College Selection Critera

A list of items to take into consideration when deciding which colleges to visit, apply to, and ultimately attend.

Student Enrollment

1. • Total Number Of Undergraduate Students
2. • % Of Freshmen Who Graduate
3. • Male/Female Ratio

Location And Surroundings

1. • Geographic Region/Distance From Home/Travel Cost
2. • Urban/Rural/Weather/Nearest City Or Countryside
3. • Library/Laboratories
4. • Study Rooms/Practice Rooms/Student Center

College Type And Philosophy

1. • 2/4 Year, Church/State/Private College/University
2. • Liberal Arts/Technical/Degrees Offered
3. • Traditional/Progressive/Comprehensive/Scholarly
4. • Semester/Trimester/Inter-Term Program

Curriculum

1. • Proportion Of Study To General Education / Concentration
2. • Required Freshman Courses
3. • Elective Curriculum

Academic Offerings

1. • Majors Offered In Your Areas Of Interest
2. • Breadth And Depth Of Courses Offered In Your Area Of Interest
3. • Strong Departments
4. • Independent Study
5. • Special Study Programs / Study Abroad / Internships

Degree Programs/Pre-Professional Programs

1. • Academic Environment
2. • % With PhD’s/Teaching Course Load
3. • Advising/And Other College Services
4. • Emphasis On Undergraduate

Faculty-Student Relationships

• Faculty-Student Ratio/Advising

Career Preparation

1. • Pre-Professional Programs/Career Advising
2. • Graduate School/Job Placement

Campus Life And Student Life

1. • Diversity
2. • Large Dorms/Housing Clusters/Small Houses/Commuter Campus
3. • Fraternity/Sorority
4. • Dining Service
5. • Clubs/Organizations/Sports/Music

Cost And Financial Aid

1. • Minimum-Maximum Total Cost Per Year
2. • Student Budget For Tuition/Fees/Room/Board/Personal/Travel Expenses
3. • Family Resources/What Can Your Family Pay Toward College?
4. • % Of Students Receiving Financial Aid / Range Of Awards
5. • Financial Aid Based On Merit / Need
6. • Application Process To Apply For Financial Aid

The College Search

The following resources can be helpful in the college search process.

Top College Searches on the Web

1. • ACT College Search
2. • CollegeView
3. • Colleges that Change Lives
4. • Community College Web 
5. • Google University Search
6. • Historically Black Colleges and Universities
7. • National Association for College Admission Counseling
8. • New York Colleges & Universities
9. • Next Step Magazine
10. • Peterson's Education Center
11. • State University of New York
12. • The Princeton Review
13. • U.S. News and World Report - Best Colleges 2009
14. • U.S. Two Year Colleges
15. • Questions That Get at the Heart of a College 

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