It’s important to make sure your college choice is right for you. There are so many options when it comes to choosing a college that is difficult to even know where to begin. Here is a checklist of questions, and an explanation of why you should ask them, that you can take with you on your campus explorations.

Before You Begin Your Search

There are questions you need to ask of yourself first, including:

• What do I want to accomplish in college? Do you just want a general education? Are you interested in a specific major? You may be able to determine whether a liberal arts college or a skills-oriented college is best for you. Some colleges have better programs for particular majors. You can narrow your choices down quite a bit by eliminating schools that don’t have strong programs in your area of interest.

• How do I learn best? Some students thrive in large classes, others prefer smaller classes and more interaction with instructors. If you are the latter, you might want to look at smaller colleges and universities where student enrollment isn’t so high that freshman classes are held in auditoriums.

• Is My Choice a Fit in Location? Only you can decide if a long commute that takes time away from family, work, or study is a fair trade for the benefits a degree from a particular college affords you. Only you can decide if cutting back on expenses to meet higher out-of-state costs is worth it in the long run. But, you can save yourself time and narrow your choices by deciding this ahead of time.

Questions to Ask Colleges

You may spend four years or more of your life in the college of your choice. To make sure it is a good fit, you need to ask questions such as these:

• What majors are offered? Are there advanced degree programs? Find out if the college has the option to meet your interests.

• What extracurricular activities are there? If you think you might be interested in intramural sports, find out if they are available. Are you interested in social programs or fraternities and sororities? Not all schools have them, so be sure to ask.

• What is the average class size and typical work load? You’ve already asked yourself what you are comfortable with, so now ask if the college meets that need.

• What is the graduation rate? The national average for first time college students who go on to get a degree in four years is just 59%. However, if the college you are exploring has a low graduation rate, make sure the reason isn’t something that will affect you and your success.

• What is campus life like? Find out if there are resources available for students. Is there an active student center? Do most students live on campus? Do most go home for weekends? Again, not everyone has the same needs, but four years can be a long time – and it can affect your study - if the campus life doesn’t suit you.

A Final Question

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