1. Creating & Refining your college list

2. Some Important Criteria to Consider

3. -- Distance from home --Urban vs. Rural --In State/Out of State Tuition --Visiting Friends and Family --Holidays --Location & size of nearest city Location

4. Size --Enrollment --Physical size of campus

5. Environment —Type of school (2- or 4-year) —Co-ed, male, female —Religious affiliation —Diversity —Reputation of School —Commuter School?

6. Admission Requirements --Deadlines --Tests required --Average test scores, GPA, rank --Notification

7. Lottery, Reach, Good Match & Safety Based on: your high school curriculum, grades, test scores, class rank, and other talents Balance your list by difficulty of admission

8. —Is your major offered? —Is your major impacted? —Special requirements —Accreditation —Student-faculty ratio —Typical class size Don’t forget about Academics!

9. College Expenses —Tuition, room and board —Estimated total budget —Application fee, deposits

10. Financial Aid —Deadlines —Required forms —Percentage receiving aid —Likelihood of Scholarships —Retention/Graduation Rates Be Realistic!

11. Housing —Residence Hall requirement — On Campus or Off Campus —Type of Housing —Food Plan/Quality of Food

12. Facilities —Academic —Recreational —Other

13. —Clubs, Organizations —Greek life —Athletics, Intramurals —Study Abroad —Other Activities

14. 5-8 colleges allows for a range of colleges, giving you the likelihood of being accepted by at least one of your top choices. How many schools should I apply to?

15. Remember, applications cost $$! It only make sense to apply to schools you can actually see yourself attending.

16. Campus Visits —When? —Special Opportunities/Preview Days

17. Search Resources

18. Cappex.com What are my chances calculator, videos, reviews, stats

19. Collegeboard.com

20. Assist.org For UC/CSU/Community Colleges & Major Exploration

21. CSUMentor.edu

22. Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) wue.wiche.edu

23. Unigo.com College Searches/ Student Reviews/ Campus Videos

24. Congratulations and Good Luck with your search!