NNHS Career Center

BUILDING YOUR ;COLLEGE LIST

The College Search - making your list (February of Junior year to November of Senior year)

When making your college list, you should consider the college characteristics that are important to you, then find colleges with these characteristics. The goal is to find a set of colleges that are good "matches" for you. The more that you know about your own needs and wants and the more you know about the colleges that are out there, the better the results of your search will be. Your list should be thought of as a "work in progress" with colleges being added on and crossed off right up until it is time to start filling out applications.

This section of the NNHS Career Center website will help you think about some of the important characteristics of colleges that you should consider when building your list. These are the characteristics that Career Center Counselors discuss with you to help you develop your college list. They are also the characteristics that the online college searches, which will be discussed below, ask you to "plug in" the search programs to make a list for you.

Here, we will look at -

college majors

types of colleges

location (region of the country, campus setting)

size

student body characteristics

selectivity

campus activities and organizations

religious affiliations

public and private institutions

Click here to print out a "BUILDING YOUR COLLEGE LIST" worksheet to keep track out the college characteristics that are important to you as you read through this page of the website. (To view this you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader.) Bring this worksheet to your Career Center appointment, your college planning appointment with your Counselor, or use it when you do an online college search.

Note on the "rankings" - We, and many other college counselors, strongly believe that students should not use the college rankings that appear in national magazines and some books. We feel that they misrepresent the colleges and steer students toward making decisions for the wrong reasons. The rankings use questionable methodologies and misleading terminology. Good college resources help students find a good "fit" between the student and the college. Resources that rank colleges can cause students to look more at the "label" and not the "fit."

COLLEGE MAJORS

A Major is a student's academic field of specialization.

If you have career goals at this time, either specific or general, these goals will affect your choice of major. If you are undecided about a major, it is OK to state that on your applications to most colleges. The colleges that you're applying to know that most students who declare a major right away change their major one or more times. Also, studies have shown that students who enter college with undecided or "undeclared" majors stick to their majors more persistently once they declare.

First of all when thinking about a possible major, consider whether this major can be studied at a two-year college, a four-year college or either a two- or four-year college, then look at which option might be best for you.

A good source of information for finding out which colleges offer the major or majors in which you are interested is The College Board's Index of Majors available in the Career Center and your Counselor's office. Look up a major and you will see listed by state, the colleges in the country offer that major. This book will also indicate the degree, such as a two-year Associate degree or a four-year Bachelor's degree, which is offered in that major. The book Rugg's Recommendations on the Colleges is a great resource for lists of colleges that are especially strong in a certain major.

The best source of information about requirements for a certain major, other degree requirements, and the electives available at a college is the college catalog. Look at a few catalogs and check out the course requirements for different majors. Look at a typical four-year program to see which courses are required in the freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior years, when you can take electives and what you can take for electives. This exercise helps you learn more about the college and about whether or not you would like to work toward a degree in a specific major.

Be aware that sometimes a change of major may mean additional courses to earn your degree.

The bottom line is, whether your sure of your major or not, make sure the school has a strong department or departments in your primary areas of interests and abilities.

For links to websites to further explore Careers and Majors - click here. One of the links will take you to a website where you can take a free online career interest inventory. Another will link you to a site where you can explore all of the different careers that you can pursue with a degree in a particular major.

Write down the majors that you are considering, if any, and any other thoughts on this topic on your "Building your College List" worksheet.

TYPES OF COLLEGES

Two-year colleges

There are almost 1,400 two-year colleges in the United States and most of them are public. The public two-year colleges are often called Community Colleges. A two-year college may be more convenient, more economical, and may be a better academic decision than a four-year college.

Some students attend a two-year college, receive an Associate degree and enter the job market right away. Others begin at a two-year college knowing that their goal is to transfer to a four-year college and complete a Bachelor's degree there. This is an increasing popular option for many students. If this is the route that you decide to take, choose your courses carefully with the help of an advisor at the college, and be aware of the requirements for the four-year schools that you would eventually like to transfer into.

Some two-year schools offer only career-oriented vocational-technical programs. These programs train students for specific occupations. They focus exclusively on the training for that occupation and may include few or no general education courses.

For links to websites with information about two-year colleges, including Massachusetts Community Colleges and the Joint Admission Program - click here.

Four-year colleges

Among the four-year colleges, there are three major types. They are liberal arts or primarily liberal arts colleges, universities that include a liberal arts college in addition to other more specialized pre-professional colleges, and specialized colleges, which only focus on one or a few related career areas.

