Steps to Finding Your Best College Matches

First take a deep breath and relax.  The college admissions and financial aid process can be very stressful for the student and his or her family.  There are over 4,000 colleges and universities in the United States but only about 100 of them are very selective.  There is a college for everyone and your goal is to find the colleges that are the best matches for you.  You want to find a college or university which meets your academic, social and financial needs.  Do not become fixated on any one college.   A “name” or “good” college means nothing if it is not a good fit for you.  It is most important to find schools that offer you the opportunity to shine rather than letting the school shine for you.  Remember there is more than one college that is a good match for each student.    

Connect With Your School Counselor
Finding the right college is a team effort that includes the student, parents, school counselor, and sometimes a private college consultant.   Make a connection with your school counselor, share your ideas and get his or her input. It is critical that you are respectful and appreciative of the counselor's work and deadlines. Remember, for schools that require secondary reports/counselor letters of recommendation, it is your school counselor who will be writing about you. 

Establish Criteria
Start the college admission process by developing the college selection criteria. Parents may lay some ground rules but it is very important that the student take ownership of the search and selection.  It is best to start this at the end of sophomore year or during your junior year.  First, you need to know and understand what you are looking for in a college.  What are your passions, learning styles, love for knowledge, career orientation, and level of independence, self-awareness of strengths and weaknesses, and desire for academic/social balance? Second, you should evaluate your academic transcript and extracurricular history and accomplishments. Once you have evaluated your records, develop strategies to improve your level of extracurricular activities, grades, and SAT/ACT test scores.  Please note that a student’s GPA is more important for admissions than test scores at most colleges. Each year more colleges are allowing students to hide their scores and instead are requiring an extra interview, essay or graded school paper.  Third, the family should determine the college budget.  Be a knowledgeable consumer and determine your federal and/or institutional expected family contribution and understand how this will affect your cost of education.   Use all of this information to determine the type of school, distance from home, school setting, number of students, and level of competiveness that will be a good fit for you. If you start with these steps it is more likely that you will find affordable schools at which you can be successful.  

Make Your School List
Now you are ready to build your college long list, which you should narrow down to a minimum of three schools and a maximum of ten. Your school list should include “Reach” schools where your GPA and test scores are lower than other applicants,  “Peer “ schools where test scores are on par with other applicants, and “Safety” schools where your GPA and test scores are higher than other applicants.  Research the culture, academic standards, majors, social life, and actual costs (effected by the availability of need-based and merit-based aid).  Use college guidebooks, official college websites, online college guides, and visit the schools whenever possible.  On the college visit take the tour, sit in on the information sessions, sit in on classes, schedule an interview, eat lunch on campus, and talk to students, professors and coaches.  

Manage the Application Process
After you have completed your research, begin your college applications in your senior year.  Make a list of each of your colleges’ requirements and when they are due. Take note of schools that have rolling admissions (no deadlines) because they are also first come, first served; once a class or major is filled you are out of luck. Make sure that you have taken or have scheduled the necessary college admissions tests (SAT and/or ACT).  Try to have all your applications in before or right after Thanksgiving.  Give your school counselors and teachers plenty of time to complete the school reports and recommendations.  One of the most important and most difficult parts of your college application is the college essay.  It is your special voice where you get the opportunity to show the school how you are special.  The essay can tip the scales in your favor. 

Financial Aid and Scholarships
In addition to college applications you want to make sure that you complete all financial aid forms on time so you don’t miss out on any merit or need-based aid. Check the colleges’ required forms and their deadlines. All forms today are done online. The main financial aid form is the FAFSA, which cannot be done until after the first of January of the senior year.  Some private colleges require the College Board’s CSS Profile in addition to the FAFSA - this form requires additional information about family finances and must be filled out for all of your parents (even step-parents and non-custodial parents).  Also check if the colleges have their own forms. Keep in mind that most money for college comes from the colleges, and the federal and state government.  When looking for private scholarships, apply the concept of supply and demand - the number of scholarships given versus number of people applying.  Look for local scholarships where the chances of receiving one are highest.

Accepting an Offer of Admission
The final step is to review and evaluate all of the colleges that have offered you admission.  Examine their financial aid/scholarship offers, rank the colleges against your original criteria, revisit the schools, if possible, and pick your best college match. 

Myrna SH Fuchs, is a college consultant serving Berks County and the surrounding area.  More information can be found at www.collegeavenues.com