Selecting a College; A Few Simple Steps

With more than three thousand colleges and universities from which to choose, every student who takes the time to intelligently explore his or her educational options (and adheres to application and financial aid deadlines) should gain admission to at least three or four institutions in which they are highly likely to be happy and successful. Students and parents will therefore not find the college application process an anxiety provoking experience if they understand there is no single "right" college, if they maintain reasonable expectations, do a little planning, and take full advantage of the many informational resources available to them. It is important to realize that only about five percent of the colleges and universities in the United States deny admission to more than fifty percent of their applicants. Therefore, unless you plan to apply to those highly selective institutions, the odds of your gaining admission to the colleges to which you do apply are probably very strongly in your favor. And, if your grades and SAT or ACT scores are high enough so that applying to the most selective colleges is a reasonable and realistic option for you, you can almost be assured of admission to any number of excellent but slightly less competitive institutions.

The extent to which a college can afford to be selective is a function of its perceived quality and/or popularity. Thus, while it is true that the colleges and universities with the highest academic profiles tend to be the most selective, many fine institutions do not enjoy the luxury of receiving applications from a significantly greater number of students than they are able to admit, and are therefore only moderately or even minimally selective.

Remembering these statistics, you are ready to begin the process of selecting and gaining admission to a college. Look for and find six to eight colleges which offer the major(s) of greatest interest to you, are likely to admit students with your grades and scores, and provide the campus lifestyle and environment you seek. Start by meeting with your college counselor to:

1. request that he or she recommend several colleges to you.

2. be sure you are scheduled to take the right high school courses.

3. register for the ACT and SAT.

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.

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Dan Kane has counseled hundreds of students on admission to traditional colleges and online degree programs.