How To Pick a Women's Studies Program

Here's How:

1. Find a nearby college with a women's studies program.
2. Call and ask for an interview with the program's dean or director, with a teacher in the program, or with an upper-level student.
3. In the interview, ask what the program's like, what preparation you'll need, and what options you'll have.
4. Also ask about what life as a women's studies student is like at that school.
5. Ask the interviewee how she or he would assess their own program: it's strengths and weaknesses.
6. Ask a student, "What do you most wish you'd known before you came here?"
7. Also ask, "how do you define a student's 'success' in this program?"
8. Tour the campus, including where students live.
9. Research other schools' women's studies programs, using the Net and also resources in your guidance office.
10. Write for written descriptions of the programs.
11. Remember to ask about financial aid programs if you need them.
12. Narrow down your list to those programs which might be affordable given your financial resources.
13. Repeat the interview process for any of the more distant programs that you might consider attending.

Tips:

1. Research, research, research, but listen to your gut instincts, too.
2. If your perfect program seems out of your financial reach, talk to the women's studies program director there and ask for help to make your attendance possible.
3. Remember to ask about after-graduation potentials, too, if you've got specific career goals in mind.