AIE — Adventures In Education

High School Students

Choosing a College

Think about what matters to you beyond the education you receive.

What do you want from an education?

Before you can pick the school that's right for you, think about what matters to you in addition to the education you receive.

You might want a school that offers:

A public or a private setting;
A challenging course of study;
A two-year or a four-year program;
The ideal campus environment (housing, social activities and clubs, athletics, and facilities);
Admissions criteria that you can meet;
Costs that you can afford;
Generous financial aid;
Above average graduation and retention rates;
The right class size;
An interesting setting (urban, suburban, small town, or rural);
A location that's the right distance from home (near or far, far away); and/or
A desired religious affiliation.

Narrow your options

Decide what matters to you most. Eliminate schools that you know don't measure up.

Do your homework

Once you have a small list that seems to match your basic requirements, find out more about each one.

Visit Web sites.
Write to the admissions offices for applications, catalogs, admission requirements, costs of attendance, financial aid, housing, and other information.
Plan to visit the schools on your list, or talk to an admissions counselor at the school.
Talk to people that you know who went to the school.

Compare your final options

Eventually you should develop a list of schools that meet most, or all, of your important criteria. Compare them and decide which are closest to having everything you want. When you've whittled your list down, start applying.