What college(s) might be right for you?

What College(s) Should You Apply To?

Answer a few (well, more than a few!) questions and maybe you'll find out. Head on over to my Disclaimers page if you want to enjoy more of my blathering on, or go to my Donations page if you feel inclined to donate monetarily to my questionnaire-writing habit. And without further ado, answer the following questions about what you're looking for in a college:

Getting In

What do you think about your chances of getting in to college?
	I want to go to a highly selective school (and I don't think I'll have trouble getting in).
	I need to go to a school that will take almost anybody!
	I'll take my chances either way.

Check any of the following statements about the application process, if you agree with them.
	I am planning on early entrance, to a college that accepts students enrolling after their 10th or 11th year in high school.
	I am hoping to go to a school with a reputation of offering lots of financial aid.

Academic Life

Check any of the following statements about academic life, if you agree with them.
	I want to go to a school where the students study the most (or at least it has that reputation).
	I want to go to a school where the students study the least (or at least it has that reputation).
	I want to go to a college with a very prestigious academic reputation -- one of the United States' most elite universities.
	I want to go to a college where the Honor Code is valued and upheld by the students.
	I want to go to a school that uses block scheduling: students take only one course at a time.


Accounting	Agriculture	Anthropology
Architecture	Art/Design	Aviation Science/Aerospace Engineering
Bio-Agricultural Engineering	Biology	Bio-Medical Engineering
Business	Ceramics	Civil Engineering
Chemical Engineering	Communications	Computer Science/Computer Engineering
Creative Writing	Criminology	Dance
Drama	Education	Electrical Engineering
Engineering (in general)	Engineering Science/Physics	Environmental Engineering
Environmental Studies	Film/Television	Finance
Forensic Science/Chemistry	Great Books (primary sources of western civilization)	Health
History	Industrial Engineering	International Studies
Journalism	Literature	Language
Marketing/Sales	Materials Engineering	Oceanography
Optics/Optical Science	Math	Marine Biology
Mechanical Engineering	Music	Naval Architecture
Nursing	Philosophy	Political Science/Government
Psychology

Sports

Do you care about sports?
	I'd like to go to a school where sports are huge! I want to paint my face, camp out for tickets, quote statistics, and bleed (insert school colors here).
	I'd rather go to a school where sports are non-existent, or close to it.
	I don't care one way or the other.


Baseball	Men's Basketball	Women's Basketball
Bowling	Men's Cross Country	Women's Cross Country
Fencing	Field Hockey	Football
Men's Golf	Women's Golf	Men's Gymastics
Women's Gymnastics	Men's Ice Hockey	Women's Ice Hockey
Men's Lacrosse	Women's Lacrosse	Rifle
Rowing	Skiing	Men's Soccer
Women's Soccer	Softball	Men's Swimming and Diving
Women's Swimming and Diving	Men's Tennis	Women's Tennis
Men's Track and Field	Women's Track and Field	Men's Volleyball
Women's Volleyball	Men's Water Polo	Women's Water Polo
Wrestling

College Life

What kind of setting would you choose for your college? Check any location that would be acceptable.
	Out in the boondocks. Out in the country or in a small town.
	I want some “there” there. Anywhere from a large town to a small city.
	Bright lights and a big city: right downtown in a large metropolitan area.

Would you feel comfortable in a big school or a small school? Check any number of undergraduates, that you'd like to share your college experience with.
	Less than 1000. This would be a very small school.
	Between 1000 and 5000. Still somewhat of a small school.
	From 5000 to 10,000. Getting bigger.
	From 10,000 to 20,000. A big school.
	Over 20,000 undergraduates. This is one of the largest schools.

Would you prefer to attend a school that is primarily residential -- or not? Pick one of the options below.
	A school where more than 2/3 of the undergraduates live on campus.
	A commuter school -- where most undergraduates live at home or off-campus.
	I don't care one way or the other.

Would you like to go to a school with an official religious affiliation or a strong history of identification with a religious organization?
	Yes, I'd like to go to a school with an official religious affiliation or a strong history of identification with a religious organization.
	No, I'd prefer not to go to a school with a strong religious history or affiliation.
	I don't care whether my college is religious or not. Either way is fine with me.

