What Are You Looking For?

What are you looking for in a college and what do you need to consider in selecting a college? Below is a list of areas you should consider when selecting the college you want to attend.

1. Big Fish versus Little Fish: What size campus would you feel most comfortable on? Do you want to attend an institution that is smaller, offers smaller class sizes, or are your comfortable attending a class that may have 100 or more students? In a large class, you may be considered a number whereas in a small class, you’ll more likely be known for who you are, a more personal feel. If you are looking for a lot of activities, culture and social life, a larger institution may best suit your needs. Take time to do a real self assessment to determine what you are looking for in a college to decide if you want to be a big fish in a little sea, or a little fish in a big sea.
2. Geography: How far from home do you want to be? Do you see college as an opportunity to leave home and live independently, or would you be more comfortable staying close 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: Are you looking to not only get an education but to also experience another part of the country, another region? Do you want to be near a big city or in a more urban, suburban or even rural setting. This goes somewhat hand in hand with your geography decision, but another area you need to consider.
4. 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 to you?
5. 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 something you may want to consider. Is racial and ethnic diversity important? Some colleges get more than 90% of their students from their own state.
6. 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.

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