Finding the
right college fit is much like
assembling a large and complex puzzle. You have all of the pieces in
front of you but you have to organize, sort and search to find the
right way to make it all come together.
The
college choice process is an excellent place to hone
your time management and organization skills, both vital to success in
college. The amount of paperwork you are going to undertake is daunting
but manageable IF you get organized. Some families keep a folder on
each school. Others keep a calendar or make a chart. Whatever system
makes sense for you is fine just make sure you create a system.
After
you have defined the factors that are important to
you in selecting a college, you should have found one or two or maybe
three factors that really stand out. These are the make it or break it
factors for any particular college. One organization system that I have
seen used effectively takes a list of schools that is generated by
considering those key factors and then compares the schools on a
variety of other criteria that are important to the student and his or
her family.
See
the chart below.
Books,
magazines, the internet and your friends and
family are all sources of information on colleges and universities. You
even have my help too! Obviously, some of these resources are more
credible or objective than others. But put together, these resources
can help you paint a pretty accurate portrait of a school before you
even visit.
Click here for a printable version of this checklist
Name of College |
Type of Application |
Admission deadlines |
SAT/ACT/AP scores sent |
Official transcript sent to college *1 most privates and some CSU, not UC except by request |
Name of teacher or counselor for letter of Rec. and date *2 |
Essay done |
completed app. copied or printed |
app. fee paid |
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University
of California, Davis |
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*1. Type of application: UC-UC campuses, CSU-CSU campuses. C-Common application, P-Private Schools
*2. Required by private colleges only
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