Choosing the Right Colleges for You

With more and more American high school students applying to college every year, the decision of which schools to choose is an increasingly asked question. There are nearly 3, 000 colleges and universities in the United States alone, each with a different tuition, location, student population, academic reputation, and overall educational experience. That's why it's important to ask which schools are right for you---because what might have been a good fit for your parents or siblings may not be the best option for you. Here are some crucial questions to ask yourself before you apply to any school:

1)Does this school offer what I want to study? If the answer is no, obviously you should look elsewhere. If the answer is yes, then research the requirements for your intended major at the school and check to see if the school's educational approach really suits you. Research the experience of the professors teaching in the department of your intended major and look at some of the work they have done. Do some of their ideas and philosophies match yours? Does the school seem to have a strong program that relates to your major? Hopefully the answer is yes! If not, look for a school renowned for whatever area it is you want to study.

2)Do I meet the basic admissions requirements for this school? This is an essential question. If you really want to study at a school, you must be prepared for the level of coursework they offer. Check the student profile of the high school seniors they accepted in previous years. Ideally, your GPA, test scores, and course loads would match perfectly to theirs, or are even better. If not, then check to see how far away your credentials are. If the school has a strict GPA cut-off and you don't meet it, then you'll have to find another school, but if the school has no GPA cut-off and your GPA is only slightly lower than the average one listed in the student profile, then consider applying anyway if you think your teacher recommendations and extracurricular activities might be enough to get your noticed by the admissions officer. But if your GPA is drastically lower, you should research other schools.