Choosing a College Can Be the Most Important Part of College Planning

Five Steps to Choosing a College

The information I have about my journey in finding a college can help both parents and students alike. Going back a few years, I was at the turning point of my life. Graduation from high school was just around the corner and I had no clue which college I was going to attend. My parents had their list of colleges that I could attend, and most of my friends were already being accepted to their college or university. With deadlines for applications approaching, I knew that I had to begin finding a college. Choosing the right college is such an important decision, and so I came up with a game plan to find a college. Here are the steps I took in choosing a college.

1. Choosing my future career

The first step I took was to determine what I liked and what I did not like. I quickly ruled out being a doctor, a lawyer or a dentist. In addition, I knew there were career choices that were out of my league, such as being an architect or engineer. My high school grades proved this! Therefore after a lengthy thought process, I narrowed down my choices to Communications, Journalism, Business Management and Information Technology.

My school counselor also helped me by giving me a Career Assessment Test. This revealed many of my strengths and tendencies. From this, I discovered that I was best suited for Business Management related studies. I highly recommend this. Career Assessment Surveys are not very expensive and can be found through an internet search.

2. Matching courses with colleges

The next thing I did was to list the colleges and universities that offered Business Management studies and had a good track record. I used The Fiske Guide to Colleges. Within a short span of time I came up with a list of 20 colleges that I could see myself in for the next 4 years. All of these colleges had multiple specializations within my field of study, were fully accredited, and had good graduation rates with good reputations. I further narrowed my list down to 14 by selecting those universities which were located near a larger city, one of the criteria that I was looking for in my college.

3. Narrowing it down to my top five

I had above average SAT scores (nothing to take me to Harvard though) and therefore had a wider selection of options for myself. Therefore, my final decision would largely be determined by the funds from my parents, any scholarships or grants, and the money I could earn through on-campus work study. I visited the web sites of each college and took virtual tours of the facilities they offered. Each had its strengths -huge libraries, modern student housing, student body size, a variety of extra curricular activities and sports, and more.

I was able to narrow the list from fourteen to five based on the following criteria: going to college within 4 hours of home, my budget for college, and a smaller student body to offer a more personal approach to my education.

4. Parents and Applications

Next, I got my parents involved in my decision. They had been helping me all along the way, but I needed their help in making the final, important decisions. I showed them the list of 5 colleges that I had, including details, locations, and costs. Together, we narrowed the list to three possible colleges that I could attend. They wanted a college or university which would be easy for them to visit, but would also have excellent teaching and housing facilities. The following weekend I filled out all 3 applications and mailed out them to these colleges and universities. Now it was time to wait for the response.

5. Making the final choice

Within a few weeks, I had received acceptance letters from all the colleges where I sent my applications. In the end, my parents and I decided the best way to make the final decision was to visit the campuses. We took two days to visit all three campuses. Visiting the actual university was vastly different from the virtual tours. My final choice was actually rather easy. I decided on the University of Texas at Austin.

The most important steps along the way for me were to take the Career Assessment Test, researching my college choices online through virtual tours, and sitting down with my parents to discuss which colleges to send applications to. This helped make my final decision easier. I hope these steps can help you in finding a college or university as you make career choices.

Rich Niccolls has been a college recruiter and professor for 12 years. Read his 7 key factors for choosing the right college for you. Visit the Find A College website to learn more about Online College Courses.

The Five Biggest Mistakes Students Make When Choosing a College

Okay, you're a senior and getting ready to apply to colleges, but the question is which colleges? Some students begin thinking about colleges their sophomore year, but most students avoid the topic until the last minute. Remember, it's never too late to come up with a good college list.

Unless you're a glutton for punishment, you'll probably apply to no more than 10 or 12 colleges. How are you going to come up with that list? Which colleges fit you are as a person and student? How do you avoid the five biggest mistakes students make in choosing colleges? Here they are:

1) Not doing any research on yourself

The place to start a college search process is determining who you are and what you need in a college. What kind of college do you want to attend? Big, medium-sized or small? Is it important for you to be in a particular kind of setting, e.g., in a city, college town or rural area? Do you want to be in an academically demanding environment and one that's laid-back? What kind of students do you want to be with? People like you or a very diverse group, including international students?

2) Not doing research about colleges

So how do you get quality information about colleges? There are a number of ways. First, there are the excellent college guidebooks such as The Fiske Guide to Colleges, The Insider's Guide to the Colleges and Colleges That Change Lives that provide information about colleges from a student's perspective. You might also talk to people you trust--parents, your counselor, teachers, and students from your high school who are now at different colleges--about which colleges they recommend. Attending different college fairs where admissions representatives come to talk about their colleges is a particularly good source. And, of course, there are online resources such as the Internet college searches. From your research, come up with a list; check out what the GPA and test scores stats are for the colleges and how they match yours.

