What to Know Before You Go

As you ponder college, you likely daydream about what school will be like once you get there. Before that can happen, though, you have to choose a school (or two or three), complete the application process, write essays and then wait for that fat envelope and acceptance letter to arrive in the mail. We can't make the process faster, but we can offer some advice that will make it go more smoothly—and successfully.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT SCHOOL
Choosing where to go to college is likely one of the biggest decisions you've faced to date, and how can you know if a school is really right for you? No school is perfect, but with so many choices, it should be possible to find several where you could be happy for the better part of four years.

One way to help hone in on what you want in a college is to make a list of the things that are most important to you. Is it a specific major or program? A small student-teacher ratio? Or maybe you're not willing to go too far from home. Once you determine your search criteria, you can begin to winnow down the options. If you still have more than a few choices, peruse each school's catalog or surf their Web sites and determine which ones seem most like someplace you could call home for an extended period of time. (Tip: Don't focus on those posed photos of happy students but on what the written material tells you about the school.)

Once you have a manageable list, it's time to schedule your school visits. Most colleges and universities sponsor visitation days or weekends for prospective students at least once per semester. These opportunities can provide an extended look at campus life. Usually, you'll be assigned a host in whose dorm room you'll camp out; and you'll have the opportunity to sit in on classes, eat in the dining hall and attend a sporting event or extracurricular activity. If a school's visitation weekend doesn't fit your schedule, you can also schedule a visit almost any time school is in session, often with a simple e-mail via the school's Web site (click on admissions and look for contact info).

Whenever you decide to visit, be sure to take full advantage of the opportunities you'll have to query students, meet faculty and check out the dorms and other facilities. Ask the school ahead of time to give you the names of several students in the program you intend to study. Find out from them which courses have been helpful, if the school has an established network for setting up internships and if they feel they're being adequately prepared for their future vocation. Also, be sure to ask them what they think the departments' weaknesses are. Every department has them; you just want to be sure your chosen school's shortcomings are ones you can live with during your time in college. You'll also want to talk to an admissions officer about what sort of financial aid is available and the average amount each student receives. Remember, the school with the highest tuition won't necessarily be the most expensive for you to attend once you figure in how much assistance you can reasonably count on.

APPLY YOURSELF
Now that you have all the information you need to make an informed decision, you can begin the application process. This can be daunting when you realize that admissions officers are looking for students with good grades, high test scores, well-rounded extracurricular activities, an interesting after-school job and unique hobbies and skills. Some volunteer work doesn't hurt either, but wait! Before you crumple up those applications and toss them in the garbage, understand that very few prospective students actually possess all of those qualifications. "Ideal candidates are in short supply," according to The Princeton Review, which reminds us that "even the most selective schools have to dip into the general run of humanity in order to fill their freshman classes."

Still, the closer you can come, the better your chances are. It also helps to follow directions. Only send a school what it requests. If it requires you to type your application, don't use a pen and then include a note explaining that your printer was out of ink. Also, before you write your essay (if one is required), ask current college students who got into their first-choice schools to let you read their essays and see what they did right. (Your college pastor or guidance counselor should be able to help you track these down).

AN INVESTMENT IN YOUR FUTURE
Once your applications are in the mail you can start turning your attention toward how to pay for school. If your parents or other relatives have been putting away money since before you were born, or if they have the resources to pay for your education in full, you can skip this section. Unfortunately, most students-to-be can't; so they may leave college carrying a sheepskin, as well as a load of debt. The good news, though, is that more than half of students receive some form of federal student aid. Not surprisingly, the earlier you begin applying, the more money you can get for school.

The Web is a great way to begin researching your financial options. Visit finaid.org to check out financial aid checklists and loan calculators, then visit knowledgefirst.com to explore your borrowing options and shop for loans. Next, surf over to wiredscholar.com to search through available scholarships. Some sites will help you determine how much you should borrow based on your future occupation and projected salary.

So while there is much to do before you can move into that cozy dorm room, a little preparation and forethought can go a long way toward ensuring you wind up at a school where you can not just survive, but thrive.