Choosing a College; How to Start
March 15, 2009 by Daniel Kane
Filed under Online Colleges
College admission is, in its simplest form, a numbers game. In fact, while some would call it a kind of lottery, lotteries offer almost no chance of success to those who participate in them, while quite the opposite is true of college admission. There are nearly 3,500 colleges and universities in the United States (counting two and four year institutions) so students have no shortage of options. So, students who do a little research and a bit of thinking about what kind of educational environment best suits them should not have a problem landing at a college or university in which he or she is likely to be happy and academically successful. Believe it or not, students who start their college search early, make good use of the college and financial aid information available in college guides and websites, and ultimately apply to at least four or five carefully chosen colleges can sail through the process with little or no anxiety or hassle. Despite the media’s preoccupation with how tough it is to get admitted to the Harvard’s, Yale’s, and Princeton’s of the world, a very small number of colleges deny admission to nearly as many students as they admit. Thus, if you do not have the grades, SAT scores and desire to attend a very highly selective college and you have applied to a realistic set of colleges your chances at each are high. On the other hand, if your grades and test scores put you in the top five percent and you are applying to the highly selective few, just be sure to also apply to a few of the hundreds of great schools that are not quite as selective.
Generally speaking, the stronger the reputation of a college, the more selective it can afford to be. But, luckily for students, many excellent colleges and universities do not receive enough applications from top tier students to be highly selective.
Once you realize these things, you are prepared to begin the college admission process. Step number one is to identify no fewer than six colleges with the academic programs which interest you, campus environments in which you think you’d be comfortable, and admissions criteria which you appear to meet. Begin by sitting down with your counselor to:
1. ask for his/her college recommendations.
2. discuss the courses you plan to take in future years.
3. sign up for the SAT and ACT.
4. learn which college representatives will be visiting your school.
5. sign up for the college fairs being held in your area.
Don’t forget that the web is a great source of information. Do a few searches for terms like “colleges”, “college scholarships”, “financial aid” and “college admissions” to identify some good online resources.
Once you’ve done all that you’re in great shape. Start early, pay attention to details and deadlines, and do your research and you’ll find the college admission process far easier than you’ve imagined.