Find the right match when looking at colleges

By Diane Huber | The Olympian • Published October 04, 2008

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College application season is nearly here. College admissions officers are visiting local high schools, and high school seniors are starting to narrow their search.

Here, high school career counselors and college admissions officers offer tips on choosing a college that's the right fit.

Counselors agree students should first decide what sort of college they're looking for: a large campus or small, close to home or far, in a big city or smaller town.

Other factors to research and ask admissions officers about:

• Cost, although students shouldn't be afraid to apply for some schools out of their price range, counselors say. You never know what kind of financial aid package you'll get.

• Admissions requirements. Some colleges have more rigorous requirements for GPA and AP classes than others.

• Available majors. For students unsure of a major, they might want to look to schools with a wide variety.

• Average class sizes, and who's teaching the classes — professors or assistants?

• Housing options and meal plans.

• Clubs, sports and activities on campus.

When chatting with admissions offers, the more specific the questions the better, said Eric Pedersen, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at Saint Martin's University.

"Asking, 'Do you have a good biology program' isn't a very good question, because, we're sales people — we're going to tell you it's a good program," he said. "Ask things like, 'does your biology program have a particular focus?' and 'Tell me about the professors who teach in your biology program.' "

Staying organized

Most application deadlines fall between January and May. Some schools, like Saint Martin's, have rolling admission and are accepting applications. Others have early priority deadlines.

In addition, there are deadlines for scholarships and financial aid information, as well as testing dates for SATs and ACTs. Most colleges also hold open houses in the fall.

All of these important dates belong on a calender, said Shannon Garrett, Capital High School's career specialist.