College planning is so much more than the occasional visit to the guidance counselor, test results and recruitment brochures. You will be spending four intense years at the institution you choose, and the degree you earn will be a tool you will have for the rest of your life. It’s important to know how to choose the best school for your higher education, and it’s never too early to start planning.
It’s All About You
The first step in college planning is allowing yourself to accept that going to college is a very real, reachable goal for you. At the moment, what you are going to do for a living or what major you should choose is not as crucial as getting to know what sort of education would interest you. It's OK if you don't know right away; in the beginning, college planning is mostly about self-discovery and research.
You also need to be sure that you get to pick your college. Sometimes students let life pick their college for them because they don't plan. With over 3,500 colleges and universities to choose from, merely responding to a brochure, listening to a friend or loved one, or simply letting time run out in the college admissions process will really limit your choices. Get to know yourself and begin to develop a profile for what type of school you think will suit you. Think about who you are, what you like and do not like, how much personal interaction you like with teachers, where you want to live, what your strengths are and what help you will need along the way.