In trying to decide what type of college will best meet your wants and needsthere are many things to consider. Listed below are some of the factors youwill need to consider in deciding where you want to go to college.

Type of institution- Private or Public. College or University. Churchsponsored.

Colleges can be either public or private. Public colleges are those that aresupported by the state in which they are located. Many highly ranked collegesin the United States are state-supported institutions. These colleges can oftenprovide an excellent education at a price for an in-state resident that is muchless than comparable private colleges. At the early stages of yourinvestigation, I would encourage you to consider both private and publiccolleges.

While private colleges frequently cost more than comparable stateinstitutions, they often have the financial means to offer generous need-basedor scholarship-based financial aid. This aid can make the cost of a privatecollege the same or less than attending your state college.

Many of the more selective private universities and colleges have areligious affiliation. The extent of spiritual influence varies. But at thebeginning of your college search, we strongly encourage you to investigate allprivate colleges, regardless of religious affiliation.

Academics- What courses and majors are you looking for

The most important reason for going to college is to get an education. Thetype of academic atmosphere and variety of courses studied is an importantfactor to be considered when choosing a college. Be careful, however, ofchoosing a college based solely on it having a particular major or field ofstudy. Research shows that 90% of all college graduates do not major in thefield of study they originally had intended. This happens for severalreasons.

First, most colleges have majors in subjects you have never before studiedsuch as political science or anthropology. Second, as you gain experience andmaturity in college, your interests may change. Take time to explore youroptions and be realistic about your talents. Be sure to pursue a course ofstudy that is of genuine interest to you, not just one you think might lead toa good career.

If you do have a strong interest in a particular area, such as science, itis important to evaluate a college’s facilities and offerings in those areas tomake sure they have adequate resources. Remember that many smaller colleges maynot offer majors in certain professional fields, such as engineering, business,or physical therapy. If you are certain of a specific field of study, be surethat the colleges and universities you are considering offer that major.

Don’t exclude a smaller college, however, simply because you think theresources may be inadequate. Remember that all of the resources of a collegeare available to its undergraduate students whereas at a large university, manyof the specialized equipment might be reserved for graduate students only. Someof the largest producers of PhD’s in this country are small colleges.

Atmosphere- Liberal, conservative or something in between

Each college has a particular atmosphere or environment that affects the“feel” of the college. Many factors go into creating a college’s atmosphereincluding such things as how the colleges handle student questions, concerns,and scheduling; whether there is an academic or less serious mood among thestudents and the level of campus activity regarding social issues.

Every campus will have a different feel. What is important is to determineif the campus atmosphere will be comfortable for you as a person. The bestadvice regarding student life is to look for an intellectual and social climatein which you will feel comfortable and challenged.

The type of atmosphere a college offers can best be discovered by visitingthe campus and talking to as many people as you can. Until you have anopportunity to do that the next best option is to read everything you can findabout the college in which you are interested.

Student body and gender- Co-ed college or single sex

A student body can be comprised of all men, all women, or both men andwomen. Students who may worry about a single sex college should know that todayvirtually all colleges have exchange programs with other colleges whereby astudent from one college may cross register at another college to take coursesfor credit. Also dorm privileges, social activities, and extracurricularopportunities will vary by the composition of the student body.

Setting- Where do you want to live

The physical environment of the college may be very important to you. Somepeople prefer the social and cultural activities of a large city. A majormetropolitan area can offer many benefits, but a student must adjust to thelifestyle of a big city. A college or university that is located in the heartof a city is often comprised of multi-storied classroom buildings and high-risedormitories.

Others want to go to college in a more rural setting. There are manycolleges and universities that are in rural settings with campuses located manymiles from the nearest large city. Many institutions are located close to, butnot in large cities. The decision of a location and campus setting shouldultimately include those colleges where you will be most comfortable living thenext four years of your life.

Other factors to consider are the expense of travel, the need forindependence versus the desire to stay near your family, and the effects ofliving in a particular climate.

Size- Large university or small college

The following are generalizations, so if some of these areas are of concern,ask questions at the colleges you are considering:

A large university (15,000-50,000+ students) may offer a variety of academicopportunities including elaborate facilities and large libraries, as well asthe stimulation of a large faculty, graduate students and undergraduates.However, housing may be more difficult to obtain, more courses may be taught bygraduate students, lecture sessions may be very large, and opportunities forleadership in campus organizations may be diminished.

A medium-sized university (5,000-15,000 students) may offer fewer majors andmore modest facilities than a large university, but also may offer greateropportunities to participate in the activities of your choice.

Small colleges (under 5,000 students) usually offer smaller classes, earlieropportunities to take classes with well-known professors, and more chances forparticipation and leadership in campus activities. However, facilities andclasses may be limited and options for activities and diversity reduced.

Location- Where do you want to spend the next 4 years

When considering the possible locations of your future colleges, considerquestions such as:

How important is it for me to attend college close to home?

How much do I value attending college with students of different geographicbackgrounds?

