Simmi Mehta approached her college search from a meteorological perspective. It’s not that she had her heart set on a career with The Weather Channel. It’s just that she was in the market for a campus with plenty of sunshine.

“I’m from San Ramon, California,” she explains, “and I knew that I had to be somewhere sunny. All during winter, when it’s rainy and dark out, I get a little depressed, and it’s hard to motivate myself to work. I find myself looking out the window thinking, ‘I need to go play outside.’”

The weather wasn’t the only factor in Mehta’s decision. Academics were important, too, and she wanted a school with a strong economics department. A budding entrepreneur, Mehta owns her own Web design company and loves math, so economics seemed like the best way to combine her interests and her strengths. And after poring over the brochures and viewbooks stuffed in her mailbox, studying college guides, and visiting campuses, Mehta found the perfect match when she went on an excursion with her high school to Stanford University.

“The campus looked gorgeous,” she recalls. “The buildings are all in the Spanish mission style, and there’s this huge expanse of land. I could picture myself there, studying under the trees, feeling completely content. I just knew that this was where I was going to be.”

And that’s exactly where she ended up. Now a senior at Stanford, majoring in economics and thinking about a career in international business, Mehta knows that her college-search homework really paid off. A top-notch student in high school, she could have had her pick of many colleges, but the trick, she knew, was to find the right one for her. She figured out exactly what she needed, then found a college that fit the bill. That’s the secret to completing a successful college search.

“You’ve got to start by finding out more about yourself,” says Paul Marthers, director of admission at Oberlin College in Ohio. “Instead of wondering what ‘brand name’ colleges you can get into, ask yourself, ‘Where will I be happiest?’”

To find a school that will match your needs, interests, and goals, you have to take charge of your college search. Here’s how to get started.

Know Yourself

Before you start looking at colleges, consider the questions below and fill in the boxes to get a better idea of who you are and what type of school will best meet your needs.

What are my interests?
Think about the courses you’ve enjoyed most, the activities in which you’ve excelled, the hobbies that you love. Figure out what sparks your interest, and find a school that not only has the coursework and facilities to nurture your interests, but like-minded students to share your excitement.

In high school, Alexandra Parfitt of Glencoe, Illinois, couldn’t decide which she liked more—biology or English. Parfitt ended up at the University of Chicago, researching molecular oncology and majoring in comparative literature. “The university encourages students to work in different disciplines and really values well-rounded people,” she says.

INTERESTS
Favorite course:

Favorite activities:

Hobbies:

How independent am I?
Some students thrive in an environment that leaves them to fend for themselves, while others are more comfortable with a bit of hand-holding, at least during that critical first year. “Students who are self-starters and show a lot of initiative can do well at almost any college, large or small,” says Dave Arnold, provost of St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York. “Students who need more structure and guidance often do better at a smaller college.”

Elizabeth Burr, of Los Angeles, for instance, chose Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) in Cambridge, a school more noted for its top science programs than for its nurturing atmosphere. “But that wasn’t important to me,” she says. “I like to blend into the crowd and figure things out on my own.”

Generally, smaller colleges offer lower student-to-teacher ratios, which may mean you’ll get more individual attention. However, each school is different. Some large schools pride themselves on having accessible professors and never using graduate teaching assistants. You’ll have to visit campuses and talk to current students and alumni to get a handle on how available professors are, whether teaching assistants handle much of the work, and whether you will have to go the extra mile to receive individual attention.

INDEPENDENCE
Do I work better on my own or with guidance?
On my own With guidance

Do I seek approval from teachers and thrive from their feedback?
Yes No

How far will I go?
Before you pack your bags and cross 27 state lines, think carefully about how far you’re willing to stray from your family, and how finances will affect your visits home. “Ask yourself how important family ties are,” advises John Gaines, director of admission at Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi. “Can you motivate yourself to accomplish the tasks of day-to-day college life without outside help from your parents and siblings? The answers can help you determine whether or not you’re ready to leave the nest.”

Check out the average cost of flights between potential college cities and home. You may find that even though one college is farther away from home than the other, flights are cheaper.

Also note that venturing far from home may make you more attractive to colleges. Many schools try to build a diverse class—and that includes geographic diversity. Yale gets tons of applications from New York and Los Angeles, but fewer from, say, Boise, Idaho.

LOCATION
Have I ever been away from my family for an extended period of time? Yes No

If yes, did I enjoy it? Yes No

How often would I like to see my family during the school year?

How smart am I, really?
Last year, a record 19,605 high school seniors paid $60 for the privilege of applying to Harvard. Only 2,068 were admitted. Don’t waste your time and money on long shots. Be realistic about your academic abilities and look for a school that matches them.

“People with 1000 on their SATs don’t get into Harvard,” says Michael London, an adviser with College Coach, an educational counseling service in Massachusetts. “There are almost no exceptions. If you’re not realistic, you’ll be stressed and unhappy when you don’t get in.”

QUALIFICATIONS
My GPA:
My SAT/ACT score:
Have I taken AP or advanced classes? Yes No
Which courses?

How do I learn best?
Some students are happiest learning on their own, soaking up information in big lecture halls and going off to read and study by themselves. Others do best in small, seminar-style classes with plenty of interaction with teachers and other students. What type of learner do you think you are? You’ll want to look for an environment that nurtures your learning style.

LEARNING STYLE
Do I often participate in class? Yes No

Do I like being part of small study groups? Yes No

Do I perform better when a teacher keeps close tabs on me? Yes No

How will this compare to high school?

Think about what you liked—and disliked—about high school to help you figure out what to look for in a college. Erin Boughton, 23, graduated from a small high school in Janesville, Wisconsin, where everybody knew everybody else—something she wanted to change when she went to college. So she decided on Minnesota State University at Mankato.

