As the junior year of high school ends, the student should begin thinking about what types of colleges would be most appropriate for their goals. In determining which colleges to apply to, the student will be making a decision that will affect the rest of their life. Choosing a group of colleges of which to apply is a very difficult task. The student must determine what they want from a school and what they can afford. There are some general questions that the student should ask themselves when exploring different colleges. First, the student should ask themselves if they will be comfortable there. And secondly, the student should determine if they will be challenged there. Other than these questions, there are generally three different environments to consider when searching for the right college.

The first is the physical environment. This may not be the most important of the three, but it must be considered. For example, is the college new or old? Which would the student prefer? Schools like Harvard and Yale are modern and high tech, but still have a lot of older architecture and buildings. Another physical environment questions is: how big is the college? Conversely, how small is the college? Different students will have different opinions regarding these questions, which is why it is so important to consider them. Students must choose a school that they would feel comfortable attending for four years. Of course, there is the option to transfer, but it is a messy process that does not always turn out like the student would like.