Hey folks, I'm a high school junior starting to look into colleges. I feel I could benefit from a school that offers a lot of guidance - academic, career, personal, the works, really. Would any of you have recommendations for colleges that are known for providing exceptional guidance and support to their students?
It's smart that you're looking for a supportive environment in college, as that can play such a significant role in your academic and personal development. Several schools are known for their strong student support networks and guidance systems.
1. Princeton University: Princeton is known for its extensive support systems. They have college advisers dedicated to every first and second-year student individually. These advisers offer academic and career guidance, and stay with the student through their undergraduate years. Princeton also has faculty advisers for choosing majors and independent work.
2. Dartmouth College: Dartmouth offers a comprehensive advising framework known as "House Communities", where faculty and staff live in the residences together with students, which often results in strong mentorship relationships.
3. Vanderbilt University: Vanderbilt also stands out with its first-year Commons system, where faculty live on campus with first-year students to offer guidance and friendship. They also provide a strong network of academic advising, tutoring, and personal counseling services.
4. Cornell University: For students interested in smaller class sizes and faculty that engage heavily with students, Cornell's "learning where you live" program includes faculty-in-residence who live in the dorms alongside students and participate in community-building activities.
5. Stanford University: Stanford has an excellent advising system known as "Advising Fellows", where new students are paired with an older undergraduate who has been trained to provide advice and support.
These are just a few examples. Many universities understand the importance of guidance and offer comprehensive advising programs. What might also help is visiting college websites to learn more about their advising programs and connecting with current students or alumni to get a firsthand account of student support services.
CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.