The College Search Process : One Size Does Not Fit All January 2015.

The College Search

Process: One Size Does Not Fit All

January 2015

How to Choose a College That’s Best For You

According to one college president, “Going to college is a lot like getting married; it is about finding the right match.”

Researching Your College Options

Good research is an investment of time and energy.

The more thorough research you do, the better equipped you will be to make a good decision for yourself!

Ask Questions

Choosing where to apply cannot be reduced to a

series of “Either/Or” questions but the usual list of considerations is

still a good place to start.

Big or Small?

Anonymity Lecture hall with

400-600 students More independent

Personal attention from professors

More interaction and close discussions

Participation expected

Big Small

University of Central Florida

Stonehill College, Easton, Massachusetts

Distance from homeLiving in a dorm,

apartmentCommuting

Geographic location: ..East, West, ..Midwest, ..South

Urban, Suburban, Rural

Location?

Weather: Hot or Cold?

If you are thinking about leaving the state, you need to ask yourself: Can I live through:

Snow? Wind? Constant rain? Humidity?

University of California, San Diego

University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

University of Washington, Seattle,

WA

Programs: Liberal Arts or Pre-Professional?

Are you looking for a specialized school?

Engineering Music Visual Arts Fashion Design

Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh,

Pennsylvania

Academic Atmosphere?

What kind of environment suits you:

Tense or relaxed?

Competitive or geared toward individual progress?

Social Life Is a residential campus

important to you? Do you want a campus

where college life centers around sports?

Do you want a campus where social life is dominated by sororities and fraternities (Greek life)?

Do you need a wide variety of planned activities available to you?

Source: Baylor University

O Do you want a campus where something …is happening most of the time or do you …prefer a more relaxed atmosphere?

Other Factors to Consider

How important is the religious orientation of the college?

What about coed colleges vs. single sex colleges (this is primarily a question for young women)?

What about Historically Black Colleges (HBC)?

College athletics: intercollegiate or

club/intramural ?

Ask as many questions as you can; any factor that

is important to you is worth plugging into the

equation.

Resources For a Successful College Search

Naviance College Board Website College Websites BHHS College Counselor

and .resources in the College Center Your counselor College Connections Fair at BHHS National College Fair in Pasadena

Do the Investigative Work

Read college brochures (with a critical eye).

Visit campuses (in real life whenever possible or by taking a virtual tour on the college website).

Talk to current students and alumni.

Read subjective narratives on colleges. We highly recommend: The Fiske Guide to CollegesThe Insiders Guide to Collegeswww.unigo.com

Do Not Let One or Two Factors Determine Your

Choices Try not to choose a college because of a

particular program. What happens if you change your mind in a year or two and find yourself interested in something completely different?

You should be careful about letting one individual (friend, boyfriend/girlfriend, teacher, admission officer, alumnus/alumna) influence your choice. Liking (or disliking) someone who went to a college or who works at a college does not guarantee that you will like (or dislike) the college.

Keep An Open Mind Be an informed consumer!! Don’t dismiss a college just

because you have never heard of it.

Do not jump to conclusions based on any single source of information.

Do not be overly influenced by a person who loves or hates a school, the number of stars next to a name in a guidebook, US News and World Report rankings, or a particularly enthusiastic, good-looking, or funny tour guide.

Do your research!! Use all the resources available to gather information and impressions and process the information wisely before making definitive choices.

What’s Next???1. Once you have determined the factors that are important to you, have done a college search on Naviance, and learned a bit about different colleges and universities and what they offer, develop a preliminary list of colleges to investigate further.

2. Schedule an appointment with your counselor for your 11th grade meeting!

3. Remember, there may not be one ideal college that will fit all your criteria. It is good to cast as wide a net as possible. Keep your options open at this early stage of the process!

We Look Forward to Our Individual

Meetings with Each One of You.