My College List: What do I want?

This is an important question. It seems pretty simple, but your answer is going to have a huge impact on four years of your life. When you're looking at colleges and beginning to put a list together, there are a few questions and criteria you should consider. Remember, keep your mind open to various options early on in the process--don't exclude a school just because it doesn't meet every single one of your preferences. When your list starts getting smaller, you can be more selective.

• Setting
  • Rural
    • Would I mind being in the middle of nowhere?
  • Suburban
    • Do I need the bustle of a city, or the quiet of the country? Is this too much of an in-between for me?
  • Urban
    • Would I mind being smack in the middle of a city? Would I mind possibly not having a campus?
• Campus
  • Do I want a classic New England-style campus with old brick buildings and a quad?
  • Do I want something super-modern and non-traditional?
  • Do I want my campus to consist of city streets?
• Academics
  • Liberal arts?
  • Engineering school?
  • Technical institute?
  • Business?
  • Career school?
• College/university
• Size
  • Small college?
  • Mid-sized college?
  • Large college?
  • Small university?
  • Mid-sized university?
  • Large university?

These are just a few things to think about as you evaluate college options. Remember to be open-minded throughout your search!

Tagged: College Search