Everyone's priorities are different. What makes a school perfect for you? Consider the following when making your choice:

Curriculum

• What do you want to study? Does the school offer it as a major?
• Do you have a specific subject in mind, like science or music, or do you want a more general education?
• Do you want to be able to choose from a wide range of majors and study programs?
• Are you interested in a career that requires professional certification? Does the school provide the necessary training?
• Do you want special programs, like study abroad and internships?

Quality of education

• How much contact do you want with your professors?
• Does it matter to you whether professors or graduate students teach your courses?
• How involved do you want to be in research and in learning outside the classroom?

Size

• Do you want to be on a big campus with many majors, an impressive library, and lots to do? Or do you prefer a small college where you know everyone's name?
• Do you prefer large lectures with hundreds of students or small classes with lots of student participation?

Admission requirements

• What does the school require for admission?
• What does the school look for in prospective students?
• What are your chances of being accepted?

Facilities

• What would you like to see on or near your college campus?
• Are restaurants, shops, and health clubs important to you?
• What about laundry rooms?
• The computer lab?
• The library and research facilities?
• What about transportation on and around the campus?

Campus life

• How is life outside the classroom?
• What special interest groups, activities, and fraternities/sororities do you want to be involved in?
• Are they active in campus life?

Campus security

• What measures does the school take to ensure your safety?
• What's the surrounding community like?
• How safe is the campus and its neighborhood?

Athletics

• Does the school offer intramural and varsity sports?
• How are the sports facilities and coaches?

Location

• Which part of the country would you like to experience?
• Do you want an urban or small-town setting?
• Do you want to stay close to home?

Housing and resources

• If you plan to live on campus, check out the quality of dorm life.
• Find out if housing is guaranteed for returning students.
• Can the school's meal plan accomodate special diet needs?

Retention and graduation rates

• What is the school's retention rate (percentage of students who stay for four years)?
• What is the graduation rate (percentage who graduate within four years)?
• How do your potential schools rank? (High rates indicate students were satisfied with their school experience.)

Cost

• How much can you afford?
• What types of financial aid are available?

Other

In addition to these items and others you come up with, you might also want to consider:

• Percentage of applicants accepted
• Average test scores of the students
• Job placement services

Choosing your major

One of the most important considerations in choosing a school is whether it offers a course of study that you would find interesting— something that you may want to major in.

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