Starting the process of applying to college is the hardest part. Advice will come from parents, siblings, relatives, friends, school guidance counselors, even strangers. Many people will have valuable advice to impart about where to apply, how to apply, when to apply and everyone will have their reasons. However, there’s only one person going to college, and that’s you.

The decision you make about your college destination might be the most important decision of your life to date. This is not a time for you to decide where your best friend is going, where the most parties are or where that attractive football player you’ve had your eye on since grade ten is going.

Your college decision will influence the rest of your life. It will influence the career path you take. It will have an influence over the friendships that you make, many of whom will last a lifetime. It might even influence the area of the country that you will live and work in after graduation.

Unfortunately choosing a college to suit you is not a scientific process. However there are certain steps you can take that will make the selection process less of a hit-and-miss situation. There are many colleges that make a suitable match for every student who is considering applying.

Self evaluation for a better choice for a better life. Ask yourself some basic questions but be truthful when you answer them.

Is it what you want to do? Is it what your parents want you to do? Or is it because you can’t think of anything else to do at this time?

Not everyone benefits from going to college straight from high school. If you are unsure about which career to study for try getting a little work experience.

Do you know what you want to do when you graduate? Or are you hoping inspiration will come as you increase your knowledge?

Some people know what they want to do from a very early age and some people don’t. If you do not have narrowly defined goals, pick a college that gives you plenty of options. Even if you do know what you want to do, don’t forget you might change your mind!

Are you a party animal or a study geek? Liberal or conservative? Sports mad or computer freak? Your college decision is for life, not just for Christmas, it has a personality too.

If you are from a particular religious background, ask yourself how important spirituality is to your life. If you belong to a minority group, how important is it to see yourself reflected in the campus community? Investigate what kinds of student organizations with ethnic or religious foundations are active on campus.

Keep in mind all these factors and others will influence your choice of college.

Before you begin picking prospective colleges, talk to your parents. Are there financial limits to what they can or will contribute to your college expenses? Are there colleges they hope you will consider? How do they feel about letting you travel far away to attend college? It is better to negotiate any differences of opinion at the start of the process rather than at the end. It would be dreadful to select a college that your parents won’t support as a final choice.

Consider the characteristics of the college you want to attend. Now it’s time to set the colleges some prerequisites.

Location, location, location. Alaska or Wyoming, Winnipeg or Calgary. Does climate matter? Do you want to study in a major city center, in the desert, or in the mountains? Some students like access to museums, ethnic food, or major league sports games. Others hope for easy access to the outdoors or the safety and serenity of a small-town.

Does the anonymity of a large campus appeal to you or are you looking to form the relationships that a small campus offers.? A small campus might be the place to develop leadership skills or to get the top parts in drama productions. A big campus offers lots of options, excitement and competition. Alternatively would you like to be at the top of an honors program in a less rigorous college or in the bottom set of a high ranking college? The size of a college will also affect:

• The range of academic majors offered,
• The extracurricular possibilities,
• The amount of personal attention you’ll receive

Don’t forget, you may be considering a small department within a large school, or vice versa. Always consider the average class size and the number of faculty there are.

Do you want a tough, competitive, challenging academic environment or a non-threatening academic environment. For the most part, you should not pick a college just because it fits your comfort level academically. Perhaps what you really need is to be challenged beyond what you think you can achieve.

Lucky you! But consider this:- do you want a college that only offers the major you are interested in or do you want a college that offers many undergraduate majors, including the one of your choice? Find out as much information about the academic department as you can. Most colleges also offer counseling to help the undecided student find focus.

Also consider colleges that offer study abroad programs or internships in the industry in which you want to work after graduation. Internships are becoming increasingly important to future employers. In many cases work experience is as important as your qualifications.

Do you want to attend a liberal arts college? A university? A technical institute or professional school? Community college? Junior college? What about a women’s college?

Don’t forget….a college year is not always two semesters long. Many colleges offer four equal quarters, some offer a ‘block plan’ in which students study one course at a time, then start a new course. Which works best for you?

If only this were not important. Unfortunately the cost of a college education makes for an important consideration for most students. On the good side, most colleges work to ensure that academically qualified students can find financial aid, no matter what their economic background.

You must do a thorough job of researching your choices. Discovering the college has an excellent reputation in the major of your choice is great. But if you turn up for a visit and it’s an all-girl school this is not great if your name is John!

There is a cornucopia of information out there. There are no excuses for not doing your research.

The World Wide Web offers a vast array of information on educational institutions. Many educational institutions have their own websites with tons of information available. On the internet you can search for colleges, scholarships, financial aid, even online application forms.

There’s also Skill-Ed. It’s a totally excellent place to start. The Skill-Ed website provides course information according to the subject you want to study. It also provides you with an opportunity to view contact information so you can email the college directly with any queries you may have.

Many high schools have computer software that allows you to search for colleges that meet your criteria.

Get in touch with the colleges you are interested in. They will shower you with information, pamphlets, brochures, and catalogues. Ignore this information at your peril. Your school library or guidance counselor’s office may have local college catalogues available for you to look at.

Books that rank colleges in order of quality often make sweeping comparisons of the quality of whole institutions. This is not necessarily an accurate picture as all colleges have academic programs of different strengths.

Don’t forget your high school counselor! They are there to help you through your decision-making process as well as the admission’s process.

College fairs and open houses offer the opportunity to talk with representatives from many educational institutions. Ask them about programs, student satisfaction, campus safety, retention, support services, application procedure etc. Ask them anything connected with your search for the best college!

Last but by no means the least important. Visit the college campuses you are most interested in. This is definitely the best way to gain first-hand knowledge about the place might be calling ‘home’ for the next few years. It is important to visit the college you are considering as your final choice. Many colleges will allow you to stay in a residence hall during your visit. This may also affect your decision about living in dorms.

Let’s be realistic. You must match your college criteria with the college’s admissions requirements. Large public universities often make decisions based on high school courses, grade-point average and your SAT/ACT scores. Private, select institutions may also consider more subjective information such as special talents, extracurricular activities and leaderships qualities, and personal qualifications you can bring to their campus.

Break your final choices down into three categories.

• ‘Reaches’ - these colleges represent an academic challenge, their admissions’ requirements are competitive and their intake is small.
• ‘Mid-Range’- these colleges’ admissions requirements closely match your abilities.
• ‘Safety’ your qualifications exceed those of other students who are applying to these colleges.

Apply only to colleges that you believe you can be happy, comfortable and productive at. At the end of the day, a high-quality college is concerned about outcomes. The college will ask questions about your development that go beyond the evaluation of academic skill. The college will want to be sure their students -

• can think clearly
• are well informed
• are able to use their knowledge
• can apply what they have learned.

Good luck!

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