If you answered "yes" to the previous question, which religious affiliations would you prefer? Check any that appeal.
	Yes, Baptist.
	Yes, Christian interdenominational.
	Yes, Christian Reformed.
	Yes, Christian Science.
	Yes, Disciples of Christ.
	Yes, Episcopalian.
	Yes, Evangelical Christian.
	Yes, Jewish.
	Yes, Lutheran.
	Yes, Methodist.
	Yes, Mormon.
	Yes, Presbyterian.
	Yes, Quaker.
	Yes, Roman Catholic.
	Yes, Wesleyan.

Do you care about the political atmosphere on campus?
	Yes, I'd prefer to go to a school with a conservative student body.
	Yes, I'd prefer to go to a school with a liberal student body.
	I don't care one way or the other.

Do you want to go to a school with a very active social scene?
	Yes, I'd prefer to go to a party school.
	No, I'd prefer to go to a school with a reputation for not being a party school.
	I don't care one way or the other.

How do you feel about Greek life?
	I'd like to go to a school with no Greek life: no fraternities or sororities.
	I'd like to go to a school where Greek life doesn't dominate the social scene, but sororities and fraternities do exist.
	I'd like to go to a where fraternities and sororities dominate social life, and lots of students join.
	I don't care one way or the other.

Check any of the following statements if you agree with them.
	I'd like to go to a historically African American college.
	I'd like to go to a school with a strong policy of no alcohol allowed on campus.
	I'd like to go to a school near a nice warm beach.
	I'd like to go to a school with a strong bicycling culture.
	I'd like to go to a school with a strong chess program.
	I'd like to go to a school near Disneyland or Walt Disney World.
	I'd like to go to a school which emphasizes experiential learning through cooperative education, internships, and/or work experience.
	I'd like to go to a school with a strong green mission of environmental sustainability.
	I'd like to go with strong support for students with learning disabilities.
	I'd like to serve in the military during and after college.
	I'd like to go to a school which emphasizes public service through volunteerism and service learning.
	I'd like to go to a school with a strong tradition and interest in U.S. politics.
	I'd like to go to a school where I can work on a ranch during college (and you must be male). (Sorry, ladies.)
	I'd like to go to a school with a strong sailing program.
	I'd like to go skiing a lot while I'm in college.

What kind of college would you prefer to attend?
	A public school.
	A private school.
	I don't care: public or private.


Alabama	Arizona	Arkansas
California	Colorado	Connecticut
Delaware	Florida	Georgia
Hawaii	Idaho	Illinois
Indiana	Iowa	Kansas
Kentucky	Louisiana	Maine
Maryland	Massachusetts	Michigan
Minnesota	Mississippi	Missouri
Montana	Nebraska	Nevada
New Hampshire	New Jersey	New Mexico
New York	North Carolina	North Dakota
Ohio	Oklahoma	Oregon
Pennsylvania	Rhode Island	South Carolina
South Dakota	Tennessee	Texas
Utah	Vermont	Virginia
Washington	Washington, DC	West Virginia
Wisconsin	Wyoming

Would you prefer to go to a school that only admits men or women?
	A school that admits only men.
	A school that admits only women.
	I don't want to attend a single sex school!
	I don't care one way or the other, and I'm a man.
	I don't care one way or the other, and I'm a woman.

Tuition

My advice is to skip this section entirely. You may have already heard that paying for college is like buying a car at the dealership -- the sticker price will not be the price you pay. If you're a great student with qualities that the college wants, you may pay a lot less than the published tuition. But, it's your call.

For public universities, the figures below reflect in-state tuition and fees (private schools charge the same tuition to both in-state and out-of-state applicants). If you're applying to a public university in another state, tuition and fees will be $5,000 - $15,000 higher. And, for every school (except for the military and merchant marine academies), room and board will add approximately $10,000 - $12,000 (or even more, if you can believe it). Yowza, college is expensive!

How much can you pay for tuition and fees?
	I want to pay zero for tuition.
	Up to $10,000.
	Up to $20,000.
	Up to $30,000.
	Up to $40,000.
	The sky's the limit.

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