Things To Consider When Comparing Different Catalogs

By Author: Brent Durell
Total Articles: 172
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If you are a graduating high school senior or an out of school youth who is already considering of going to college, your best bet for extensive information on the college of your choices are catalogs. Colleges and universities alike publish these extensive reading materials because they become a marketing tool that will disseminate information about their different courses. They put a lot of thought and expense into catalog printing because it can help students decide on what school to enroll in.

In most cases, cheaply made catalogs are given for free. But there are those catalogs that contain more than just the college degrees that the school is offering. These thick and nicely made booklets can become sort of reference material for students and prospective student so they are sold at a minimal fee. So if you to know more about what a particular school is offering, then you will have to buy their catalogs even if in the end you decide not to enroll with them.

Now, every college catalog is ...
... presented differently. You do not necessarily have to buy all of these materials from all of the universities, but only those that you have shortlisted. Here are some of the things that can make you decide which ones to buy.

1. Thickness. The thickness of a college catalog will tell you how in depth the information it contains without having to open. For sure it will have photos, but of course, it is not a photo album so it must contain information such as the different courses, majors, student capacity, classrooms, extracurricular activities, internship programs, scholarships, and other pertinent information. They also detail amenities because that is also their selling point. Usually, these kinds of materials also contain their rules and by-laws so that prospective students are already informed about them before enrolling. At least, there are no surprises.

2. Information. Compare the information contained in the different catalogs so that you make the right purchase. For one, these materials should be up-to-date. Most institutions publish or at least update their catalogs every year because almost always, there are changes like new programs and amenities. Some of these also include a list and short bio of their professors because most students are concerned about who their teachers are going to be. If a college has a hotshot professor, like a published author, on a certain course, chances are; those who are interested in the course will most likely enroll there. You should be able to find the information that you need in these materials because it will help you decide if you are going to enroll in that school or you have to find another one.

3. Price and Quality. Some schools do give out their catalogs, but these are usually the cheap kind that is easily damaged. These print materials are usually made of newsprint like that of a newspaper. After all it is a free read. Other schools produce better looking ones that use good quality paper, color printing, and even a hardbound finish in some cases. These are the kinds of materials that you can use as a student handbook or manual if ever you decide to enroll there.

College catalogs are good tools to convince students that a school is a worthy choice. More often than not, students are more likely to enroll in schools that have put good thought on catalog printing.