by A.C. Turley

Created on: September 25, 2009

You've been wading through piles of catalogues and reviewing college websites until your head hurts and your eyes are bloodshot, but you still don't know which school is THE ONE. Building up your GPA, participating in extra curricular activities, and learning leadership skills helped you anticipate this milestone, but somehow didn't prepare you for the agony of this decision. To make matters worse, your mom likes Yale, your dad prefers his local alma mater, and your grandparents think vocational school is more practical. And you don't even want to think about the price tag of college education. But this is your choice, ultimately, so how do you compare each school's options and decide which college is right for you?

That phrase is key. Choose what is right for you. Parents and friends will have strong opinions, and it can be helpful to listen to their concerns, but your future depends upon your actions. College is the first door opening to the rest of your life, not anyone else's. So, first of all, you should consider which schools offer the most comprehensive and solid course program that interests you. If you are certain of your major, narrow your selection to colleges with strengths in that subject, and then inspect their curriculum in detail. If you want to compose pop music, and the highly prized music program at your in-state university only offers classical training, then it's not a good fit. You need a school with a broader musical department. If you are unsure of your major, like most incoming freshmen, make a list of genres you might like to study and then make a companion list of careers you might have with a degree in those areas. Do those careers sound like you? Do you excel at one subject over others? Keeping these points in mind, weed out the schools whose programs do not match your strengths and interests. You won't be happy at a college that doesn't meet your potential.

Don't forget the extras that you love to participate in too. Depending on your main areas of study, this could include art, choir, theater, sports, or clubs. If there is an activity that you love and use as a creative or motivational outlet, make sure the colleges and universities you are considering offer it.

Next, you should consider what kind of environment is conducive to your learning needs. Would you learn better in smaller classrooms with a professor to student ratio more like 1:20? Would you participate in a lecture style hall where one hundred to two hundred students

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