<p>I'm a junior right now, and am beginning my college search. My counselor keeps saying that finding the right school is the most important thing to do in this process. I'm wondering if they are any tools i can use to narrow my search. This is preliminary, so visiting may be a little much right now.</p>
<p>First, think about what you want in a college. Big or small? Into sports or not? Frats/Sororities or not? Urban/suburban/rural? What part of the country? Conservative/liberal/religious/nonreligious/diverse/politically apathetic? Type of student - preppy/wealthy/hipster/casual/competitive and intense/laid back and friendly/intellectual/partying/? </p>
<p>Second, be familiar with your own “stats” (GPA, SAT, ACT) and get familiar with how to find info on a particular college’s student profile, so you know how to determine if you would likely be accepted. You can find this info by searching a schools name + common data set, or by reading the admissions info on princeton review dot com (remove spaces) or other college search websites. </p>
<p>Third, figure out where you and your family are financially. Some parents have a certain defined amount they can and will pay (either a certain dollar amount, or “anything that costs the same or less than our state school” kind of thing). Other parents can pay the full amount to anywhere you want to go (which for many private schools can be around $50,000 per year). Other parents will be vague and say something like “just apply around and see what kind of money you’re offered and then we’ll figure out what we can do”. In general, financial aid at most schools will include loans or will just not match with what your family can pay. Other schools will do a great job of matching what you can pay. Princeton review gives a financial aid score, and college board gives info on what the average need based gift (not loan) is. With my son (who is a freshman in college now), we found that the reputation for financial aid for each school pretty much came true in his results. The couple schools he applied to that were reputed to not give good aid…didn’t. the schools that were described as generous with financial aid were, so while you can’t predict how much money you’ll get, it is possible to get a good idea about it. For merit money - some schools even have charts (with this SAT and this GPA, you’ll get XXXX amount of scholarship money). Many schools are not so easy to guess how much scholarship money you’ll get.</p>
<p>Fourth, run a search on princeton review dot com, college board dot com, or other online search pages. This will give you a list of schools to start contemplating. Start to develop a list of schools you may be interested in, then look at their websites, look at the forum pages on this website, etc. </p>
<p>Once you’ve come up with a list of schools you’re interested in, then it’s time to visit them (if you can). </p>
<p>Make sure your list includes a couple safeties, which means you’re sure you’ll be accepted AND you’re sure you can afford to go to them. This usually is a state school (in your own state), unless you’re able to pay full price anywhere, then it’s whatever school you like that you’re almost positive you’ll get into. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>This helped a lot, thanks!</p>