American College Foundation
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College Options
Beginning the college search and selection process early in high school at a gradual pace provides students with much more time to gather data and ultimately make the most informed decision.
How do you best organize your college search?
What are the most vital steps in the process?
What are the most important considerations?
One key factor is to always remember to treat your search for the perfect college like a marathon and not a sprint.
Beginning the college search and selection process early in high school at a gradual pace provides students with much more time to gather data and ultimately make the most informed decision.
How do you best organize your college search?
What are the most vital steps in the process?
What are the most important considerations?
One key factor is to always remember to treat your search for the perfect college like a marathon and not a sprint.
To make it much more manageable, divide your college search and selection process into three separate parts:
Start early, pace yourself, but don’t rush yourself. The earlier you get started and the more time you have to research the college’s information, the more informed decision you will be able to make.
Refer to the list below of basic information that will give you an idea of some of the parameters to consider when beginning your college search process:
You should review and familiarize yourself with all of these in order to get a feel for what type of institution best suits your needs and educational goals.
After your original list is compiled, here are some considerations to help you narrow your options:
In addition to your personal research, you may also wish to speak with your high school counselor, family, and past graduates to obtain any insider details available. This additional research will certainly take time; but, it will be time well spent. The college you attend will play such a major role in forming your future – big decisions require careful consideration.
While on the surface picking the best school for you, jumping through all the hoops, going off to college, studying, graduating with your Bachelor’s degree in 4 years, and starting your career seems to be the straight-forward objective. Unfortunately, less than 60% of those students who start down this path actually obtain their Bachelor’s degree in less than 6 years.
Consider the following when narrowing your list of possible colleges to help put yourself above those averages:
Careful consideration while in high school can have a huge impact on what your education ultimately costs, how soon you are able to graduate, and the foundation of personal and business relationships throughout your lifetime.