Selecting a college or university is the most important and also tuff decision you will ever make. The college forms the foundation for your future, offering wellspring of knowledge and experience you will cherish all your life. It is important that there be a good "fit" between you and your college or university. Take the time to do some research before you make a choice.

If you plan ahead and do your research carefully, you will come up with a manageable shortlist of colleges that match your needs. Every student is different, and when making your choices you should consider carefully the factors that are important to you in both your education and your lifestyle. Before jumping to conclusions make a search plan.

Ideally the process your search plan should result in:

• A list of your own personal and academic requirements for college.
• A list of typical college characteristics and factors that would fulfill your requirements.
• A list of people, organizations and other resources that provided or will provide information and which you can consult again when new questions arise.
• A schedule or timeline for additional research and information gathering

Select a pool of colleges as per your selection process factors. You must choose at least 15-20 colleges initially. Starting with a large pool of colleges enables you to later eliminate those colleges that no longer fit your preferences and still end up with 6 to 12 colleges to apply to. So after narrowing down your search results also you will have ample of colleges to choose for applying.

Selection Checklist

The college selection process may become more suitable if you will consider the below mentioned factors, when you decide to send your application to the colleges.

• Private vs. Public
• 2 vs. 4 year
• university vs. small College
• Academic and career focus
• Admission requirements
• Cost and aid available
• Academic curriculum
• Facilities
• Campus life
• Reputation
• Senior placement statistics
• Student/teacher ratio
• Location and setting
• Distance from home
• Sports
• Ethnic diversity
• Living facilities