<p>I'm going to be a junior in the fall. I'm clueless though I attempted the collegeboard search but it only yields one result: George town. How did you guys first start researching for colleges and wat did yall do?</p>
<p>1) What are your stats?</p>
<p>2) How much will your parents pay each year?</p>
<p>3) What is your likely major and intended career?</p>
<p>4) Do you want a big or small school?</p>
<p>5) Do you want a quiet or more “rah rah big sports” school?</p>
<p>Good questions listed above. And if you can’t answer #4, go visit a local LAC, private mid-sized school and large state university to get a feel for each. Visit an urban school and a rural or suburban one with a real ‘campus’ orientation. These don’t have to be schools you will apply to: It’s just to get the feel.</p>
<p>At the end of 10th grade my son didn’t know what he wanted to major in or what career he wanted to pursue. If you’re the same way, ask yourself what you hate. That may help you find some direction and types of schools to rule out.</p>
<p>[The</a> Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System - Home Page](<a href=“http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/]The”>IPEDS)</p>
<p>IPEDS data is a good starting point. The College Navigator is a simple search tool and the Data Center provides the actual figures. Open up a spreadsheet and work the numbers.</p>
<p>To mom2ck’s list I’d add Where: Hot/Cold, City/Suburb/Rural, Close to Home/Far Away?</p>
<p>so how do I narrow down? Any search machine?</p>
<p>^ The [College</a> Navigator](<a href=“http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/]College”>College Navigator - National Center for Education Statistics) is a frontend for IPEDS. You can also try the CC search tool at [College</a> Search - College Confidential](<a href=“http://www.collegeconfidential.com/college_search/]College”>http://www.collegeconfidential.com/college_search/)</p>
<p>Does your school offer Naviance? If it does, that is a good place to start. </p>
<p>I’m kind of old-fashioned. I start out with a Fiske Guide or Princeton Review and a pad of sticky notes and tab each school that meets our parameters in terms of location, size, etc. Then I look at the website and at Naviance for each school and see if it has the majors we want, if admission looks reasonable, etc. Try to develop a list of 8 - 12 schools that you want to explore further. Be sure to include safety schools - both admissions safeties and financial safeties.</p>
<p>Honestly, stalking the College Confidential boards helps a lot. 
I’ve learned so much through them. It is very important, though, to not let the opinions of others on here overshadow your own.</p>
<p>Also, try to keep everything in your searches quite broad throughout the beginning of your search. If you narrow it down too much, you might miss out on several great matches. While I am no longer interested in them, looking at the College of William and Mary, Boston U, and others helped me unearth some colleges that are now on the top of my list.</p>
<p>Here’s a couple of sites that I’ve found helpful (You’ll have to google them, because sometimes the links don’t work that great on here):</p>
<p>College Prow.ler
Princeton Review
YOUniversity TV
College Data</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>*so how do I narrow down? Any search machine? *</p>
<p>Seriously, if you answer our questions, we could probably come up with some ideas that fit your wants/needs.</p>
<p>
In fact, CC recently launched a new college search feature that is outstanding. You should give it a try - [College</a> Search](<a href=“http://www.collegeconfidential.com/college_search/]College”>http://www.collegeconfidential.com/college_search/).</p>