10 step guide to choosing the right college

You’re not alone if you’re intimidated by trying to choose one college from nearly 4,000 options. Even after you’ve received acceptance letters, making this decision can be a tough one! Thankfully, there are ways to narrow down your choices and choose the college that best fits you.

How to choose a college in 10 steps

1. Start your search early

We can’t emphasize this enough – start your college search early. It takes time to explore different colleges and determine what they offer, whether they fit your needs, and decide if they’re a good fit for you. You want to consider location, tuition fees, dorms, facilities, and more. Finding the right school that’s a match for you can take a considerable amount of time – the earlier you start, the more likely you’ll zero in on a perfect fit.

2. Find schools that match you

With nearly 4,000 college options, narrowing your choices down can feel like an impossible task. However, the right resources can help you cut down on the legwork. We recommend College Match. It’s free and accounts for your wants, needs, achievements, finances and more to find the best schools that fit you. You’ll even be able to see your chances of getting an acceptance letter and your expected net cost.

3. Ask the right questions

In order to find the best matches, however, you need to know your wants and needs! Each college is different. One school might have a fantastic program in your major, but it’s located in a city you dislike. To determine if a school is a good fit for you, consider these factors:

• How your academic profile compares to recently accepted students
• Your acceptance chances
• Your major/minor and the strength of the school’s program
• School size and type
• Campus and off-campus experiences and preferences
• Location and distance from home
• Extracurricular activities
• Campus life and facilities
• Resources such as career centers and college advisors
• Anything else you consider important

Listing out your wants and needs makes it easier to narrow down the best schools to apply to. Create a healthy mix of safety, reaches, and matches to increase your chances of receiving acceptance letters.

4. Consider cost

Sticker prices can be scary. While you should take these numbers into consideration, they don’t tell the whole story. Many colleges and universities, especially private ones, have endowment programs to help make college more affordable. Students should also complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to qualify for these institutional grants and federal programs.

To see what your cost of attendance could look like, our college finder helps you estimate how much you’ll actually pay to attend any college based on your own financial situation, while our Financial Aid Offer Comparison Tool helps you identify the best deal once you’ve received your acceptance letters.

Don't forget scholarships and state grants can also make college more affordable.

5. Schedule campus tours

The best way to get a feel for a campus is to take a tour. Tours let you experience the atmosphere of a college first-hand, and you may know right away whether you will be comfortable there. During your tour, you can ask questions, talk to current students, and explore the campus (within reason).

To save cash, you can take virtual tours, limit visits to the colleges on the top of your list, and plan tours after you’ve been accepted.

6. Look at the numbers

Taking a trip to campus or viewing the college’s website can tell you a lot about a school, but there are other factors to consider: the numbers. These can give you insight into how the college stacks up against similar colleges in the United States. Two numbers we recommend paying attention to are the rankings and the statistics.

Consider rankings – wisely

College Raptor publishes its own College Rankings based on several factors including academic achievement, retention rates, graduation rates, and more. While these factors can serve as a proxy for education quality, rankings can ultimately only tell you so much about an institution.

For example, you know Harvard University is a great school, but if you aren’t interested in Harvard or don’t have the grades or extracurriculars to get an acceptance letter, the fact that it made the list of top 50 schools in the country may mean little to nothing to you.

However, that doesn’t mean you should throw rankings out the window, either. They can help you find colleges you’ve never heard of before and see how they compare to other schools you’re looking into. College Raptor’s Hidden Gems highlights some lesser-known colleges – you might just find your dream college on one of these.

Check the statistics

Rankings use the statistics behind a school. We recommend looking at these numbers individually.

• Acceptance rates: Acceptance rates highlight how many students were accepted to the college the previous year. Take a look at how many students applied, were accepted, and enrolled (yield).
• Graduation rates: Not all students graduate in four years, but higher graduation rates mean more students are staying on to complete their degree. Each school profile on College Raptor lists 4-year, 6-year, and 8-year graduation rates. If a college on your list has a lower grad rate, investigate the reason to see if it might affect your own timeline.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: Lower student-to-faculty ratios mean more intimate classes and potentially more 1-on-1 assistance from professors. Higher student-to-faculty ratios mean more lecture-style courses. However, even schools with higher overall ratios may have smaller class sizes for select programs.
• First-year retention rate: This number refers to the percentage of students who stayed at the school after they completed their first year. As with grad rates, if the first-year retention rate is lower, find out the reason – it might not apply to your situation.

7. Review schools’ online presence

Colleges’ websites, social media profiles, and other publications can provide amazing insight into what the school offers, how they talk to their students, extracurriculars, and more.

However, the school’s website and social media posts are carefully curated. Look at “unofficial” sources, too, such as comments on social media, Subreddits, and college newspapers to get a real feel for college life.

8. Talk to the right people

You don’t have to do all the research behind the computer screen or keep to the campus tour! In fact, it’s highly recommended you talk to current students and representatives from the school when you can.

• Ask students questions. By talking to current students and alumni, you can get “real” answers to your questions, rather than curated answers from the college.
• Attend college fairs. College fairs are the perfect place to get information about schools and learn about colleges you haven’t considered before.
• Contact the college. You can ask questions on the school’s social media pages or through their contact form on their website. Or reach out directly to the admissions department if you have concerns about the application process or the financial aid department if you have questions about your offer or their scholarship opportunities.
• Chat with your family. Talk to your parents about your academic interests, career goals, college list so far, cost, and financial strategies.
• Meet with your guidance counselor or college advisor. They often have connections with colleges, and they can provide you with some amazing advice to improve your acceptance chances – after all, they’ve seen it all before.

9. Compare your options

As you grow your college list, create a spreadsheet to compare them. Make columns for everything that matters to you, from the strength of your major program to the financial aid you’re likely to receive. By breaking down the information this way, it’s easier to cross off schools that don’t make the cut.

10. Don’t make these common mistakes

Mistakes during the college search process can be costly. You might pick out the wrong schools, start too late, or not have a solid match of reach, match, and safety schools that fit your unique needs. Here are a few errors you’ll want to steer clear of.

• Only considering prestige. Harvard University, MIT, and Princeton University are amazing schools. But they may not be for you. Focus on picking the right fit for you.
• Starting your search too late. Between your SAT/ACT tests, high school courses, and college applications, it could be hard to really consider what you want and need in a school. Starting early can help you dive deep into what you want your next four years to look like.
• Only considering others’ input. While it's great to keep your parents, teachers, relatives, and advisors’ suggestions in mind, you ultimately have to choose what feels right for you.
• Going where your friends are going. Choosing a college is a major decision – one that will have a bearing on your whole future. If you follow your bestie to college, make sure they have the programs and environment that make you happy too.

Start your college research during your sophomore and junior years of high school so you're prepared when applications open in the fall of your senior year. Regular decision applications are often due by January 1 of your senior year, but you need to submit your application in November if you’re applying under early action or early decision. Have your college list ready to go by those dates. If you’re accepted, you’ll have to choose which school you’ll be attending in the fall by May 1. Let's go!

Struggling to compare colleges? Not sure which schools meet your academic achievements and goals? Our College Match tool can help you narrow down your options and find the best schools for you! Get started today for free.