The Big Decision ; Plan and Research so College Choice is the Best Fit for You

By DONNA C. GREGORY

Small liberal arts college or major university? In-state or out- of-state? Urban or rural?

As a teenager, choosing a college is probably one of the biggest decisions you’ll ever make. Where you go to college will not only impact the next four years of your life but could ultimately determine your career path for the remainder of your life.

However, as important as this choice is, the decision-making process doesn’t have to be stressful. With good planning and quite a bit of research, you can feel confident that you’ve made the right decision.

Here is step-by-step guide to help you along the way:

Step 1: Do a self-assessment

“The most important thing to consider is what is best for them? What kind of institution fits them and their personality and learning style?” advised Ken Huus, dean of admissions with Sweet Briar College.

Do a self-assessment and ask the following questions:

* Am I interested in attending a small or large institution?

* What kind of environment best suits my learning style?

* What academic programs am I interested in?

* Would I feel more comfortable in a rural, urban or suburban atmosphere?

* Do I want to be close to home or is distance not a factor?

* What activities am I interested in participating in? Sports? Fraternity or sorority? Clubs?

* Would I like to attend a single-sex or coed institution?

* Is a church or military component important to me?

Gil Powell, director of admissions with Virginia Union University, also advises students to assess their own abilities.

“You should always be honest with what your credentials are and do a search on that,” said Powell. “A student needs to really do a self-evaluation of him or herself before they start sending out applications to institutions that they know they will not get into.”

Step 2: Do your research

“When you have that self-assessment, you can then go look at some of the books or talk to your guidance counselor,” suggested Robert Chonko, dean of enrollment management with Longwood University. “Often times, the guidance center is a good source to help guide you in the right direction.”

Other good research tools include:

* Scan college guidebooks and their accompanying Web sites. The most popular guidebooks are Peterson’s (www.petersons.com), Barron’s (www.barronseduc.com) and Princeton Review (www.princetonreview.com). College guides provide basic information that can help you compile a tentative list of possible colleges.

* Visit college Web sites. Nearly all college Web sites include a “prospective students” section that details academic offerings, admissions requirements and other important details.

* Visit other Web sites. “CollegeBoard (www.collegeboard.com) is a pretty good resource,” advised Huus. “They do a good job of organizing materials to help students through the college search process.” The Web site’s “MatchMaker” search engine allows users to search for colleges by type of school, location, cost, major and other criteria. Other useful Web sites to visit include www.collegenet.com and www.collegeview.com.

* Talk to other students/professionals. Talk to current college students about their own experiences. What do they like/dislike about the institution they’re attending? If you’re interested in a particular major, ask professionals who currently work in that field for suggestions on colleges with the best academic reputations in that major.

* Attend college fairs. “They can talk to about 100 colleges give or take to figure out a little bit about programs,” said Huus.

* Hire an independent counselor. “Some people are even using independent counselors if they’re looking for a very specific school or need help gaining entry into specific schools,” said Chonko. Such counselors guide students through the selection process and can offer guidance on SAT preparation, recommendation letters, essays and other requirements.

During your research, look for institutions that are a good match with the results from your self-assessment. Select about 10 that offer the best fit and then schedule a campus visit at each one.

Step 3: Visit colleges

“The campus visit is the single most important thing a student can do during the college decision process,” said Mildred Johnson, Virginia Tech’s senior associate director of undergraduate admissions.

“A lot of institutions look the same in the literature or even on the Web sites,” said Chonko. “but when you go to the campuses, their uniqueness comes out.”

Students should plan to visit colleges during the spring of their junior year through the fall of their senior year.

“It’s nice if they can do it before the pressure is on,” said John Blackburn, dean of admission with University of Virginia. “If they wait until November of their senior year [right before most applications are due], then they almost have to decide on the spot.”

Plan visits when classes are in session — not during the summer or on holiday breaks.

“I’m also not an advocate of Saturday visits,” advised Johnson. “Most Saturday mornings, everybody is asleep. The activity level is very different at 9 a.m. on Saturday morning versus 9 a.m. on a weekday morning.”

Most colleges host special college visit days; however, if you want to truly get a feel for an institution, these are not always the best days to visit.

“Try to visit on a day when there’s nothing going on,” suggested Marilyn Hesser, senior associate director of admissions with University of Richmond. “You don’t want to just do the typical admissions tour.”

During your visit, talk with faculty and then ask them what they like and don’t like about the college. Stop students randomly and ask them the same questions. Visit the dining hall. Eat the food. Tour a dormitory. Sit in on a class or two. Go to the student center.

If possible, try to stay overnight on campus.

Johnson cautions students not to rush through visits. “Students are not giving enough time in the visit,” she said. “They’re trying to visit too many schools in one day. I don’t think you’re doing the student justice or the institution justice by doing that.”

Ask yourself: Is this a campus that’s comfortable to me and my family? “This is the place they’ll call home for four years, and they need to be comfortable with the setting,” advised Liz Daniels, director of admissions with Emory & Henry College.

Step 4: Apply

After your campus visits, narrow your selections down to a short list of schools where you plan to apply.

“If a student has done her homework upfront, she’s probably going to find between four and six institutions that fit her. That’s a good number to apply to,” said Huus. “I think if a student is applying to seven to 10 places, it’s a good indication they haven’t done their homework up front.”

“They need to have a range of choices based on selectivity,” recommended Blackburn. “They might apply to one or two ‘reach’ schools [i.e., colleges students would like to attend, but where the chance of acceptance is small]. Then, they might apply to some where their chances are pretty good, and then probably one or two where the student will definitely get in. And of course, don’t apply to a place where you wouldn’t go.”

“Never [apply to] just one college,” said Chonko, “and try to be realistic in your chances of admission.”

Step 5: Revisit the campus

The letters are in, and you’ve been accepted to several of the schools on your short list.

Once you’ve been accepted, “that’s the time to make the revisit,” advised Chonko. “That’s when you come with more specific questions.”

The following are a few things to consider when you make that second campus visit before making a decision:

* If you’re thinking about earning an advanced degree, inquire about placement rates to graduate, law and medical schools. Can you earn a graduate degree on campus?

* What about financial aid? What’s the average award? What about work-study opportunities?

* How accessible are faculty? Are the courses that you need to graduate readily offered?

* What hands-on experiences are offered? What about internships?

* Does the school offer strong support services? Are tutors available if you need them? Are job services available once you near graduation?

* How safe is the campus? Are medical services nearby?

“Eventually, students need to be asking how is this college going to help me get from where I am now to where I want to be at [ages] 22 or 23, or even [ages] 40 or 45,” said Huus.

Step 6: Make the decision

If you’ve followed the previous steps, the decision on which college you attend should be relatively easy.

“You really control most of the process,” said Hesser. “As long as you have completed your research up front, then you’re going to be in the right place when May comes and you have to make a decision.”

Choose wisely.