Rhiannon Schade
Director of College Counseling
Collegewise of Millburn
There is so much that goes into the process of determining which colleges you should apply to, and being thoughtful as you develop your college list will absolutely help you to be more successful in this process. As cliché as it may sound, the best way to start thinking about which colleges you should apply to is to start by determining who you are. It is less important that a college has excellent resources in the sciences, for example, than it is whether or not you would actually use those resources. If a college is in a bustling city and you hate being in urban areas, that may prove problematic. As you start to think about who you are, what kinds of things you like learning about, how you learn best, what you do in your free time, and more, you will start to develop a vision for yourself in college. By the end of your junior year, you should have anywhere from six to 10 or so colleges on your list—all of which should be exciting to you.
Dean Altstaetter
Coordinator of Outreach Recruitment and Enrollment Advisor
Ohio Northern University
Some families say that choosing a college is like shopping for a car, but the college experience is more than another set of wheels. It’s more like buying land that you learn to develop over time. Furthermore, your education should provide the learning environment to maximize your potential and your personal development while providing opportunities to practice leadership, make ethical decisions, and act responsibly as members of a global society. Remember this when choosing which colleges to apply to.
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