Use Online Information Wisely

Jesse Bardo
Admission Counselor

The virtual worlds of Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube, blogs, and online forums can provide meaningful information about a school. Can 100 people saying the same thing about a school be wrong? Probably not. But it pays to use that information wisely, and to take some of it with a grain of salt.

A few years ago, I was searching for a Spanish immersion school in another country. Using digital resources, I was able to find a school I was happy with. Here are some tips to help you do the same.

Search for sources. Find out which sources have something to say about the schools on your list. There are sites connected to the school and independent sites that evaluate boarding schools. Both can provide you with very valid data. 

Write down questions. You have decided what qualities you want in your next school. Write down your questions and refer to them as you seek answers. See what comes up when you do a Google search on a specific question about a given school.

Look for Patterns. You are looking for patterns not anomalies. For example, if you’re researching the math program at a school you’re interested in, and you see one person complaining that the math program is weak and five posters praising the department, it’s possible the teacher and that student didn’t hit it off or the program wasn’t a good match for the student.

Ask your parents. Text them, e-mail them, write a question on their wall—however you do it, seek their wisdom. They’ve been around a little longer than you.

Write everything down. You’re smart. That is why you were accepted to top schools. You also are smart enough to know that you need to write down and organize the information you compile. Try making a table to compare schools you are interested in.

Good luck making your big decision.

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