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.

The next thing to consider is the academic environment. Students will have varying opinions here as well. For example, how rigorous are the programs available at the college? Also, does the college offer the program or major that you are interested in? Are there any special requirements to enter that program or major? It is important to choose a major before choosing a college because not all colleges offer the same list of majors or programs and this will help the college search. Speaking with some of the professors and faculty at a potential school will also help a student to understand the academic environment and what the factually expects of the students. It would also be beneficial to find out if the school is considered a “party” school. At party schools, it will be harder to focus on academic work; however, many students value a social atmosphere rather than an academic atmosphere which is why these questions must be considered.

The final thing to consider is the cultural environment. Again, the preferences of students will vary greatly, especially regarding this area. For example, is this a rural or urban school? Is it known for conservatism or liberalism? Is this a religious school that is of the student’s same denomination? How diverse is the population? What groups or support is available for foreign students, minority students or gay and lesbian students? Only the student will know if they would like to go to a religious school, a conservative school or a rural school. All students will differ greatly in their preferences, but it is important to remember that wherever the student attends, they must feel comfortable. A Muslim student, for example, would not feel comfortable at Notre Dame, a predominately Christian and Catholic college. A gay or lesbian student would not feel comfortable at a university that does not have a significant population of other homosexuals. The needs of each student are different which means that a lot of research is required in selecting the right college.

Fortunately, there are many different independent organizations that are available to help students in the selection process. Many of these organizations put out a ranking list of colleges. The criteria for ranking will vary from list to list and organization to organization. For example, one organization may put out a top one hundred list of Christian Colleges and a top one hundred list of small, private colleges. Once a student has determined the different environments they wish to have at a school, they can seek out the lists made by these organizations to aid in the selection process. Some of these organizations even go to great lengths to aid students looking for a school. Many different video tours of universities and colleges can be found on the websites of different college ranking organizations. Video tours are perfect for students looking to attend a college that is a significant distance away from their home discouraging a visit.

Selecting the right colleges to apply to will aid in the admissions process immensely. It will filter out unnecessary applications making it a more efficient process. After the right schools are chosen, it is time to apply.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 11th, 2007 at 3:14 am and is filed under Search. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.