Your Next Steps for College Selection

WHERE TO START? First make a list of the variables that go into selecting a college, then decide how important each one is to you. Here are items to consider in making a first list of colleges that might fit. Rank these in their order of importance to you.

1. Academic Rigor: You may want to address this parameter first. Although this is difficult to measure, some people gauge a school's academic toughness by its students' average scores on the SAT or ACT college admission tests. Are you interested in being challenged by students who score higher than you or would you like the big fish role at a campus where most students didn't do as well as you? If any of these options evoke a strong response, write :"rigor" on your list. An excellent source for assisting you in this task is the Profile for the entering freshman class, which any office of admission should be able to provide you. Its graphics provide important statistical and demographic data by various categories - the ranges of SAT I/ACT scores by deciles, averages/means, whatever, as well as G.P.A.s and Rank in Class. Consequently, you can plug in your numbers accordingly, and therefore, determine how competitive you will be.

2. Geography: Usually the key factor here is distance from home. How far from home do you want to be? Do you see college as an opportunity to flee the nest and live independently or would you be more comfortable, for now, being closer to home. Can you survive seeing your family only on major holidays? Can you handle major climate changes, cold in the winter and hot in the summer?

3. Location: Another factor could be regions of the country. Do you want to include or exclude a region of the country for any reason? In addition, you may want to consider the location of the college campus in relationship to a major city. Do you want an urban, suburban, or rural campus? The College Board Handbook ( See Bibliography of Useful Sources) is a good resource that can help you define this parameter, because it lists colleges and universities according to urban, suburban, and rural categories, as well as size. If your feelings are strong, one way or the other, write "distance", or "rural", or whatever, as one of the variables to be considered. If you don't care where the college/university is located, it's not a factor.

4. SIZE: Would you feel more comfortable swimming in a small pond or mingling with the masses in the ocean? Are small classes with more individual instruction, usually prevalent on small campuses, a desirable factor? Could you accept huge classes, where you're likely to be just a number, for the wide variety of activities, culture, and social life that a major university offers? If your feeling are strong, write "size" on your list.

5. MAJORS: This is very important if you know what you want to study. If you're undecided but leaning toward a certain field, put them on your list. You can decide later on how heavily to weigh a college's academic offerings. If you are totally at sea over the choice of a major, leave it off the list. You'll have plenty of company. Many colleges don't require students to select a major until their second or third year. If you find this is your current thinking, you should investigate the values of a liberal arts education at a college or university.

6. HOUSING: Want to live on campus or would you not mind if most students commute from home each day? Most college can be classified either as residential or commuter with at least two thirds of their students in one of the two categories. Is it important?

7. STUDENTS: Would you like an even balance between the sexes or would you like to live on a campus where your sex dominates? If there is a girl or boy friend in the picture, that's important . Write it down. Is racial and ethnic diversity important? How about geographic diversity? Some colleges get more than 90% of their students from their own state. Again, the Profile for the entering freshman class can be a useful source. Make your decision as to whether this is important?

8. COST: How much you pay certainly will be important, but for now put this at the bottom of your list. At this stage it should not be an overriding concern. Find the colleges that fit you best, regardless of cost, and compare their financial aid offers. Two points to remember: Most students don't pay the published tuition cost and many colleges offer sizable tuition discounts to lure students they really want.

(Prestige and national rankings were omitted. If these factors are primary considerations, then go for it. If you truly want to find the schools that fit you best for four or more years of your life, make your decisions based on your needs, your personality, your goals based on those assessments mentioned above, not someone's else's).

FINDING A FIT. You're not looking for the single 'right' college because there probably is no such thing. Armed with your list of important items to consider, you will gradually narrow the field from 3200 to 4 or 5, maybe 6. You'll find that there are several campuses that will be right for you, probably in slightly different ways. From them you'll select a first choice and hope that you're accepted.

Click here to review a Bibliography of Useful College Sources.