Choosing the right college for you: to find the right college out of nearly 4,000 choices, you have to really know what you want, and then carefully weigh what schools have to offer - Selecting A School

Careers and Colleges, Sept-Oct, 2003 by Nancy Fitzgerald

Urban, Rural, or Suburban?

Students who attend college in a big city have a variety of things to do--from theater and museums to enrich their coursework to internships and jobs to gain work experience. Those who are happiest in a quiet setting may feel happiest on a rural campus. Some students choose suburban campuses for the best of both worlds--a leafy campus with a city only a short ride away.

Mix or Match?

Some students want to be with people with whom they feel at home. Studies show that women's colleges foster self-esteem. A religious college can offer the chance to share your faith with like-minded students. And historically black colleges may offer African-American students a more comfortable environment.

"In high school, there was always one class where I was the only black student," says Tamicka Logan, 24, a recent graduate of Xavier University of Louisiana, a historically black school in New Orleans. "I wanted to be around more black people and feel more at ease. There were certain racial things you didn't have to worry about here."

On the other hand, attending a college outside your racial, ethnic, or religious group can be a great learning experience. Xavier, a Catholic school, offered Logan the chance to learn about Catholicism. Raised as a Baptist, she came to have a deeper appreciation of another faith. "I learned a lot about Catholicism," she says. "It turned out to be a broadening experience."

You may decide that a diverse school, with students from many different ethnic, religious, and geographic backgrounds, is for you. You can tell how diverse a school is from their published statistics and from your own observations during your campus visit.

Four-Year or Two-Year?

A two-year stint at community college is a great way to jump-start your college career and save money. (Average annual tuition is about $1,735, according to the College Board.) Todd Bailey, of Clifton Park, New York, was a mediocre high school student unsure about his career plans. But after two years at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, New York, he transferred to M.I.T., where he received an engineering degree. Now he's working on his Ph.D. at the University of Texas in Austin.

"Community college gave me the chance to build up my academic background," he says. Almost all of his course credits transferred to M.I.T., saving him thousands of dollars in tuition. If transferring to a four-year school, always check which credits it accepts. (Many students opt to stop with a two-year degree. For more on that option, see page 33.)

The college search is an involved process, but if you take the time to analyze what you want in a school and to thoroughly explore the options, you can find the perfect match.

COLLEGE WORKSHEET

Compare your college choices by writing the names of the schools at the
top, and filling in the chart with info you gather from catalogs,
visits, and interviews. Row headings with a "?" require simply a "yes"
or "no" answer.

College Name

Admission

% accepted
Required tests/Average scores
Average GPA/Class rank

Academics

Rigorous coursework?
Offers interesting majors?
Accessible professors and advisers?
Average class size

Students

Total enrollment/Undergrad enrollment
Diverse population?
Male-female ratio female ratio
% commuters/% campus residents
% of students who graduate

Campus

Distance from home
Location (rural, suburban, or urban)
Interesting extracurricular activities?
Quality dorms and facilities
Guaranteed housing?

Costs

Application fee
Tuition/Room and board
Travelling costs
Average amount of aid awarded
% of students receiving aid