• 20 Questions to Begin a College Search

    As an exercise in helping your student(s) determine what they're looking for, ask them to respond to the following questions. You don't need final answers to all of them now. Discuss the choices and come back later to any questions your student isn't sure about.

    1. Do I want to live on campus?
    2. Do I want to attend college in a city or in a small college town?
    3. In what area of the country would I like to attend college?
    4. What size of college appeals to me?
      • Small: Up to 5,000 students
      • Medium: 5,000-15,000 students
      • Large: Over 15,000 students
    5. What kind of weather do I prefer?
    6. Would I prefer a single-sex or coed college?
    7. Does fraternity or sorority life interest me?
    8. Can I live with restrictions and regulations?
    9. Do I want to participate in extracurricular activities?
    10. Do I want an extensive athletic program?
    11. Do I want a strong creative arts program?
    12. Do I want an academically demanding environment, or would I prefer a school where I can do well without knocking myself out?
    13. Do I need a highly structured academic framework, or can I work with a curriculum that allows for independent projects and has no requirements?
    14. Do I want a liberal arts or preprofessional curriculum?
    15. Do my personal or career interests require specialized facilities?
    16. Would I want to participate in an off-campus internship?
    17. Would a year-round cooperative work-study program in which classes alternate with periods of (guaranteed) employment interest me?
    18. Will my family or I be able to support my college goals? And what about at an expensive private college?
    19. Would I be willing to work part time while I attend college?
    20. Do I want to spend part of my college years studying in another country?