<p>I can't visit most colleges because financially its just not possible. Do I narrow down my choices with basic things like which setting I like more, or what? I'm so lost and no one has any of the answers.</p>
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<p>Traveling all over to look at colleges wasn’t something my family could do either. My advice is to try and visit a wide variety of colleges with as little expense as possible. </p>
<p>In my case, my mother and I took one big trip to Boston and we looked at a lot of different colleges. From these visits I not only found schools that I liked, but it also solidified what type of schools I liked. I then looked for schools with similar attributes and applied to them. I also visited schools near me for the same purpose in order to limit costs. </p>
<p>If you’re family can afford to do one trip I would visit a wide variety of schools. If not, you can always visit schools close to you and apply the same process. </p>
<p>Many schools offer virtual tours as well. I found that they were really good for determining interest in a particular school. These virtual tours along with the schools’ websites and sites like CC can be a great indicator for your interest in different colleges. </p>
<p>Good luck on your college search!</p>
<p>Yes, start with exploring the variables you can test out. Visit a small college and large one in your area. One with large lecture classes, one that has small classes or emphasizes seminars. A college in an urban area, a suburb, urban. </p>
<p>Also you ought to get a book about college admissions so you understand the whole process. A good book addresses how to choose a college, understand financial aid, etc. as well as the obvious mechanics of how to be a strong candidate. One book I like is “Admission Matters”, there are plenty of other good ones. </p>
<p>Addressing finances is key for you. I’m guessing there’s not a lot of spare money around, so you need to be very clear about how colleges calculate need and what they’ll estimate your parents can contribute. You want to make sure you are looking at schools that you’ll be able to attend without taking on too much debt.</p>