The key is to figure out whether there's a match between you and a particular college, and to do that, you have to scratch below the surface.

• First, get ready to invest some real time and energy in this process. The result of any project is only as good as the planning that goes into it.


• Second, don't fall victim to thinking that there is only one perfect school for you. There are more than 3,500 colleges and universities nationwide; many will have the academic emphasis, extracurricular options, overseas study opportunities, location, size, campus atmosphere, and sports programs that you're looking for.


• Ask yourself about the things that are most important to you. If you're still uncertain--if you haven't really decided--you haven't given yourself any basis on which to compare one college to another. No wonder they all sound the same!

Here's one approach:

• Make a list of the things you most want in a college. Don't worry if it isn't a precise list because you'll refine it frequently before you make your "final" choice. Accept the fact that no college is going to be perfect in every respect. As with any choice in life, there are going to be trade-offs, so think seriously about priorities. Ask yourself what's essential--and what's merely desirable.


• From this first list, develop a second list consisting of questions you'll ask of colleges you want to consider seriously. (Remember, there is no such thing as a dumb question.) For example, ask about average class size, faculty accessibility, activities outside of class, clubs and organizations, fraternities and sororities, sports teams, social life, the need for a car on campus, and so on.


• Start reading the college profiles in this magazine, and as you do that, mark the colleges that have all--or most--of the qualities you want in your college experience.

Voila! You will have identified at least a handful of colleges or universities--maybe more--that deserve the time it will take to investigate them further!

From among the colleges that seem to match your interests, you'll need to get answers to the questions on your second list. You can do that by returning the card in this magazine (or visiting our website) to request information directly from colleges. If you call an admissions office directly, be very specific about what information you want. Questions such as "what's the college like?" won't yield helpful information. Specific questions such as "how many students join campus organizations?" "what intramural sports are available?" and "how many freshmen make the varsity lacrosse team?" will give you information you can really use to decide if a college is "right" for you.

• Finally, visit the campuses of the colleges that seem to match your preferences and objectives (if possible) and speak to admissions officers, students, and faculty. Although campus visits aren't required, and they're not always possible, there's no substitute for seeing a campus for yourself.

If you take an active and organized approach to the college search process and follow the steps outlined above, you'll find that the differences among colleges will be obvious. Why? Because you'll be identifying not just the differences among the colleges themselves, but the differences that are really important to you!

Article by Paul Adams and courtesy of www.careersandcolleges.com