What is the ideal college for ME? Which colleges and/or universities offer the courses of study, campus size, geographical location, extra-curricular activities, quality of faculty and political atmosphere that you want or need in a school? Ideally, your final college choice should meet, or even exceed, your desired criteria.
Be careful not to select a college for the wrong reasons-- where your friends are going, where your boyfriend or girlfriend is going, where Mom or Dad went, which has the better sports teams, or where you think you and your family can afford. Choosing the wrong school can result in lost time and money in the long run.
It is likely you are going to spend at least four years at a college. Therefore, it is important to find a school that is an excellent match for your interests and needs. Don’t settle for less. But don’t start the college search process with any prejudices about any type of school. Keep your college options open.
Seven Steps to Finding the Perfect School
1. Compile an initial list of colleges that interest you based on specific criteria (majors offered, size, location, extra-curricular activities, etc.). Your original list of schools should include twelve to thirty potential schools that meet most (or all) of your general selection criteria. Ask your guidance counselor if your school uses a college search software program to help with this process. Otherwise, College Board has a good college search function that's free.
2. Find schools where you fall in the top 20% of the admitting class. These students routinely receive more free college scholarships and grants and need less student loans and work study money. If financial aid is important to you and your family, doing this will increase your chances of receiving free college scholarships and grants.
3. Narrow your list of possible colleges to about fifteen by doing further research into the original list of institutions you selected. At this point you will be able to eliminate institutions from your original list based on more specific criteria.
4. Finally, cut your list to a minimum of six. You will now be able to do more extensive research and go visit their campuses. Compile a list of your top schools in order of preference. Your final six or more colleges (we recommend having 8-12) are the ones to which you will actually apply for admission. We recommend to have at least (2 - 4) "Safety schools," colleges you're very likely to gain admissions to, (3 - 5) "Target schools," colleges that you're pretty sure you will get in to based on standardized test requirements and GPA, and (2 - 4) "Reach schools," those colleges that may lie just outside of your academic achievement statistics, but not out of the realm of reality.
- Apply to your finalists.
- Research the requirements.
- Mark deadlines on your calendar.
- Ask for recommendations.
- Work on your admissions essays.
- Fill out your applications.
- Apply for financial aid.
- Send all documentation in accurately and on time.
6. Analyze award packages. There is an art to comparing award packages. You must first determine if each offer is really the best you can get from that college. If not, there are often ways to successfully request more money and improve your package.
7. Decide and go for it! Now that you have a firm handle on the financial packages, put it into perspective with all the information that you collected from the schools, and decide which school would be the best overall choice for you. Sign on the dotted line. Obtain financing, including filling out applications for any loans you may need.
Any additional tips to share? Leave your comments!
About Smart Track™ Toolkit: The toolkit is a web based service that assists families with everything from admissions and test prep, to student athletics and financial aid. Our intuitive software and on-demand workshops are key components to making sure students find their top choice colleges, and families can afford to send them there.
About the author: Laura Guarino is the Student Services Coordinator with College Planning Strategies, LLC. Laura has a degree in Human Development from Boston College and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in School Guidance Counseling. She is also enrolled in a certificate program in College Admissions Counseling. Laura is at the forefront of the college admissions process for the families of CPS and The Smart Track™ Toolkit.
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