The question is not “which is the best college?” but, rather “which is the best college for me?”

STEP 1 Seek out personal recommendations.  Speak to those around you; counselors, teachers, family friends, and yes, even parents.  Make note of their recommendations but, don’t assume they will give you the answers.  Research for yourself to discover what is important to you.

STEP 2 Focus on your academic goals.  What do you really want in an education?  Pre-Professional Education– prepares for specific job, ie: engineering, pre-med. = DEPTH.  Liberal Arts Education – equips you with general knowledge and reasoning skills suitable for many jobs = BREADTH.  How does the college rank in the major you want to study?  Majoring in a narrow field? Consider a larger university.

STEP 3 Don’t forget to ask about the social life.  The Greek system?  What do students do on the weekends?  Extra-curricular activities?  Close to a major city, skiing, beach?  Campus life associations, service clubs and ROTC? If you don’t like the social scene, you won’t be happy at the school.

STEP 4 Investigate the type of digs you’ll be living in.  Think of yourself as a total person, not just a student.  Find a place to live that suits you.  Do most students live on campus?  Can you live with strangers?  How modern or ancient are the dorms?  Does each room have its own bathroom, or do you share?  With overcrowding, ask what your chances are of getting on-campus housing.

STEP 5 Snuggle up with a college directory.  Look in a book or on a website that profiles colleges.  Student population, activities, costs and financial aid  How many freshmen are admitted each year  Directories won’t tell you about the personality of the college.  Talk to people who go to that college: alumni, recruiters, current students. Great Website

STEP 6 Attend a college fair or talk to the college rep.  Western Slope College Fair – Aspen High School Sunday, Oct. 3 11am to 2pm. Bus available from FMHS-sign up in counseling office  To make a life changing choice talk to real people first.  Take a list of questions with you – Don’t be shy, that is why they are there.  Make business cards to introduce yourself to college Reps.

STEP 7 Beware of the college brochure  Brochures are biased and will tout only the positives.  Always view the college’s brochure with a healthy dose of caution.  Compare brochures from various colleges.  Brochures can help you develop questions to ask reps. NEVER ATTEND A COLLEGE YOU HAVEN’T VISITED FIRST!!!

STEP 8 Don’t rely on news magazine rankings.  Use the rankings as a guide, but definitely do your own research.  Include news magazine rankings in your beginning research.  Rankings might help you pose questions to college reps.  Start an organization system for your brochures, etc…

STEP 9 Don’t worry about money (yet).

$$$ Private Education at a Discount Price $$$  Many schools have replaced need-based loans with grants.  Harvard University made tuition free for families making less than $60,000 a year.  At least 17 other private institutions including Stanford and Columbia work with families making $40K to $100K per year. values/  Some private schools have initiatives which match public school tuition  Colleges that Change Lives - Small private liberal arts colleges that offer a 1 st rate education at reasonable prices.

Final Thoughts… Exploration leads to discoveries about yourself. Ultimately pick schools that meet your needs. ???