(taken from Collegeboard’s College Counseling

Sourcebook)

As you develop a list of colleges that interest you, be sure you can answer these questions about them.

The Basics

• Where is the college?  Can you locate it on a map?  Is it too close to home?  Is it too far?  Is it too cold or too hot there?
• Have you taken the course work the college requires for admission?
• What size is the college?  How many students are undergraduates?
• What is the college’s selectivity ratio (what proportion of applicants were admitted last year)?
• Does the college offer majors that interest you?
• Is the college coed or single sex?
• What percentage of students live off campus?
• How many of the students graduate in 4 years? 5 years? 6 years?
• How many first-year students return for their sophomore year?
• How much does the program cost?  What is the total per-year expense?
• What type of financial aid is available?

Where would you fit in?

• What are the college scores for the SAT or ACT?  Where does that place you?
• What were the high school GPAs of most of the freshmen last year?
• Are freshman guaranteed on-campus housing?  If not, where do they live?
• Are there extracurricular activities that interest you?

Visit the colleges’ Web sites, read the guidebooks, and look at their literature

• What are their strong academic programs?  (Ask a college representative, students, graduates, and teachers.)
• What courses are required for graduation?
• Are the courses you need/want available each semester?  At convenient times?
• Are there special programs that interest you (study abroad, internships, etc.)?
• What is the social life like?  What percentage of students join fraternities or sororities?
• Do the pictures and language the college uses to describe itself attract you?
• What is your general impression of the college?
• Is the school accredited?
• If professional certification is required for employment in the field that interests you, how many students enrolled in the school’s program pass the certification exam?

Admissions Process

• When are applications due?
• Does the college accept the Common Application?  If so, does it require supplemental forms?
• What does the application contain?  Are essays required?
• Is an interview suggested or required?  Is an interview available form staff or alumni?
• When may you visit the college?  What is its policy regarding campus visits?
• What are the financial aid deadlines?  What financial aid forms are required?

Now answer these questions

• Am I a strong candidate for admission to this college?
• If I am not a strong candidate, what are my chances?
• Do I want to visit this college?