Identifying your criteria
What's important to you?
Everyone's priorities are different. What makes a school perfect for you? Consider the following when making your choice:
Curriculum
- What do you want to study? Does the school offer it as a major?
- Do you have a specific subject in mind, like science or music, or do you want a more general education?
- Do you want to be able to choose from a wide range of majors and study programs?
- Are you interested in a career that requires professional certification? Does the school provide the necessary training?
- Do you want special programs, like study abroad and internships?
Quality of education
- How much contact do you want with your professors?
- Does it matter to you whether professors or graduate students teach your courses?
- How involved do you want to be in research and in learning outside the classroom?
Size
- Do you want to be on a big campus with many majors, an impressive library, and lots to do? Or do you prefer a small college where you know everyone's name?
- Do you prefer large lectures with hundreds of students or small classes with lots of student participation?
Admission requirements
- What does the school require for admission?
- What does the school look for in prospective students?
- What are your chances of being accepted?
Facilities
- What would you like to see on or near your college campus?
- Are restaurants, shops, and health clubs important to you?
- What about laundry rooms?
- The computer lab?
- The library and research facilities?
- What about transportation on and around the campus?
Campus life
- How is life outside the classroom?
- What special interest groups, activities, and fraternities/sororities do you want to be involved in?
- Are they active in campus life?
Campus security
- What measures does the school take to ensure your safety?
- What's the surrounding community like?
- How safe is the campus and its neighborhood?
Athletics
- Does the school offer intramural and varsity sports?
- How are the sports facilities and coaches?
Location
- Which part of the country would you like to experience?
- Do you want an urban or small-town setting?
- Do you want to stay close to home?
Housing and resources
- If you plan to live on campus, check out the quality of dorm life.
- Find out if housing is guaranteed for returning students.
- Can the school's meal plan accomodate special diet needs?
Retention and graduation rates
- What is the school's retention rate (percentage of students who stay for four years)?
- What is the graduation rate (percentage who graduate within four years)?
- How do your potential schools rank? (High rates indicate students were satisfied with their school experience.)
Cost
- How much can you afford?
- What types of financial aid are available?
Other
In addition to these items and others you come up with, you might also want to consider:
- Percentage of applicants accepted
- Average test scores of the students
- Job placement services
Choosing your major
One of the most important considerations in choosing a school is whether it offers a course of study that you would find interesting — something that you may want to major in.