Home » Get to College Choosing a College
Many options are available for continuing your education after high school. After you have narrowed your interests and possible careers and developed a list of colleges to explore, ask some questions. There are lots of things to consider
*Do you want to go in-state or out-of-state?
*Do you want a public or a private college?
*Do you want a two-year, four-year, or trade school?
*Does the school offer the courses and type of program you want?
*Do you meet the admissions requirements?
*Does the school offer the services and activities you want?
You can find the answers by reading the college’s catalogs, exploring web sites, talking with current students, and talking with your counselor or college advisor. Be sure to find answers to all of your questions. It’s easier to succeed at college when you find the right fit.
Reach-Target-Safety
Aim to apply to five colleges and to complete five scholarship applications and the FAFSA by the end of January of your senior year.
Why five? When you apply to only one or two schools, you take a risk. You might be turned down, or you might close off your options too soon. The five schools you apply to should include reach, target, and safety schools.
Reach: Your top choices, the most academically challenging schools on your list. You should include a couple long shots, you might be pleasantly surprised.
Target: Schools where you would be very happy and are likely to be admitted. These are your realistic choices.
Safety: Schools where you are almost certain to be admitted and where you think you would be happy and get a good education.
Some students apply to 10, 12, even 15 schools, thinking this increases their options. A fee is attached to each application though, so this can get expensive. And it may just delay the process of narrowing your choices.
Selectivity
Selectivity is a word used to describe how competitive a college’s admissions process is. If a college accepts only a third of the students who apply, it is considered highly competitive. If the college accepts almost all high school graduates, it is considered noncompetitive. See where you fit based on your ACT/SAT score.
CollegeData’s Admissions Tracker tool lets you compare your scores and background to those of students admitted to different colleges.
