One of the best lifehacks of growing up is understanding that quality rest and adequate sleep are some of the biggest gifts you could ever give yourself.

Many teenagers report that they always seem to be sleepy and tired. Everyone experiences sleepiness at some time or another throughout the day. And usually, but not always, the reason is obvious, such as too many late nights in a row. But up to 40% of teens feel that they are tired most of the time.

Historically Black Colleges and Universities are smaller higher-education institutions with close-knit communities that can provide noticeably good value for the money. Most have fewer than 5,000 students where small class sizes can make it easier to know classmates and form helpful relationships with professors. Lower student to faculty ratios can mean that faculty will know who you are and are potentially better able to help students achieve success.

Most HBCU’s are not located in large cities, so students are more likely to spend significant time together outside of class. When you mix this family feel with school pride, you get a college community that can influence your life long after you graduate.

School size is one of the biggest factors that students consider when selecting a college. There are some misconceptions about both sides: big schools and small schools. You might be surprised to hear that most adults, polled later in life, say that they believe they could have benefited more from attending a school with smaller classes sizes than larger, more “popular” colleges and universities.

But there is no one-size-fits-all when selecting a college, this process is unique to you and your family. A Ford or an Acura or a Subaru, a van or a car or a truck, those all have the ability to get you where you want to go. But each of those certainly have differences, and each also with their own pro’s and con’s.

Below are some reasons why you should or should not consider one side over the other. Step back, be objective, and make the process your own.

College admissions officers want well-rounded applicants just as much as they want applicants to check-off the class boxes. After mapping out state or school graduation requirements, you may have opportunities to take elective classes. This is your chance to explore your interests. Take courses that fuel those passions and interests. High school is really where students should begin to feed their curiosities, so they make educated decisions that affect the rest of their life and career.

If you already know what specific major you would like to pursue, electives become even more important. Some colleges and universities will look for specific classes in your transcript in addition to the core courses.

If you have already started exploring college sites and their academic offerings, you probably have seen a section such as “Pre-Professional Programs”.

Pre-professional tracks are in undergraduate programs that prepare you for a professional degree after you complete your bachelor’s. If you know which career you want to pursue after graduation, there may be an advisory program in place to help you get there. The two most common tracks are pre-med and pre-law, but there are also pre-professional programs designed to help those students become veterinarians, chiropractors, dentists, architects, etc.

The list is longer than you might expect.

The NCAA, NAIA, and NJCAA (Junior Colleges) are three separate college athletic organizations that together service about 650,000 student-athletes per year. The NAIA has one level. The NJCAA has three levels, just like the NCAA.

Most people think that the thee NCAA divisions, the NAIA, and NJCAA all exist in their own bucket: NCAA Division I being the “best”, with JUCO being the “worst”. While this may be true for some schools, there is a lot more congruency than you may believe. In actuality, all the levels are overlapped. 

The numbers will vary based on where you look, but the average high school student to high school counselor ratio in the United States is about 400:1. Not all of those may be senior students, but you can see how having a very large number of students can dramatically impact a counselor’s (and teacher’s) ability to write glowing recommendation letters for students in need. But it is often necessary to be included in a college application.

It is also very helpful to your counselor and teachers for you to complete a brag sheet: this is a list of your academic and athletic accomplishments, community or volunteer service, clubs and activities, work history, hobbies outside of sports and academics, details, and insight into what makes you “you”.

In the frenzied quest to investigate schools and be admitted to their top choices for college, sometimes families and students overlook what the admissions departments are actually looking for in applicants. Somewhat similar to an athlete’s highlight reel, it is important to give the college what THEY want, not what we think is cool or what we think they SHOULD want from us.

There are a lot of great articles out there detailing what colleges are actually looking for, but it all boils down to a few areas where colleges tend to focus the most.

It may seem top secret, but colleges are generally willing to reveal their most important admission factors. Know where to look. College admissions committees read through thousands of applications and it is easy to get lost in the shuffle if you don’t showcase what it is that colleges are looking for. Admissions committees assess applicants and decide whether they are a good fit on their campus.

Serving your country is a big honor and a big responsibility. Talk to cadets and graduates, investigate the options, and always make sure you are diligent before making a decision.

If you are starting a college search process, you have undoubtably heard the term “Liberal Arts”. Liberal arts colleges give students access to a wide range of academic subjects and career options. This broad-based area of study includes the arts, humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and mathematics.

One of the many things you’ll hear on school visits and from college recruiters is a school’s student-to-faculty ratio. While colleges hope that their ratio will encourage students to apply, many prospective applicants are not exactly sure how this statistic can affect their experience. A low or high student-to-faculty ratio can impact it in many ways.

We have all heard a lot in the news recently about colleges and universities merging or closing. This is not a new phenomenon, and higher education certainly is not “going away”. Does it need to be constantly evolving, and traditionally move at a glacial pace? Absolutely, to both.

But looking over the list, none of colleges and universities who have merged or shuttered have really been a shock, at least not to date. Struggling, niche religious schools and for-profit schools dominate these lists.