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The first step in finding the right college or post-secondary institute is knowing about yourself. Doing the self assessments through our online Career Center, our Navigation 101 Software, a college prep program for high school students, or even our middle school inventories. There are also many self assessments available
on multiply college websites that may help. It's a great idea to go into post-secondary education
knowing at least a particular career cluster that suits your interest but it is ok to go being
"undecided". For students who choose to attend post-secondary education being undecided our best
advance is to go to a school that requires a large core curriculum that lets you take courses in many
areas around campus, many students find there passion in a subject they have never even studied before.
Below you will find a list of typical college characteristics, you should pick only one or two choices
from each category to help you narrow down the list of over 3,000 four year colleges/universities and
3,000 more community colleges/ vocational schools around the US.
Type:
Two-year or four-year
Public or private
Church affiliated
Liberal arts/research university/pre-professional program
Coed or single sex
Quarter, semester or block plan
Size:
500-1,000 students
1,000-5,000 students
5,000 to 15,000
More than 15,000 students
Location:
Geographic region
Setting:
urban, suburban, rural
Distance from home
Climate:
cold, moderate, warm, etc.
Facilities
Academic
Athletic
Residential and Student Life
Academic Life
Core curriculum
Majors/minors/interdisciplinary/self-designed
Independent study options: Research/Internships/Study Abroad
Students
Male to Female ratio
Percent of students living on campus
Diversity: geographic, ethnic, racial, religious, socio-economic
International student population
Student Life
Honor system
Greek system
Religious organizations
Music, theatre organizations and activities
Leadership opportunities
Athletic opportunities
Affordability
Expenses: tuition, room and board, fees, and cost of living
Need-based aid available and percentage of students on aid
Merit aid availability
Athletic scholarships
Special talent scholarships (ie: Fine Arts)
Researching Colleges: How do I narrow them down and where can I look for good information?
As you begin researching colleges and post-secondary options
take the following aspects into
consideration. With over 3,000 four year institutions in the US and another 3,000 two year and
vocational training schools in the country there is always more then "one good fix" school for you.
Many colleges have very similar characteristics what makes them different is location, specialty
programs, level of accreditation, cost of attendance and more.
Your initial search should be quite extensive and it is quite normal to have a list of over 25
schools at first for students who are considering institutions outside their state. You should then
narrow your list down to 10 based on your top school characteristics and programs of interest, check out Students- Narrow Your College List.
The Internet is one of the best ways to research colleges since virtually all institutions have
their own websites, and this information is updated on a regular basis. Check out our document
on "Surfing the Web" for the best internet websites for college searching, our document has multiply categories for different types of schools and program and students groups.
College Guidebooks are fantastic research tools, many are now even located online, such as the Fiske
Guide to Colleges.
Guidebooks are a good place to start as well as yearly ranking of schools and their
programs, but a ranking does not tell you if they are a good fit for your interests and values.
Make sure to take a look at college viewbooks, college websites, and online campus tours to get a more
well rounded picture of the school. Many catalogs are available online through CollegeSource.
College visits are the best way to get a feel for a prospective school. This gives you the opportunity
to talk to students, professors, and professionals at the university. You can usually eat at one of the
dining facilities and even see dorms on campus during a visit. The best time to visit on a campus
visitation day held year round or during the week. If you can not make it to campus make sure to
take a virtual tour online, check out ecampustours.
College fairs are a fantastic way to talk to multiply school representatives on the same day.
Be prepared with a few questions and research the schools before you go for a leg up on students
who are just stopping by each table. Admissions representatives will be impressed by the fact that
you already know something about the school and want to know specifics about their school.
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