Liberal arts colleges offer a broad and general education to students. At these schools you will study a variety of subjects including writing, literature, the sciences, and the social sciences while majoring in a particular area. You will find at these schools that, for the most part, you take a broader range of courses in your first and into your second year of college, and focus more on courses in your major and related to your major in your last two years of school.

Some liberal arts colleges may have some majors that are pre-professional and specialized and may even have some graduate Master's or Doctoral Programs, but these will be smaller and less emphasized than at universities.

Universities are usually larger than liberal arts colleges and contain a college of liberal arts in addition to other more specialized and pre-professional colleges as part of the university. Universities will also include graduate schools offering Master's and Doctoral degrees in areas such as medicine, law, education, business, nursing, social work, and many others.

Some counselors and educators will argue that either a liberal arts college with its focus on undergraduate education, or a university with its graduate and extensive research programs offer the undergraduate a better education. The answer to this debate can only be what is best for you. Read about, discuss, and visit both kinds of institutions and decide what is right for you.

Specialized colleges focus on one career area or a few related career areas. Examples of more specialized schools are engineering schools, business schools, music schools, and art schools.

If you're interested in an area for which specialized schools are available, you should ask yourself if you would rather study the subject at one of these colleges or at a more comprehensive college or university with that major in addition to many others. There will be advantages and disadvantages to each, so again discuss, read, and visit.

If you have any preferences about the types of colleges you want to attend, write them down on your worksheet.

REGION OR REGIONS OF THE COUNTRY

Is there a region or regions of the country that you would prefer to attend school in?

Are there any that you definitely want to avoid?

Are there certain climates that appeal to you more than others? Think about the recreational activities that you like. Are they only available in certain areas of the country?

How far do you want to have to travel to come home? A 2 to 3 hour drive? A day's drive? An airplane ride? Consider how distance affects how often you can go home. Do you want to be able to go home for the weekend whenever you want? Is it enough just to go home for the major vacations? Think about this in terms of the physical and psychological separation from family, and also consider travel costs.

Do you want to live at home and commute to college? This may save room and board money, but remember to consider travel expenses and the time you will spend commuting. Colleges with commuter populations almost always have commuter student organizations, and all of the recreational and social activities and on-campus organizations are open to commuting students. Often commuters do not feel as much a part of campus life as students who live on campus, so as with all of these factors, weigh the advantages and disadvantages and make the decision that is right for you.

Write down any thoughts or preferences about the region or regions where you want to go to college on your worksheet.

CAMPUS SETTING (RURAL/SUBURBAN/CITY)

In every region of the country, there are colleges in rural areas near small towns, near but not in cities, and right in cities. A college's location in a rural, suburban, or urban area will affect campus life, and the social, cultural, and internship possibilities available to students. Some people care about a college's location and would prefer on location over another, for others, this is a small or even insignificant factor.

A rural campus will be quieter, have fewer distractions, and will usually be safer than an urban campus. While urban campuses may give students more options for more involvement in social, cultural, and internship activities.

Think about the importance of location to you, read about and visit colleges in different locations to get a feel for them, and see which would be best for you.

Write down any preferences you have about campus setting on your worksheet.

SIZE

The 3,000 colleges in the United States come in an incredible range of sizes, from schools with only a few hundred students to schools with tens of thousands.

Smaller	Larger
more personal	more anonymity
smaller classes	more courses offered
more focus on undergraduates	more research opportunities
more chances for leadership opportunities	more activities and organizations
fewer big lecture classes	more chances to take graduate courses
less "red tape"	larger libraries with more resources
more discussion classes	more lab and computer facilities

While these generalizations will be for the most part true, some big schools might have some of the small school advantages, while some small schools might not offer what you might hope, in terms of being caring and personal, or other factors. Check out the school and don't always rule a school in or out on the basis of size alone.

Very Small	Small	Medium	Large	Very Large
< 1,000	1,000 -3,000	3,000 - 10,000	10,000 - 20,000	>20,000
Examples of colleges in each range and their undergraduate and graduate populations
Marlboro C. (VT) 331 undergrads 0 grad students	Guilford C. (NC) 1,245 undergrads 0 grad students	U. Hartford (CT) 4,168 undergrads 1,275 grad students	Boston U. (MA) 15,806 undergrads 10,499 grad students	U. Wisconsin/Madison 28,788 undergrads 11,084 grad students
Colby-Sawyer C. (NH) 912 undergrads 0 grad students	Colby C. (ME) 1,809 undergrads 0 grad students	GWU (DC) 8,271 undergrads 10,566 grad students	Northeastern U. (MA) 14,144 undergrads 2,221 grad students	U. Michigan 24,472 undergrads 13,702 grad students
St. John's C. (MD) 472 undergrads 66 grad students	Wesleyan U. (CT) 2,792 undergrads 445 grad students	Boston C. (MA) 8,900 undergrads 4,600 grad students	U. Mass. Amherst 18,000 undergrads 5,200 grad students	Ohio State U. 36,855 undergrads 12,428 grad students

Write down a size range and any preferences about the size of the college you want to attend on your worksheet.

