” is offering $ 5,000 in grants, and college “B” is only offering $ 1,000, college “A” must be the better deal, right? Not necessarily! Subtract the amount grants from the total cost of education at each school in order to get the real cost of attending. And remember: most scholarships have conditions attached (i.e., you must maintain fulltime status and a certain grade point average in order to retain the award).

　　Sample Four