College & University Information

Article Navigation

Click Here for more articles

Five Steps To Choosing A College

by: Rich Niccolls

My name is Debbie Ross. The information I have about my journey in finding a college can help both parents also students alike. Going back a few years, I was at the turning point of my life. Graduation from high school was just around the corner also I had no clue which college I was going to attend. My parents had their list of colleges that I could attend, also most of my friends were already being accepted to their college or university. With deadlines for applications approaching, I knew that I had to begin finding a college. Choosing the right college is such an important decision, also so I came up with a game plan to find a college. Here are the steps I took in choosing a college.

1. Choosing my future career

The first step I took was to determine what I liked also what I did not like. I quickly ruled out being a doctor, a lawyer or a dentist. In addition, I knew there were career choices that were out of my league, such as being an architect or engineer. My high school grades proved this! Therefore after a lengthy thought process, I narrowed down my choices to Communications, Journalism, Business Management also Information Technology.

My school counselor or else helped me by giving me a Career Assessment Test. This revealed many of my strengths also tendencies. From this, I discovered that I was best suited for Business Management related studies. I highly recommend this. Career Assessment Surveys are not very expensive also can be found through an internet search.

2. Matching courses with colleges

The next thing I did was to list the colleges also universities that offered Business Management studies also had a good track record. I used The Fiske Guide to Colleges. Within a short span of time I came up with a list of 20 colleges that I could see myself in for the next four years. All of these colleges had multiple specializations within my field of study, were fully accredited, also had good graduation rates with good reputations. I further narrowed my list down to 14 by selecting those universities which were located near a larger city, one of the criteria that I was looking for in my college.

3. Narrowing it down to my top five

I had above average SAT scores (nothing to take me to Harvard though) also therefore had a wider selection of options for myself. Therefore, my final decision would largely be determined by the funds from my parents, any scholarships or grants, also the money I could earn through on-campus work study. I visited the web sites of each college also took virtual tours of the facilities they offered. Each had its strengths -huge libraries, modern student housing, student body size, a variety of extra curricular activities also sports, also more.

I was able to narrow the list from fourteen to five based on the following criteria: going to college within four hours of home, my budget for college, also a smaller student body to offer a more personal approach to my education.

4. Parents also Applications

Next, I got my parents involved in my decision. They had been helping me all along the way, however I needed their help in making the final, important decisions. I showed them the list of five colleges that I had, including details, locations, also costs. Together, we narrowed the list to three possible colleges that I could attend. They wanted a college or university which would be easy for them to visit, however would or else have excellent teaching also housing facilities. The following weekend I filled out all three applications also mailed out them to these colleges also universities. Now it was time to wait for the response.

5. Making the final choice

Within a few weeks, I had received acceptance letters from all the colleges where I sent my applications. In the end, my parents also I decided the best way to make the final decision was to visit the campuses. We took two days to visit all three campuses. Visiting the actual university was vastly different from the virtual tours. My final choice was actually rather easy. I decided on the University of Texas at Austin.

The most important steps along the way for me were to take the Career Assessment Test, researching my college choices online through virtual tours, also sitting down with my parents to discuss which colleges to send applications to. This helped make my final decision easier. I hope these steps can help you in finding a college or university as you make career choices.

About the author:
Rich Niccolls has been a college recruiter also professor for 12 years. Read his seven key factors for choosing the right college for you. Visit The Right College web site.

Circulated by Article Emporium