STUDENT BODY CHARACTERISTICS

While many colleges are striving to make their student bodies more diverse, there are a number of colleges that are keeping their historical commitment to education a particular group in society. For example, there are seventy women-only colleges in the United States, a few men-only colleges and about one hundred Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Women's colleges

Many counselor's and educators believe that college-bound female students should consider women's colleges, and for many young women, a women's college is there first choice. Many believe that a woman can maximize her education at these colleges and many statistics support this claim. Also some of the best colleges in the country are women's colleges. Many women's college were started to give women excellent education opportunities that were not available to them at the male-only and male-dominated colleges at the time. These colleges continue to maintain this commitment to education for women.

Historically Black Colleges and Universities

In the past, African-Americans, like women, were denied entry to higher education. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were started to give Blacks opportunities that were denied them. These colleges remain committed to giving students high-quality educational opportunities. Students at these schools mention the feeling of empowerment that is emphasized at these colleges as well as the leadership opportunities that are often less accessible at other colleges.

Diversity

As mentioned, many colleges are looking to expand the racial and ethnic diversity of their student bodies. Colleges, for a variety of reasons, have met with varying degrees of success at achieving diverse student bodies. At the same time, many students, of all races and ethnicities, are looking to attend colleges that reflect the diversity of the larger society. For other students diversity is not an important issue.

While most colleges reflect the range of social and political views of the country, some colleges are definitely more socially and politically liberal or conservative than others. This may be do to geographic location, the social roots of the college, or the philosophy of the current faculty and administration. Students of all beliefs are welcome at these colleges, but not every student may be totally comfortable at them. Assess your social and political beliefs and look at how they fit with the dominant beliefs at various colleges.

Gay, lesbian, and bisexual students

Gay, lesbian, and bisexual students may want to know about how other gay, lesbian, and bisexual students fare at different colleges. Some colleges will have students and administrations that are supportive, some less so, while on other campuses, gays, lesbians and bisexuals may confront hostility of various forms. These students should investigate the climate of tolerance at individual colleges that they want to apply to.

Residential, commuter, and "suitcase schools"

Some colleges are primarily or totally commuter schools, others may have few or no commuters, and some schools have a large residential population but clear out on weekends when many students go home. These schools are sometimes called "suitcase schools." If you plan on being a student who sticks around on weekends and want to be at a place that other students do the same, you will want to ask your potential colleges what percentages of students stay on campus during the weekends. They will give you an estimate.

For links to websites with specialized college information - click here.

Note any thoughts that you have about student body characteristics on your worksheet.

SELECTIVITY

When many people buy clothes and sneakers they look at the name on the label first and try it on for the fit second. When looking at colleges, it is very important to see if the college is a good fit first and then think about the label. A big-name famous and prestigious school might be the perfect place for one student, but this same school might be a nightmare for another student. Check out the fit ... not the label.

The most selective schools in the country may only accept between ten and twenty-five percent of the students that apply for admission in a given year. In spite of what you might hear from some sources, there are no "tricks" to getting admitted to these colleges. It takes a solid academic background in addition to individual talents and abilities. Some applicants, such as the children of alumni, minorities, and exceptional athletes or musicians, may get a closer look at some of these schools, they don't get admitted unless the admissions staff is pretty sure that they can make it academically at their college.

If you think you have a shot at these schools and would really like to attend one of them, go ahead and apply giving it your best effort. But remember other less selective schools may be better places for you, so apply to schools with various levels of selectivity, paying close attention to your "likelies," the colleges where you will very likely be offered admission.

How should you determine the selectivity of a college? A good source of information is the Career Center Counselors. Although no one can tell you for sure which colleges you will or will not be accepted to, we can give you a good idea by relying on our own experience, knowing where to look for up-to-date and accurate information, and knowing the "track record" of students at NNHS for getting into that college.

College guidebooks are also helpful for helping you determine your chances of admission to a particular college.

Here's what to look for in those huge books in your counselor's office, the Career Center, libraries, bookstores, and on the colleges' websites:

Use up-to date information
First of all, make sure that the book that you're looking at is up-to-date. In this business, a book even a little old can give misleading information. Statistics about colleges also change year to year so again, only use recent information.

