• Do you want to live at home, in a dorm or an apartment, go to school in state, or go to a school out of state?

• Do you prefer to live in a big city, smaller city, or town?

• How important is the cost of traveling back and forth from college going to be to you?

• Does the location appear to you geographically and weather wise?

• If you need to work while you're in school, will you have good job opportunities at this location?

• What kind of recreational and cultural activities would you like to enjoy?

____2.  What degree program do you want to pursue?

    Colleges will usually list degree programs that they offer in their course catalog and on their Web site. If you haven't decided on a major, that's OK. You can first focus on prerequisites common to most degree programs.


____3.  Do you want to attend a large university or do you prefer a smaller school? 

    Both have their advantages and disadvantages. I've included some resources at the bottom of this page to help you sort that out.


____4.  How will you finance your education? 

    This is a very important question, as college costs money!  Don't despair, though, if you don't have enough, as you may be eligible for financial aide in the form of grants, scholarships, or loans. To receive financial aide, most schools require you to fill out a FAFSA form. 

    To learn more about the FAFSA form, and for tricks on getting the most financial aide, I recommend this Web site:

http://www.finaid.org/

    When you are ready to fill out the FAFSA form, go to:

http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/  

    Don't neglect searching for scholarships. Here's a book that will get you started on that search: 

   .The Ultimate Scholarship Book 2009: Billions of Dollars in Scholarships, Grants and Prizes 

    And here is a Web site that also will help with the search for scholarship money.

http://apps.collegeboard.com/cbsearch_ss/servlet/scholarshipsearchservlet?SS_ACTION=DB_SEARCH&pageIndex=5


____5.  How will your GPA and standardized test scores (if you have them already) affect your choice? 

    If you want to go to Harvard, for example, but your high school GPA is only 2.2, you probably will have to go with a second choice. The Fiske Guide to Colleges, that I recommend below, will give you information about different colleges' requirements for admission.


____6.  Is a community college a good choice for you?

    Community colleges are a tremendous bargain and a way to save some serious bucks. Tuition and fees at my college, for example, are only about $700 a semester for full time students!

    Community colleges also typically have "open enrollment," meaning anyone with a high school diploma or GED can enroll, although they may be required to take some remedial course work. This gives many students, who might have floundered in high school or been out of school for a number of years, a second chance. 

    My experiences with community colleges, both as a student and now as a professor, have been very positive. Classes are usually small, making for lots of interaction with the professors, and they can be a good way to ease into the college experience. Community colleges also offer great two year degrees, such as associate degrees in nursing, graphic arts, medical technology, and physical and occupational therapist assistant programs


____7.  Should you pursue an online degree or program?

    Online education is becoming more and more popular. My graduate courses in education were done mostly online, and that was at the doctoral level from a fully accredited university. Online education can be a real blessing for those students who are juggling school, work, and family obligations. (Many campuses offer some of their courses in either a conventional classroom or online. My college system, for example, offers about 150 online courses that give the same credit as the equivalent course taught in the classroom.)

    To find out more about earning an online degree, click here to visit a great Web site. It also has a super feature that lets you explore different colleges in each state. The site even includes links that allow you to navigate right to the Web site of those colleges. It's incredible!  


____8.  Have you done some research to help you with your college choice?

    To help you think through your college choice, take some time to research the possibilities. You will find a number of books that will give you some help with choosing a college. Also, almost all colleges have Web sites now, so spend some time investigating the ones that interest you.

    Here are a few books that will help you choose a college that is just right for you. Each one has a different focus. The first one asks you to consider your needs and wants so that the college you attend suits you, while the second one gives basic information for a number of different colleges including cost, degrees offered, admissions requirements, and so on. 

    The third book will help you decide if attending a community college is the way for you to go--either for a specific degree program or for your basic coursework. (Just make sure the courses will transfer to the four year college you hope to eventually attend.) The fourth one will help you explore different majors and direct you to colleges that offer degrees in those fields.

College Match: A Blueprint for Choosing the Best School for You

Fiske Guide to Colleges 2009

Community College: Is It Right For You

Book of Majors 2009 (College Board Book of Majors) 


    In the next section, we'll take a look at ways to make the application process a little less daunting! To get there, click on "Applying to College" on the left side of your screen.