How to Research Colleges: A Guide to Finding the Right Fit

There are over 5,000 colleges in the United States, making the search for the perfect school seem overwhelming and daunting. Fortunately, as you move through the college search, you’ll find that great schools are not hard to come by. For that reason, you don’t need to find the perfect college; you just need to find the school that’s right for you. A successful college search starts with great research, which will help you make an informed decision on the school that has the best academic, campus life, and career outcomes for you. It will also help you determine which college fits best with your financial situation.

Identify Your Priorities

There are a variety of factors that should be considered in the initial research stages. These will, in turn, help you determine what’s important to you, like attending college close to home or far away or having small discussion-based classes or large lectures. Start with these points: • Location: Considering a school’s location will require you to think about what kind of setting you want to live in as well as proximity to your own home. Do you want to attend school in an urban or rural setting? Or something in between? Is the student commuter life right for you? Or would you prefer to be a few hours from home? Perhaps you’re thinking even bigger: a move across the country? Or another country entirely? An urban setting will offer more opportunities for part-time jobs and off-campus life, but it can also be more expensive. A rural setting will make your college feel a little insulated; it will essentially be the life source of all you do, see, and experience. Finally, if you want to save on college costs, it may be best to find a college that you can commute to, rather than one that requires you to live in the dorms or off-campus in an apartment. If you decide on a college experience that is farther away, you need to decide if you want the ability to come home when you want or need to. • School Size: There are benefits to both small colleges and large universities. The key here is figuring out in which environment you will thrive. Small colleges have smaller class sizes and easier access to professors, support, and extracurricular activities. Large universities may have more academic offerings and resources, but many classes will be lecture-based, with students having access to a Teaching Assistant (TA) rather than the professor. Finally, plenty of colleges offer a middle ground in this category. You may begin your college experience in large, lecture-based classes, but as you narrow your academic interest, the classes get smaller and you’ll find professors who are more accessible. • Type of College: Different colleges offer different educational experiences. A public university typically receives funding from the state and is larger. They also tend to be more affordable. Private colleges vary in size but typically have smaller class sizes. They may have more expensive sticker prices; however, their merit scholarships and grant aid may be larger than those at public schools. Community colleges are smaller institutions that offer certifications and associate degrees. They are less expensive than traditional colleges, but community college credits can be transferred to many four-year schools. • Majors Offered: While location and school size are important, academic offerings should be your top priority. A school may feel great, but if they don’t have your intended field of interest, what’s the point of choosing that school? If you’re undecided on a major, which is very normal for high school students, you can still research colleges that have at least multiple fields that are interesting to you. Ultimately, you can choose a college with a wide range of majors, like a liberal arts school. • Campus Culture: Finally, research the campus culture at colleges that interest you. Interestingly, social media is a great way to learn more about the clubs, activities, and feel of a campus. Follow colleges and universities on social media and use discussion boards to see how students really feel about attending. It should be noted here that limiting your research to discussion board posts is no way to make an accurate decision. Oftentimes, discussion boards are anonymous, giving students the space and freedom to tell the unfiltered truth about their experience. Everything posted should be taken with a grain of salt, so just use it as one resource.

Use College Search Tools to Compare

Once you have a list of potential colleges, you can use College Comparison Tools to compare colleges side-by-side. This can help you narrow your list of colleges by priority and fit. When you use a College Comparison Tool, you can see how schools measure up to one another. Some tools include national rankings, acceptance rates, average test scores of admitted students, and cost – to name a few. While there are multiple comparison tools out there, here are some of the best: • U.S. News and World Report Compare Colleges • College Scorecard • Niche Compare Colleges

Read Reviews and Student Experiences

Rankings and reviews can be useful tools for researching colleges. Often, these rankings and reviews are conducted by students, providing an honest look at how much students enjoy the academic offerings, campus life, and career outcomes at their school. Again, these tools should not be the only resource in the decision-making process, but they can be helpful, especially when the students who provided feedback did so with quality, helpful responses. One such resource is The Princeton Review, which ranks colleges into categories like, Best Classroom Experience, Happiest Students, and Great Financial Aid. Of course, the best student opinion you can get is from those students you meet on campus visits. When you visit a college, be sure you’re getting a campus tour from a current student, sitting in on classes, and/or having lunch with students. These current students give unfiltered responses, but they’re not doing so on an anonymous discussion board or rankings quiz. Instead, it’s a real conversation, face-to-face, that will answer your biggest, burning questions.

