There are some questions that you can ask yourself as you start to put together an initial list of schools you will investigate. If your answer to any of the questions is "I don't care," or "That doesn't matter to me," then you are probably not approaching this task with enough thought. Four years is a long time to spend in one place! This is an important decision!

Do you want to attend a college close to home or far away? Within a three-hour drive? Within an hour's flight? Across the country?

If you want to move some distance, do you have a preference for the Northeast? the South? the West? Do you like mountains? the shore? Do you like mild winters? Do you want easy access to skiing? to beaches?

Do you want a small school, a medium-sized school, or a large school? Does it matter to you that you have classes with 400 other students? with 800? with a professor who teaches via closed-circuit television? Do you like a more intimate community in which everyone knows everyone else? Do you enjoy close relationships with your teachers?

Would you like a large research university or a smaller liberal arts college? Would you mind being taught by graduate students? Would you like to have state-of-the-art labs available for your use? Do you want to have hundreds of courses available to you? Would you like to take a liberal arts oriented core curriculum before pursuing your major? Are you unsure of what you would like to study?

Do you want to attend a private school or a public school? Would you prefer a city campus? a rural setting? a small town? a college town? a school in the suburbs? a traditional tree-dotted campus with old buildings? a new campus with high-rises?

Do you want to attend a college with a competitive academic environment? Do you prefer a semester system or quarter system? Do you like the idea of having January off? How many classes can you take at one time? How much time do you want to spend on homework? Does a school having an honor system appeal to you?

Do you want to attend a school with a diverse student body? with an equal number of males and females? with a large minority population? with a large number of international students? Would you like a noticeably conservative environment? a school with a traditionally liberal reputation?

Do you have a career in mind? Can you pursue that path at the schools you are considering? Are there certain resources relative to your possible field which you would like to see at your school? Do you want a school with a pre-med or pre-law advising program? Would you like to study abroad for a semester or a year?

Do you know you want to play on a particular sports team? Division III, II or I? Do you want an active intramural program? Would you like a school with a nice theater program? a well-known campus newspaper? a debate team?

Do you want to attend a school with single sex dorms? Do you want to belong to a fraternity? Do you want to attend a school where the social life revolves around the dormitories? Do you want to be able to have a car on the campus?

How much does the school cost? How much can your family afford? What kind of financial aid is available? If you receive aid, will you have to get a job? How much of your aid will you have to re-pay?

What percentage of the freshmen return for their sophomore year? How many graduate in four years? What do the graduates do after they leave? Is there a career counseling center?

There are more than two thousand four-year colleges and universities in the country. The college you select should fit YOU; the only colleges which deserve the title good, better, or best, are the ones that are such for YOU. Chances are, you will be able to find a half dozen colleges which have all of the characteristics you are seeking. Invest yourself in your search and in this process. Don't forget that you do have control, but also responsibility. The "process" involves three primary decisions, and YOU make two of them: Where you will apply and which school you actually attend among those to which you were admitted.

Gary Ripple, former Dean of Admissions at Lafayette College, quoted in Money Magazine's 1990 College Guide, said, "Too many families act as though they must find the one right school. But you're not looking for a needle in a haystack. That will make you crazy. You're searching for a school where you'll do well and be happy, and there are probably dozens of schools like that for each applicant. Most people who put in the time and effort to make an informed decision are going to have a good outcome."

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