Categories: how to choose a college, shop for a university, college, visit university, career assessment

Shopping for the perfect college or university is tantamount to buying a new home. Both are important life altering decisions. Between parents and the prospective college student, selecting a college can be quite overwhelming and stressful.

The best time to start the quest for a college or university is during the junior year of high school, if not sooner. Here are four areas of criteria to help you choose a college or university: 

Major area of study

Although many high school students have not chosen their life profession, narrowing down a discipline of study is a crucial aspect of selecting a college. It defies logic for a person planning to study journalism to attend university that specializes in engineering (in example:  IIT). Also, choosing a university that specializes in your field of study offers a direct pipeline to job opportunities--when you graduate. For students who remain undecided, career assessment tests may assist in choosing a path. (Also visit the CareerKey.org where online career assessments are available).

Proximity/Distance

Do you want a college close to home? Do you want to really go far away to school?  Think about distance in terms of commuting  back and forth home, airfare and convenience.

Size

A large university may be conducive for the student from a large high school population. But, in terms of learning, making friends and having the opportunity to participate in class discussion, size matters. Choose a college where the student population feels comfortable to you.

Cost

Obviously, the cost of tuition has a lot to do with which college one attends. In cases where choosing a college means the difference between $1K - $2K a year, use the following itemized list of benefits and costs to help you compare universities:

§ Majors/minors

§ Degrees

§ Location/distance from home

§ Student population

§ Tuition

§ Dorm (room and board)

§ Campus resources/amenities (wi-fi, library, work-out facility, labs)

§ Public or private university

§ Faculty and class sizes

§ Financial assistance, scholarships, loans packages

§ Special learning or student exchange programs

§ Professional Affiliations

§ Social organizations (Sororities or Fraternities)

§ Ranking, reputation

College – University Selection Tip: Prioritize the above list. Be sure to add or makenote of any other specific characteristics that you require in a college or university.

Based on your criteria of curriculum, location, cost and size, create a list of four to five colleges and universities. Next, research the schools. Using your prioritized list, from above, gather the data and compare. 

College – University Selection Tip: Also, explore other options. Attending college fairs offers a preview of your educational alternatives.

Holly Bentz (c) 2008 fruitionmedia.net