3) Being too scared to take a chance

Sometimes students underestimate their chances for college acceptance, particularly if they have a learning disability. Know that colleges are very sympathetic to students who have learning issues and often are forgiving of less than stellar grades and test scores. Students who are gifted athletes and/or have special talents sometimes don't realize how interested colleges might be in them. Be smart in putting together your college list by applying to an equal number of Reach schools (where you have a 25% chance of being accepted), Good Chance schools (where you have a 50% or better chance of being accepted) and Pretty Sure thing schools (where you have a 75% or better chance of getting in). A good college list includes a range of college choices, but every one should be a school that you would like to attend. Finally, some students are afraid to be away from their friends, family or even their hometown. Most students usually go through some form of homesickness during their freshman year. The better you do your homework about colleges, the less chance there is of homesickness being a real issue.

4) Being too arrogant

Some students who have stellar academic records and strong test scores confine themselves to applying to a handful of the most selective colleges. They leave Good Chance and Pretty Sure Thing schools off their lists. This is a big mistake and a kind of admissions arrogance or naïveté. There are plenty of documented cases where 4.5 GPA/2340 test score applicants are turned down by colleges. Colleges and universities are very idiosyncratic in terms of whom they choose. Therefore, it's really important that you select a series of schools that offer the characteristics you want, including some that may not be highly selective. The worse outcome is to wind up not being accepted to any of the colleges that you applied to because all of them were Reaches. With careful planning, that doesn't need to happen.

5) Being too Lazy

Applying to colleges these days is not easy. It takes a good deal of research to determine how your personal characteristics and individual colleges match. After you have a good college list, you need to spend time completing the applications in a way that maximizes your opportunities. Keep in mind that college applications that are a little better and a little different than the competition's are the ones that end up being the most successful.

Finding which colleges to apply to can seem like an overwhelming task. By avoiding the five biggest mistakes you can increase the chances of having many colleges accept you.

Copyright (c) 2010 Marjorie Hansen Shaevitz

Marjorie Hansen Shaevitz is founder/director of adMISSIONPOSSIBLE.com and has been involved with college admissions since her days as Director of Re-entry Programs for the University of California, San Diego Extension. The student deserves to have the best, most up-to-date admissions information.

Choosing Between Community and Traditional 4 Year Colleges

Community colleges are becoming a popular option for many students, especially those for whom a traditional college course is beyond their academic or financial means. A recent study conducted by the American Association of community colleges found that 4 in 10 first-time freshmen attend a 2-year community college course rather than taking a full 4-year course. Why not take a look at our guide below to help you decide if Community College could be the right route to success for you?

What Is a Community College?

Most community colleges offer 2-year courses at an affordable rate in many locations. The reasons for students choosing a community college include:

To start earning basic credits which can be transferred to a 4-year college course.
To follow a 2 year associate's degree or certificate program in preparation for a particular career.
To find out more about a potential new career, learn new skills with an eye to a specific area of employment, or simply to follow a personal interest.

Why choose a Community College?

Community colleges offer advantages to any student, but are particularly suitable for those who fall into the following categories.

Cost of traditional college is too high. Tuition fees at most community colleges are usually much more affordable than at traditional 4 year colleges. Even if you plan to eventually attend a 4-year school, you can save big bucks by taking a couple of semesters of general prerequisites at a community college.

Your grades aren't up to scratch. You'll usually find that you will be accepted by any community college as long as you have a high school diploma, a refreshing change, especially if the more competitive 4-year colleges have knocked you back! Once you've completed your 2-year course, it may be easier to prove that you have the academic ability to go on to study at a 4-year college.

You require training for a particular job. If you have a specific technical or vocational career in mind, community college can provide a no-nonsense 2-year course that allows you to focus on this rather than having to study a range of subjects.

You can't, or don't want to, leave home. Lots of high school students don't feel ready to take on the responsibility of living away from home, or have personal commitments that mean that living away isn't a feasible option. A community college allows you to embark on the next phase of your education without losing the security provided by living at home.

You require a flexible schedule. Do you have employment or family commitments that would make a regular college timetable impossible to follow? If so, community colleges offer a whole host of options, including day, evening or weekend classes, the chance to study part-time, or even online courses.

Drawbacks of Community College

Naturally, while community colleges are great for those on a tight budget or with complicated schedules, they aren't the best choice for everyone. What follows are some of the most important differences between community colleges and their 4-year counterparts to keep in mind during your college search.

Choice of Majors and Courses: Community colleges, though they might offer a range of courses, can never compete with the vast number of majors and combinations of classes you can choose to study at 4-year colleges.

Academic Regimen: If you like to move at a fast rate, and pick up concepts quickly, you may find that community college isn't for you. Bear in mind that they are designed to serve a broad cross-section of society, accepting students of all abilities, therefore the classes may not learn as quickly as you anticipate.

Collegiate Experience: Nothing can compare to the social experience provided by living out at a 4-year college. Community college students may have all the freedom by studying online courses or having flexible schedules, but you can't beat living in a dorm and hanging out on the quad for building a social network that will last you a lifetime!

As with any other choice you'll make throughout your college search, you need to consider what's going to offer the best combination to enable you to balance your personal circumstances and aspirations with your goals for future employment. Do your research to discover whether your profile fits in better with a community college or a 4-year college.

I want to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to go to college. This means getting in, finding the right college fit and paying for school. I love to share what I've learned and I hope you can find some useful information useful in your college search.