The Search Begins

Get Into College—The Search Begins

First Steps Chapters

First Steps

Self-Assessment

Academics

Activities and Interests

The Search Begins Chapters

The Search Begins

Reaches Matches Safeties

Application Process Chapters

Applying to College

GPA and Transcripts

Standardized Tests

Preparing for Standardized Tests

ECAs

Myths and Fact about ECAs

Early, Regular, Rolling

The Application

Writing the College Essay

Letters of Recommendation

Supplementary Materials

Surviving the Interview

Hooks and Intangibles

Financial Aid

- Need-based vs need-blind

- What you want is not always what you get

- Building your aid package

- Where to learn more

What Happens Next?

- Awaiting admissions decision

- Waitlisted

- Time to reflect

Transfers

Taking a Year Off

International Students

List of all USA Colleges

Join the Admissions Guide Advisor forums to share your experiences and questions about how to get into college!

The search begins!

Find Colleges
Advanced Search >>

School Type:

Campus

Online

Show All

Zip/Postal Code:

Getting into an American college can be an intimidating process. By now, you've got a mailbox full of brochures, given it some thoughts about your preferences, and taken a closer look at a few colleges that might perk your interests; yet, so many questions remain unanswered.

t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t

Picking a College is a Journey

So, how do you start building your list of appropriate colleges? With so many choices, it seems impossible not to drown in the sea of information. Choosing the right college can be stressful to some, but it doesn't have to be if you know how.

Good Rescearch without bias

One thing I should mention here; it is extremely easy to become biased in the process. You must always keep an open mind. It’s easy to be influenced by your peers that ABC University is much better than XYZ College. You must be able to discern the source of information, and its accompanying bias.

Who said it?

Was it a current student, or a college representative?

What was their purpose in giving you that information?

Good research skills are necessary in finding a college. You must not be judgmental before you actually took the time to learn more about the college. Like I said, it's easy to be biased and go with hearsay: "Someone told me Williams is too small, someone told me Michigan is too big," etc.

Good decisions don't work that way

You've taken science classes in high school, right? It's similar. You collect data, analyze those data, before coming to your own conclusion. Nobody tells you what the results should be; you decide for yourself.

A friend of mine was pestered by some of his other friend to apply to Northwestern until he believed that's where he wanted to be. His parents told him that since his brother was also there, he would find it a very suitable place. Everybody said, NW is the place to go, until he believed it himself.

When I asked my friend, “What is it about NW that makes you want to attend it so much?” He couldn't give me an answer. “All I know is that I must apply there.”

Now, in his sixth month there, he is telling me how he regretted not finding out more about other schools before deciding to attend NW. The moral of this story? Keep an open mind. Explore the possibilities. A closed mind is the worst way to make a decision.

Finding the right college doesn't happen overnight!
No one expects you to choose within a day. Or a week. From now, till you apply, your job is to gather as much info as you can about all the colleges that fit YOU, not necessarily the ones in the top 1% of the US News rankings. Remember, the search is all about FINDING THE MATCH.