Asses Financial Factors

Students should consider financial affordability in the college search process. While graduating with student loan debt is common, leaving school with too much can lead to disastrous outcomes, like the inability to buy a home, start a family, or even defaulting on the loans. For those reasons, students should research how much a college will actually cost. This means utilizing tools, like a Net Price Calculator, to see how much a college costs after financial aid and scholarships are considered. These calculators also factor in room and board costs, transportation, and student living expenses. A Net Price Calculator may reveal surprising costs. For instance, a private college could become just as affordable as a public university after inputting figures. Private colleges have larger endowments;, and sometimes, their scholarships and financial aid packages make the institution just as affordable as a public school. A Net Price Calculator may also show you that you need to be creative when paying for school. You can use multiple – or all – of the below options.

Scholarships and Grants

Scholarships and grants are free money distributed by a college or the government that does not need to be paid back. To qualify for these scholarships and grants, students typically need to apply for admission and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Work-Study and Part-Time Jobs

Work-study is a form of financial aid for qualifying students. If you qualify for work-study, you can get a job on campus that will provide paychecks that can go toward your tuition or student expenses. These jobs offer flexible schedules around your classes and extracurricular activities. Many students opt to work a part-time job off campus to help pay for their education. Now, there are companies that offer tuition reimbursement, meaning students can get money toward their tuition from their employer and receive a paycheck for the work they do.

Student Loans

Finally, student loans can help students bridge the gap between what they can pay and what a college costs after they’ve exhausted all the above options. Students can receive student loans from the government or a private lender.

Tour the Campus

Nothing is more critical to the research process than a campus visit. You can search through the entirety of a college website or watch all their reels on Instagram, but nothing compares to physically being on campus. During a campus visit, it’s important to take a tour, sit in a class, meet with current students, and spend time in conversation with an admissions officer. Many colleges even offer students the chance to spend the night in a dorm to get the whole experience. Through a campus visit, you can see and feel what it would be like to attend school there. A former campus tour guide says you should ask the following questions: • What is the campus community/culture like? • What opportunities and experiences are unique to the school? • What is their fondest memory of their college experience? • What is something that surprised them about the college experience? • Is there anything they wish they knew prior to attending the school?

Narrowing Down your List

Once you have researched colleges using their websites, College Comparison Tools, rankings, discussion boards, and in-person visits, you can begin narrowing down your list of colleges. At this point in the process, you’ll be more of an expert at what you want and what type of school feels right for you. Remember to consider what is most important to you: academic fields of interest, affordability, and your ability to see yourself there. Ultimately, you’d like to get your list down to 5 – 8 colleges. Any more than that will make the decision-making process overwhelming.

Long Term Considerations

Obviously, it’s important to have a great college experience, but the goal of attending college is to land a great job in your field of interest. With that, you need to take the long view of college. As you assess colleges, remember that graduation outcomes are just as important as the quality of campus life. When comparing colleges, you need to look at graduation rates as well as graduates who enter the job market within six months after graduation. During your campus tour and admissions interview, ask about the Career Center resources, internship opportunities, and alumni network and companies that frequently graduates of the school. While your job prospects may not be a priority as a high school student, they will be in four to five years. Make sure you’ve found a college that can support you through that process, too.

Common Mistakes When Researching Colleges

It’s important during the college research process that you be thorough. Rushing through your research or only using one resource to find the right school for you could lead to a variety of outcomes: a college experience that you’re unhappy with, having to transfer colleges, or dropping out of school altogether. While researching colleges, don’t make choices based solely on rankings or discussion boards. Do your due diligence on the affordability of each school; use calculators and have conversations with financial aid officers. Look beyond social media accounts on the college website; investigate the campus and student support services. Finally, go with your gut and attend where you see yourself fitting in; not where your friends or significant other happen to be attending.

Making Your College Decision

Making your final college decision is a long process. Proper research starts at the beginning of your junior year, while some students may even begin at the end of their sophomore year. It’s essential to stay organized, be thorough, and have an open mind. Where you initially think you want to attend may be the total opposite of what you ultimately choose. Taking control of your research, defining your priorities, and utilizing multiple resources will empower you to find a college that is right for your academic, personal, and career goals. Remember: it’s not about finding the perfect college; it’s about finding the right school for you.