Finding the right college for you can be challenging. There are multiple important factors to think of when narrowing down your choices.

Here are some tips to finding the perfect college for you.

Major
The most essential factor for finding a school revolves majors. If you have an idea of what you want to major in, research schools with that major. For example, I am going to major in photography. Knowing what I want to major in definitely helped me research colleges.

“The first step in choosing where to go to college is assessing what you know about yourself,” College and Career Counselor Allegra Giulletti-Schmitt said.

If you are still undecided on your major, that is okay. Make sure you find schools that will accept students with an undecided major and look for schools with majors you find interesting.

Location
College location is a vital component of finding your perfect college. Choosing location can dramatically narrow down your school options. When it comes to location, be sure to ask yourself the following questions:

– Do you want to commute, live close to your family, or experience independence by living further away?
– Do you want to be familiarized with your surroundings, or do you want more of an adventure?
– Do you want to live in an urban, suburban, or rural area?

When researching colleges, I knew I wanted to go a school that is close to my family. My colleges options decreased, which allowed me to increase my knowledge of possible colleges that would be a strong fit.

“Up to this point, students have not had a choice in where they have lived or where they have attended school,” Giulletti-Schmitt said. “Think about your experience as a Niles North student, in a culturally rich and diverse suburb that is very closely connected to a big metropolitan city.”

Where you live has an impact on your social and academic experience.

School size

Make sure you find a school that fits your comfort zone when it comes to size. The size of the student body at colleges can vary from 600 to 60,000 students.

If you want smaller classes, pick a school with a smaller population, such as a private, subject specific college. If you want more lecture-type classes, choose a school with a bigger population, such as a public, Big Ten college.

“Keep in mind that college is not at all like high school,” Giulletti-Schmitt said. “Don’t disregard small schools because it mirrors the size of Niles North. Also, don’t eliminate schools immediately because they may seem too large.”

There are many helpful tools and ways to research colleges. There is an entire section of research assistance links on Naviance under the ‘College’ tab. The link I found to be most helpful was the SuperMatch College Search.

“My biggest piece of advice is go visit!” said G-S. “You may not know [what characteristics you like best in a school] until you go to the campuses in person.”

Photo by Samantha McNelis