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SELECTING A COLLEGE

                               (See FREE Guide at bottom of Page)

Find University Information:

• Check out online resources, including University websites (also see recommended links below)
• Visit your college Career Center and your local library
• If you are attending a Community College and plan on transferring to a University, go see an Academic Advisor for assistance about where you can transfer to in order to pursue your desired degree
• Visit the University campus while classes are in session (not during a break), and see what the facilities, equipment and resources look like first hand.
• See if you can arrange a college tour ahead of time.
• If you plan on eating on campus, eat lunch there and see if it is reasonably price, and, of course, any good!
• Check out the library because you will no doubt be spending lots of time there.
• Try and see if you can sit in on a class
• Check with the department at the University you plan to attend and see if they will be having any open houses for the department housing your degree program
• Talk to faculty and staff in the program area you want to study. It is best to call the department ahead of time and see if you can make an appointment. Don’t forget to send a thank you card to staff and faculty who meet with you!
• Talk to students while you are on campus and find out what they like and don’t like about the University
• Check with campus security and ask for the latest campus security report. Ask about their security patrol or escorts for students on campus at night. See if there are emergency phones located around campus.
• Drive around the campus at night and see if it is well lighted.
• Check out student dorms if you plan on living on campus. If not, check out local apartments.
• If you need public transportation, check out bus schedules and other transportation options.
• Does the town offer the things you enjoy doing? Check with the local Chamber of Commerce and/or Visitor’s Center and pick up information.
• Take pictures and/or a video while visiting and reflect on your visit. If you are visiting several campuses, you may get dizzy with all the options and forget some things you saw or did.

Helpful Links:

College Navigator  (A tool to help you search for colleges from the U.S. Department of Education)

Campustours.com (video tours of college campuses and resources)

Peterson's (A very comprehensive guide; find colleges, financial aid, preparing for tests, etc.  Also, check out their helpful scholarship guide under "Pay for School" tab.

The Princeton Review (another very comprehensive guide, find college, scholarships, test prep, career information, etc.)

Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (see their Member Colleges and Universities Directory)

National Student Exchange  (NSE) (provides information about studying abroad)

Transfer to University:

• During your first semester meet with your Academic Advisors at the Community College or other institution you are attending, because they can help you with your college planning and serve as your guide while you are attending college. Connect with them early because they can be very helpful!
• Academic Advisors can help make sure that you are taking the right course and electives at the Community College or institution and that your credits will be transferable to the University you plan to attend.
• Start planning no later than the your second semester at your Community College or institution. Meet with you Academic Advisors there once you determine the University you are going to attend and what your major will be. Even if you don’t know the answers to these questions, go see an Academic Advisor so you can discuss you goals.
• If you are undecided about your college major or career, meet with a campus Career Advisor to get some assistance with choosing your college major and career.
• Check with the Academic Advisors and see if there will be a Transfer University Fair at your Community College. Often local, state and out of state Universities are invited to meet with students on the Community College campus. Even if you are not ready to graduate, it would not hurt to go talk with someone from the University you are considering attending. They will be able to provide you with catalogs, applications, deadlines, application tips, program contact information, financial aid, etc.
• About three semesters prior to graduating from your Community College or institution, meet with an Admission’s Officer from the University you would like to attend so they can go over your degree plan and verify if your credits will transfer. Some Universities have a Transfer Counselor to help those transferring from a Community College or other institution. Take a your current college transcript. An unofficial copy is OK so they can see the courses you have taken and help determine if they will transfer. Keep in mind, until you actually apply and submit an official transcript, you will not know for certain which credits will transfer. The evaluation of the college transcript is usually done at the University Registrar’s Office.
• Save your course syllabus from each of your courses! That will help the University to evaluate whether or not the courses you took are equivalent to the ones that they require.
• Find out if the University has a limit on the number of hours they will allow to be transferred.
• Bottom line is that you are responsible for making sure that you are on the right track and that you are taking the right courses and electives to transfer into the University you want to go to. More importantly, you should ensure that the University you plan on attending will accept transfer credits from the Community College or institution you are attending.

College Preparation Guide:

College Preparation Checklist For High School Students from U.S. Department of Education

Also, see books about college from Amazon!