“I wanted to meet people from different ethnic backgrounds, with different values and outlooks on life,” she says. “I wanted to be somewhere that I wouldn’t be a number, and yet not everyone would know me.”

EXPECTATIONS
The best part of my high school experience:

How I hope college is different:

What are my career plans?
If you’ve got your heart set on a specialized career, like engineering or physical therapy, you’ll need to find a school that offers the right programs. If you want to be an investment banker, find out if banks recruit on campus. If you want to be a doctor or a lawyer, keep in mind that getting into a professional school is extremely competitive. “Ask admission officers about acceptance rates to medical and law schools,” advises London.

Of course, if you are undecided about your career plans, you should consider colleges that offer a wide array of academic disciplines.

CAREER PLANS
Do I have a major in mind? Yes No

Do I have a set career path in mind? Yes No

Do I plan to go to graduate or professional school? Yes No

Am I serious about athletics and activities?
This adds a new dimension to your search as you consider which schools will be likely to welcome you to their teams or will offer the activities you’re interested in, such as band, newspaper, or chess. If you’re an athlete, talk to your coaches and assess your abilities. Although you may be good enough to get some playing time at a big school, you may be more likely to get a scholarship from a smaller school.

“Do you want to let the fact that you can only play Division III drive your selection process?” asks London. “Make up your mind at the start. If you wait, you might not get to play at all.”

If you have an activity that you want to continue in college, you should check out the quality of the organization at your target schools.

ATHLETICS & ACTIVITIES
Is participating in a certain sport or activity important to me? Yes No

Would I be satisfied playing on an intramural or club team? Yes No

How many hours per week do I currently spend doing my sport or activity?

Now You’re Ready
Congratulations—you’ve got yourself figured out. Remember, though, that you’re a work in progress, and the right college will offer you an amazing opportunity to grow and change.

“I was quiet in high school,” recalls Megan Keefe, 21, a senior at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. “But when I came here I started picking up new interests and I made a bunch of friends. I never expected to pledge a sorority, and I did. I found a boyfriend who’s in a swing band, and I’ve gotten to know his friends, too. I made a good decision coming here, and I love it.”

Weighing Options

Now that you’ve discovered what you’re looking for, it’s time to examine the options. Start by thinking about the broad categories listed below. Once you’ve narrowed down your selections, campus visits are essential. (See page 41.)

Public or Private?
State schools offer lower tuition, especially for in-state residents. According to the College Board, the typical cost of a state university (including tuition and room and board) is $9,008, compared with $23,578 for a private college. But private colleges often offer more financial aid, which may reduce the difference. Be sure to ask about course offerings. With recent budget cutbacks, many state universities schedule fewer sections of required courses, which means students must wait to get into those classes and then will take longer to graduate. Often, state universities are noted for their large classes, while private colleges tend to offer a more personal approach.
But don’t make a decision based on the label—many state schools pride themselves on their personal, “private” atmosphere. The University of Missouri in Columbia, for example, has 23,000 students, but offers the individual attention of a smaller campus.

Small or Large?
Huge schools, like Penn State with more than 30,000 undergraduates, offer an amazing array of courses and majors, but sometimes the bureaucracy can be daunting and the professors inaccessible. Small schools generally offer a lower student-to-teacher ratio, smaller class sizes, and more interaction with faculty, but fewer course and program options. Before choosing, consider the pros and cons of each. Sit in on a lecture with 300 students at a big university and compare that experience with seminar-style discussion at a small college.

Urban, Rural, or Suburban?
Students who attend college in a big city have a variety of things to do—from theater and museums to enrich their coursework to internships and jobs to gain work experience. Those who are happiest in a quiet setting may feel happiest on a rural campus. Some students choose suburban campuses for the best of both worlds—a leafy campus with a city only a short ride away.

Mix or Match?
Some students want to be with people with whom they feel at home. Studies show that women’s colleges foster self-esteem. A religious college can offer the chance to share your faith with like-minded students. And historically black colleges may offer African-American students a more comfortable environment.

“In high school, there was always one class where I was the only black student,” says Tamicka Logan, 23, a recent graduate of Xavier University of Louisiana, a historically black school in New Orleans. “I wanted to be around more black people and feel more at ease. There were certain racial things you didn’t have to worry about here.”

On the other hand, attending a college outside your racial, ethnic, or religious group can be a great learning experience. Xavier, a Catholic school, offered Logan the chance to learn about Catholicism. Raised as a Baptist, she came to have a deeper appreciation of another faith. “I learned a lot about Catholicism,” she says. “It turned out to be a broadening experience.”

You may decide that a diverse school, with students from many different ethnic, religious, and geographic backgrounds, is for you. You can tell how diverse a school is from their published statistics and from your own observations during your campus visit.

Four-Year or Two-Year?
A two-year stint at community college is a great way to jump-start your college career and save money. (Average annual tuition is about $1,500, according to the American Association of Community Colleges.) Todd Bailey, of Clifton Park, New York, was a mediocre high school student unsure about his career plans. But after two years at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, New York, he transferred to M.I.T., where he received an engineering degree. Now he’s working on his Ph.D. at the University of Texas in Austin.

“Community college gave me the chance to build up my academic background,” he says. Almost all of his course credits transferred to M.I.T., saving him thousands of dollars in tuition. If transferring to a four-year school, always check which credits it accepts. (Many students opt to stop with a two-year degree. For more on that option, see page 33.)

The college search is an involved process, but if you take the time to analyze what you want in a school and to thoroughly explore the options, you can find the perfect match.

Article courtesy of www.careersandcolleges.com