8 Tips to See if the College is Right for You

Ok, so you have a pretty good list of colleges that you like. You have picked the colleges that fit your ideal location, the correct size, and they have the major you like. But how do you REALLY know these are the best colleges for you?

Well, there are 8 tips that will help you determine if the college is right for you:

1. Do more research on the college’s website. Look closely at the minimum requirements to apply. Do they require 4 years of certain subjects? Some colleges want 4 years of Math, History/Social Sciences, Physical Sciences (including Biology, Chemistry and Physics), and 4 years of a foreign language.

2. Check their graduation and retention rates. Do they have a high 4 year graduation rate? Or is the rate higher with 5 or 6 years? This may mean classes are hard to get when you want them. And are freshmen returning to that college at a high percentage? I hope so!

3. Look closely at the classes they offer. Go to the Academics page and drill down into the classes offered for your major. Do they look interesting to you? Or do they seem boring and sound like all the other classes?

4. Look at all the activities, clubs and fun stuff. Do they have YOUR fun activities? Can you continue your extracurricular activities or sports in college? Can you continue to play your instrument with a group? You will need fun activities to do to keep your stress level down. If you are having a hard time finding fun activities on the site, that is a bad sign.

5. Go visit the college in person, if you can. The gut feeling you get on a campus is really important. How do you feel? Excited? Or do you feel stressed or anxious? Go to the building where your major would be and see what that is like - and ask a lot of questions!

6. Cast a wide net of colleges. Make sure your list has at least 3 likely and 3 target schools. Colleges with less than 20% acceptance rates are a “reach” school for everyone and often called “highly rejective” colleges. Make sure your list is balanced.

7. Get some data on the most recent freshman class. Go to the Common Data Set for that college and look at the incoming freshman class. Google your college name followed by Common Data Set. Section C is full of good info, and what is important to them in their applicants!

8. Most importantly, can you afford this college? It really shouldn’t be on your list if you know you can’t afford it. Look at the average merit aid or needs-based numbers. Be realistic about what your family can afford so you are not disappointed when you are accepted and then can’t go because it’s too expensive. Use the Net Price Calculators on each college website to determine your approximate cost.