The College Search

Arguably the biggest piece of applying to college, the college search is one of the first big steps in the college admissions process.

There are thousands of colleges and universities in the United States. Add thousands more if your student is considering options in Europe or elsewhere. In the simplest terms, the college search begins with building a list of criteria and sifting through those thousands of schools to make an initial list of where your child will apply. This is a months-long process - and one that will change as your student grows! They’ll learn more about themselves while in high school and more about the admissions process as they research.

This approach seems simple, but there are many steps and layers involved. I recommend towards the beginning of junior year, students begin to make a list of priorities. What is most important to them? Where can they envision themselves living and learning for four (or more) years?

These priorities and preferences will change as they grow throughout junior year. They will also change as they go on college visits (highly recommended - local colleges are fine!) and learn that things they think they liked or wanted are actually not the best option for them.

As they get further and further into the process, they will learn more and more about each college and determine if each one really is the right fit for them. It’s like a one-sided interview for each school!

Utilize the articles on the left for a deeper dive into the various pieces of the college search process.