I know, I know--you're busy with classes and sports and drama productions and work and... I know. But we are talking about a place where you will spend at least 4 years of your life and invest anywhere from $20,000 to $100,000. That makes it really important to choose carefully, based on a complete picture.
So, how do you accomplish this?
- Start earlier: September of senior year is way too late. I initiated the Junior project so that juniors would get moving on their research, but even junior year is late for some parts of the process. The search involves knowing more about yourself and developing your interests; this is not to make yourself more attractive to college, though it might. It is to make sure you know in what environment you would be content and productive. If you are passionate about politics, you want a school which fosters involvement and whose students are active in that area. If your faith is vital to you, you want a school where that faith can be nurtured (and, no, that doesn't necessarily require a Christian school, but it does require an active religious club and a faculty that doesn't delight in smashing their students' beliefs). And so on for whatever your passion is. But in order to know that, you need to develop your passions by trying out things early (junior high and 9-10 grades) and then focusing on those passions throughout high school.
- During your college research, narrow down your list by asking questions. Lots of questions. Here is a link to a list of suggested questions: http://www.examiner.com/article/goode-questions-to-ask-college-admissions-counselors. Call the admissions office and talk to the rep for your area. Be prepared to ask questions important to you and listen carefully to the answers. If all the answers are too good to be true (no college is perfect, believe me), then ask other people. When you visit the campus, ask questions of anyone--talk to strangers on campus at the cafeteria, in the library, wherever you see someone who might have minute to answer a quick question. This is no time to be shy!
- Comparison shop: look at what each school has to offer, and also look at what you have to offer them. Think realistically; if the school's average freshman had a 3.9 GPA and a 2000 SAT combined score, and you have a 3.2 and 1280 SAT, then even if they let you in for other reasons, you would have a tough academic challenge ahead of you. And the same is true if you are a lot higher than their averages--they may love to have you, but you might not receive the kind of academic challenge you need in college. And what about other things you can emphasize? Do they have a jazz band or choir you plan on being part of? Do they have a thriving drama program that you would love the participate in? Sell them your good points, as well.
- Visit, and then, perhaps, visit your final choice once again to make sure. Unless the college is too far away for you to be able to do this, it is really, really important. And going to sports camps or visiting friends or going to those visit weekends do not count. You need to go when you can focus on the school, not your sport, your friends or preplanned sales events.
- Talk to people about their college experience. If they tell you they loved their school, pin them down to exactly why: ask what the top 3 things they liked about it were.
Only after you do all your research are you really ready to make that enormous decision. Where you spend the 4 years of college can have a tremendous influence on who you become as an adult, and that is something to consider carefully.