How frequently do I anticipate going home during the academic year?

How extensively does the weather affect my studies or quality of life?

Consider whether you would prefer a geographically diverse student body, ora regional community of students from more homogeneous backgrounds.

Campus life- What happens on campus when people aren’t in class

Whether you enjoy your college years will often depend on the experience ofliving on a college campus. Learning in college comes not only from your classwork but also through interacting with your college friends, extracurricularactivities, and just hanging out in the dorm. Here are some factors that canaffect your college experience.

Housing Living on-campus for the first few years of their collegeexperience is important for many students. Dormitories can become a focus ofcollege campus life and the easiest way to meet new friends. If it is animportant consideration for you, remember to ask any college in which you areinterested about the availability of on-campus housing for all four years. Somecolleges only have enough housing for the first year or two of the collegeexperience.

Extracurricular activities The extracurricular activities you engagein are not only fun but can be part of your learning experience. Look at theview books of the colleges to see what activities are available. Talk to peopleat the colleges you are considering to find out what activities are popular onthat campus. Many colleges have 100 or more groups for students with a varietyof interests. Also ask about how easy it is to start a new group if you have aparticular interest not currently represented on the campus.

Fraternities and Sororities The presence of a Greek system can have adramatic effect on campus life. Ask people on campus about how the fraternitiesand sororities affect the social life of any college in which you areinterested. Do they dominate the social scene or is it spread between manydifferent groups? Can anyone go to a Greek party or are the limited only tocertain students?

Campus Employment Many students will hold a part-time job on or offcampus while enrolled full time in college. Talk to current students about theavailability of jobs and what types of jobs students typically get. With budgetcutbacks, some colleges are starting to limit the number of jobs available tostudents on campus. If you need to have a job but have to seek one off campus,think about the time involved in getting to such a job and the additional costsof transportation.

Athletics- Are big time athletics important to you.

Many students who engage in high college athletics may want to continue toplay that sport in college. College students participate at three levels:intramural, club, and intercollegiate. Intramural play is most common.Intramurals allow students to compete at a variety of different levels ofcompetition with a primary emphasis on enjoying the sport for personal fitness,relaxation, and fun. Club sport teams are usually jointly sponsored by studentsand the college, and may compete against other colleges’ club teams.

Intercollegiate athletics is the university equivalent of varsity-levelsports. These programs are categorized by the NCAA into three divisions ofvarying degrees of competition: Division I, Division II, and Division III.

Selectivity- How hard is it to get into a college.

Your academic performance in a challenging, rigorous program of study is themost important factor in determining your admissibility to colleges. Admissioncommittees value a consistent level of achievement over four years, but theyalso give strong weight to students who demonstrate significant improvementover the course of their academic career. While your grades are the mostobvious indication of potential future success, colleges also want to see thatstudents have challenged themselves in a competitive, demanding academicprogram throughout their entire high college career. The more honor and APcourses you are able to take successfully, the stronger candidate you will be.Does that mean that you should take AP courses even if the material if toodifficult for you? No. But most admission committees will give more weight to aB in an AP course than an A in a much simpler course.

Standardized testing also plays a critical role in admissions. Virtually allcolleges will accept either the SAT I or the ACT. Many of the highly selectivecolleges also require or recommend SAT II subject test. The most importantthing to keep in mind for each of the colleges you are considering is their‘middle 50%’ range of testing. While a quarter of admitted students have scoreseither above or below this test range, such a median range will give a generalindication of the strength of the applicant pool and how you compare.

After looking at your academic performance and your test scores, mostselective colleges will then look at subjective factors such as yourrecommendations, your essays and your extracurricular activities. The amount ofweight given to these subjective factors varies from college to college.

Financial aid- If I do get in, how am I going to pay for thecollege.

Financial aid may consist of grants or scholarships, loans and work study.Grants and scholarships are money that does not need to be repaid while loansneed to be repaid. Work study is generally a job offered on the campus of thecollege offering the financial aid although it may also be a job offcampus.

There are many forms of financial aid available. The most basic financialaid offered at all colleges is need-based. Need-based financial aid is given tofamilies who demonstrate financial eligibility using nationally standardizedneeds-analysis forms, such as the Free Application for Federal StudentAssistance (FAFSA) and the College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile.Demonstration of financial eligibility is determined through detailed review ofa family’s net assets, salary, investment income, liabilities, home equity, andother factors.

Some colleges also offer merit-based assistance. Such financial assistancecomes in the form of scholarships for students who have achieved superiorlevels of academic excellence or offer some special talent in the performingarts or athletics.

While cost is undoubtedly very important, do not limit your choice ofcolleges to only those you can afford without financial assistance. Many of themore expensive private colleges have substantial financial aid programs, whichmay cover much of the cost, and ultimately result in a cost to you the same asa cheaper state college. A good plan would be to choose several colleges,including one you can afford and several for which you need aid. Althoughfinancial aid may seem uncertain at times, limiting prospective colleges on acost basis alone may exclude some excellent colleges from your list.