The good news is that you are in control of your college-selection process. Even if you haven't thought about college before today, you can act now to make a good college choice.

College Is Your Choice
There are more than 3,500 college and universities in the United States. How do you pick and choose from them to find the right college for you?

It's as easy as 1-2-3-4. These four simple steps can help you choose a college that will lead to a lifetime of success.

Before you start, keep in mind that there probably is no one "perfect" college for you. There are many good colleges where you can excel. Your job is to narrow your choices down to two or three good options and apply to those schools.

The Four Steps
Step 1: Be open.
Don't settle for the same schools your friends have chosen. Be open to all possibilities, and make your own decisions.

Start by thinking about what you want from a college. Here are some factors to consider:

• Type of academic program and degree
  
• Type of campus and student body:
  • Urban, suburban, or rural setting
    
  • 25,000 2,500, or 250 students
    
  • Coed or single sex
    
  • Lots of degree programs or a focused mission
  
  
• Private or public
  
• Far away or close to home

Once you have a list of what you want from college, the next step is to find schools that match it. Here are some great places to start your search:

• The Internet. Some good places to search for colleges are this site www.careersandcolleges.com (the home page for the SAT) and www.act.org (the home page for the ACT). You can search by degree program ("engineering" or "graphic design", for example), by location ("urban", "California", or "Georgia"), and other options.
  
• Your guidance or college counselor. The guidance office has all kinds of college resources.
  
• Teachers. Which schools do they recommend?
  
• Alumni from different colleges, especially those who are in career fields you're considering.
  
• College fairs. Attend fairs at your school or in your area and talk to admissions representatives about your "What I Want from College" list.

Don't let tuition or cost keep a school off your list. Scholarships and financial aid will come after you apply. Finances certainly are a consideration for college, but that consideration should come at the end of your search, not the beginning. Most schools want good students and will use scholarships to attract them.

Step 2: Be Prepared.
There are two key requirements for admission to most selective colleges: (1) excellent grades, and (2) top scores on the SAT or ACT. You will probably also need an application résumé, an essay, and letters of recommendation.

Remember, the courses you take in high school affect your college choices. For most colleges, that means you should take a college-preparatory course load, which usually includes:

• Four years of English
  
• Four years of math
  
• Three years of science
  
• Three years of history/civics/social sciences
  
• At least two years of a foreign language

More challenging courses might mean lower grades, but many college admissions offices will give more weight to honors, Advanced Placement, and International Baccalaureate courses. College admissions offices will pay attention to your high school curriculum, so take the college prep route. (You'll be glad you did when you take your first college exam!)

As for the SAT, visit www.collegeboard.com for information on test dates and test preparation. It's a good idea to take some practice tests before you schedule the exam.

If you're not satisfied with your SAT score, consider taking the ACT. The primary college entrance test for students in the Midwest, Gulf states, and the West, the ACT includes different questions from the SAT, and some students find that they perform better on the ACT. Many colleges accept ACT scores as substitutes for SAT scores. Visit www.act.org for more information.

The SAT includes a writing test, and the ACT now includes an optional writing test. Most colleges will probably ask for your score on the writing component.

One last word on being prepared: READ! Reading helps your critical thinking, reading comprehension, and writing skills. Reading will help you earn better high school grades and SAT/ACT scores, and will lead to a more rewarding college experience. Read the newspaper, read magazines, read books—read something every day!

Step 3: Visit Schools.
Visit the colleges that match your "What I Want from College" list. For each college, read the college's materials or website, take the official tour, talk to both admissions officers and students, and ask lots of questions. Accept invitations to special events, such as open houses or scholarship competitions.

When should you visit? Start no later than your junior year, so you can come up with your short list of colleges by September of your senior year.

If a school feels right, keep it on your short list. Don't apply to a school if you don't feel good about it! Remember, this is your college choice—not your parents', your teachers', your counselor's, or your friends'.

Once you've narrowed your list to two or three colleges, visit them again during your senior year. Each visit should move you closer to a decision.

Step 4: Act Early.
Most colleges in the U.S. have "rolling" admissions, which means they take applications as they come and fill up their freshman classes one admission at a time. Some schools set deadlines for "early action" or "regular decision" applicants that could keep you out if you don't plan ahead.

The best approach is to act early, even if your short list of colleges has rolling admissions. The admissions process should start during your junior year, when you begin researching and visiting colleges.

• Do not wait until your senior year to take the SAT or ACT. Take the test for the first time during your junior year.
  
• Start visiting colleges during your junior year.
  
• For each school on your short list, learn the name of your assigned admissions counselor and call or e-mail each one. Stay in touch. It helps!
  
• Consider applying Early Action if the option is available at your schools of choice. Early Action generally means you must apply by November 1 of your senior year and are given an admissions decision before January 1st. Unlike Early Decision, Early Action does not bind you to one school. In most cases, Early Action gives your short list of colleges more opportunity to consider you for scholarships.

Following these four steps—Be open, Be prepared, Visit schools, and Act early—will help you succeed in the college admissions race. You'll be able to enjoy your last year of high school knowing that you're headed for a college that will change your life!

Good luck!

Article by John P. Cole, Vice President for University Admissions at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. You can reach him at cole_jp@mercer.edu with questions or comments and courtesy of www.careersandcolleges.com