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 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 home Living in a dorm, apartment Commuting 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 Colleges The Insiders Guide to Colleges

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 11 th 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.