There are SO MANY colleges to choose from, and despite the current anxiety about college admissions, the vast majority of students are attending their first- or second-choice school. So have fun looking around!Resources • Admissions Factors • Criteria • Your List • Narrowing the List • Campus Visit
Time is often in short supply during high school. That’s why it’s important to make efficient and intelligent use of the many resources available to you, whether human, printed, or electronic, to generate a list of schools that match your interests and abilities.
Keep in mind what the colleges want! Click for a chart showing the most important factors in college admissions based on a 2007 survey of colleges across the nation.
Obvious college criteria to consider when choosing a college are size, location, academic rigor, and cost. You may have strong feelings about some of these variables, or you may be open to a range of options. Be sure you keep your eyes on the prize of the quality of undergraduate education at each school!
Once you’ve identified criteria that are important to you and learned about resources, you’re ready to build an initial college list. Start with schools you are familiar with and branch out as you learn more. If you like a particular school, explore “overlap schools,” often listed in guidebooks, that attract similar applicants. Try to build a broad-ranging list; you can narrow the list later.
A visit to the campus is a great way to find out about a college. Not only do you get a firsthand sense of what it would be like to be a student there, but you also demonstrate your interest.
CTCL:
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