Tips for Researching and Selecting Colleges

Choosing the right colleges to apply to is challenging! There isn't one "right" college – you can find many great fits. To find those great fits, it is worth investing your time and effort in thoroughly researching your options in order to make the best choices. Here are our top tips for getting the most from your research:

  • You have more than 6,500 colleges from which to choose, and each has its own culture and vibe. Here are some selection criteria to help you build your short list of potential colleges.
  • An easy way to get your research started is by participating in a college fair, where you'll meet representatives from many colleges in one day.
  • Schedule a campus visit with each college that interests you. A personal visit to each colleges gives you a much better sense of how it will be to spend the next two or four years there.
  • Looking for an affordable education and a challenging career in the military? Attend one of the six colleges that the U.S. Military has designated as federal service academies.
  • An alternative to attending a federal service academy is enrolling in one of several military colleges in the U.S.

College Suggestor™

Want some suggestions on colleges to consider? Try our unique College Suggestor™.

We have compiled the college choices of hundreds of thousands of college students. With this wealth of information, we can suggest other colleges that could be of interest to you. For example, tell us you are interested in going to Ohio State University, and we can tell you the top 5 other colleges most commonly considered by a student applying to Ohio State.

Keep an open mind – there are so many great colleges to choose from!

Megan was very kind, patient and easy to talk with. She explained everything fully. Thank you.
- Zack T.
Barnegat, NJ