FOR STUDENTS

Choosing a College

With thousands of colleges and universities across the country offering tens of thousands of majors, it can be daunting trying to find the right major and the right place to get started- not to mention finding the money to pay for it!

Since you’ll never to be able to check out all those colleges and universities, here are some tips for getting started:

  1. Don’t waste time trying to find that one “perfect  college” or thinking there is only one “best” college for you.
  2. Think about the things that are most important to you about going to college—whether it is a specific major or involvement in campus or community activities.
  3. Take a close look at what the entire college community offers and how those academic and extracurricular opportunities match what is most important to you.
  4. Keep in mind that for your ultimate satisfaction and success in college it matters less where you go than what you do while you are there!
  5. Keep a list of colleges that seem to have the variety of academic and personal opportunities you favor.
  6. Visit the colleges that seem to best match the most important aspects you are looking for and make time to talk with faculty, students, and staff about what they like about the school and what they might change, if they could.
  7. Consider colleges with a range of expectations for admission. If your credentials barely meet the minimum requirements at each of the colleges to which you apply, you may find yourself without any offers of admission in April of your senior year. 
  8. Include a college or two whose admission criteria your credentials comfortably meet, but every college you apply to should meet your own personal and academic expectations.

Looking for a good college match is like anything else you do. The more time and effort you put into it, the greater the chances you will be satisfied with the outcome when it is all over. Good luck to you and don’t be shy about contacting the Admissions Office at the colleges that you are interested in. They love to talk about the many opportunities that they offer!

For more information about specific steps you could take to find the right college, visit the website of the New Hampshire Higher Education Assistance Foundation, www.nhheaf.org. Its Center for College Planning is full of useful information and lots of helpful advice!

Click here to contact a participating institution's admissions office.