Part III:  Narrow Your Choices

No college (nor type of college) is right for all students, but certain colleges are right for you. Before narrowing your choices, you should answer some basic questions about yourself.

• What am I able to do?

• What do I want out of life?

• What do I need in the way of training?

Narrow your choices to 10 ─ 15 colleges and write for catalogs. When you have selected 3 ─ 6 colleges and have the results of one college admissions examination, consult your counselor.

Listen for announcements regarding visits of college representatives to your school and arrange to talk with a few of them.

Attend the annual postsecondary education opportunities day held at school and talk with admissions personnel representing the colleges you are considering.

Visit colleges (with your parents) during the summer months or preferably in the Fall of your senior year to gather first-hand information. Call for appointments ahead of time.

Evaluate the institution as a place where you might eat, sleep, and study for the next four years. Tour the facilities and inquire about extracurricular activities, personal services, and school regulations. If the college is in session, visit a class, talk to students, observe campus behavior, and eat a meal in the dining hall. You will know from your experience on the campus whether that college is right for you. No amount of reading or discussing will tell you this.

Checklist for Making Plans

Think about preliminary criteria and your priorities.

Make a college list that includes "safeties," possibilities, and "reaches."

Star colleges where interviews are required or recommended.

Map out your itinerary.

Check that the colleges are in session.

Plan how and with whom you'll go.

Keep college visits and school demands in balance.

Arrange for high school absence and plan to make up missed work.

Pack appropriate clothes for the interview.

Write down names and phone numbers of the college administrators you plan to see.

Bring questions and be sure you have a pen and notebook with which to write important information.

Take money for meals and any other expenses.

Bring a transcript in case admissions counselor requests it.

Adapted from "College Planning: Making the Right Moves," Wake County Public School System.

Want to search for colleges and universities in North Carolina?

For North Carolina schools, take a look at:

 
Survey the Possibilities Weigh the Differences Narrow Your Choices