One of the first steps in the college-preparation process is choosing the right college for you. The following information will guide you through seven steps for selecting a school.
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Identify Your Criteria.
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Estimate Future College Costs.
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Search for Schools.
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Seek Advice.
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Narrow Your Choices.
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Learn the Process.
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Apply to College.
Step 1: Identify Your Criteria
First, visit Identify Your Criteria to learn about types of schools, costs, and other things to consider.
As you start the college-search process, gather information about jobs in your field of study. The Occupational Outlook Handbook describes a wide array of professions and trades, their working conditions, training and education needs, earnings, and employment prospects.
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Step 2: Estimate Future College Costs
Before searching for colleges, estimate your college costs with our College Cost Calculator.
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Step 3: Search for Schools
Now that you have considered several factors for selecting a school, you can begin comparing schools.
- If you already have developed a list of prospective colleges, research schools with the College Search service. You will
find schools by name and state.
- If you aren't sure which school you want to attend but have certain criteria in mind, use the Advanced Search to find schools that meet your requirements.
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Step 4: Seek Advice
The campus financial-aid office can be an excellent source of information. Contact the Financial Aid Office will help you learn more about this on-campus resource.
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Step 5: Narrow Your Choices
Many students begin their college search with a list of as many as 10 to 20 schools. To help you narrow your list to a manageable number, take a look at Tips to Narrow Your List, as well as pointers to help you when Visiting Schools. You can download the School Visit Checklist to help you in preparing for your campus visit.
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Step 6: Learn the Process
Ready to start the college-application process? Before you fill out your first admissions application, check out the information in Learning the Process.
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Step 7: Apply to College
For more advice, visit the Filling out Applications section. And download this handy Application Checklist to assist you when you are completing school applications.
Considering Applying Early? To learn about early applications, visit Applying Early.
When you are ready to begin applying, the Online Application Tool will help make the process easy and convenient.
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