Check out acceptance rates
Next look at the percentage of applicants accepted at particular colleges. The ranges you will see will be wide. At the most selective schools in the country, you will see percentages such as twelve percent, eighteen percent, and twenty-two percent. This means that many very bright and qualified students do not get accepted to these colleges. But, don't worry, if the denied students have done their research and applied to a range of schools, they have been accepted somewhere where they will receive a quality education. Some of the books that you may read will categorize schools according to their selectivity. The schools in this range might be referred to as "Most Selective," "Highly Selective," or "Mega-Selective" depending on the book you're using. Keep in mind that there is a range of selectivity within these categories.

Other schools will accept one third to one half or more of the students that apply. Others accept two thirds to three quarters, and some more. Some schools have "Open Enrollment" which means that they accept everyone that applies up to the limit of their capacity as long as they have a high school diploma or GED.

Look at the class rank and GPA of accepted students
Now that you know the percentage of students accepted at some colleges, look at Rank in Class and Grade Point Averages of the freshmen class that was admitted in the previous year to the colleges. What percentage of admitted students were in the top ten percent of their class? The top fifth? The top half? Does the college accept students from the lower half of the class? Does the school accept students without regard to their class rank? Use your NNHS GPA together with the histogram to see where you are in your class relative to the other students. Where do you fit in the college's pool of accepted students?

If most of accepted students at a particular college are in the top ten percent of their high school class, you know you are looking at one of the most selective colleges discussed above.

Examine the test scores of accepted students
Now look at the standardized test scores, SATs or ACTs, of the admitted students. Some colleges report their standardized test scores as an average. Most colleges report a mid-fifty percent range, meaning that twenty-five percent of admitted students had scores below the lowest number of the range, and twenty-five percent of admitted students had scores above the highest number of the range. Is your SAT or ACT below average, average or above average for the college? If you haven't taken the SAT or ACT yet, use your PSAT or PLAN test scores to estimate them.

Use the NNHS College Study
The NNHS College Study, updated for each graduating class, provides a college-by-college profile, showing statistics of students admitted, waitlisted, and not admitted without using the students' names. This information allows students to compare their profile with students in each category in order to assess their own chances of admission to specific colleges.

Make a follow-up appointment in the Career Center
One part your follow-up Career Center appointment will be assessing your chances of acceptance to the colleges on your list at that time. Career Center Counselors use the above information in conjunction with their own experience to assess whether the college is a "Statistical Reach," a "Possible," a "Probable," or a "Likely." While not an exact science, prediction rates are consistently high. A student's final list of colleges should have at least 2 Likelies and at least 4 in the Probable and Likely ranges combined.

At this time it is good to think about your academic credentials and how they fit with the statistics of accepted students at various colleges. However, don't just focus on whether you think you will get in to a specific college right now. Most colleges accept students with a range of academic credentials and students usually apply to a range of colleges with a variety of selectivity. Note any thoughts about selectivity on your "Building Your College List" worksheet, but keep in mind that chances of getting in will be assessed once your list of colleges is made.

CAMPUS ACTIVITIES AND ORGANIZATIONS

All colleges have a variety of activities and organizations. Much of campus social life revolves around them. Colleges want students to be happy while they pursue their academic interests. Get involved, find a niche. Many students find that their best friends at college, and the ones that they stay friends with all four years and even longer, are people they met as a result of being involved in an on-campus activity or organization.

Some students are content to see what is available at a college once they get there, and they should check out all of the options.

Other students know that they want a particular activity at their college - if it isn't there they don't want to go. This might be a particular sport or sports, musical or theater groups, or other activities or organizations.

If you are interested in a particular sport or sports, which division do you want to compete in? Division I, II, or III? Which divisions do the colleges that you are considering compete in? Would you prefer just being involved in the sport at the club or intramural level?

If physical activity is important to you, check out the athletic facilities on the campuses that you visit. Some colleges spend a lot of money on these facilities, while for others, they may not be a priority.

Some colleges have fraternity and sorority scenes that are the dominant source of social life on campus, while others may not allow any frats or sororities at all. Some schools fall in between, having a Greek scene but not having it dominate campus social life. This is another area that students should explore when looking for the right college. Books that address this are THE INSIDER'S GUIDE TO COLLEGES and THE FISKE GUIDE TO COLLEGES. There is a listing of Greek organizations on the Web (http://www.greekpages.com).

For links to some relevant websites - click here.

Write down any preferences for campus activities and organizations that you have on your worksheet.

COLLEGES WITH RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION AND NO AFFILIATION

Some colleges in the United States were started by various religious denominations. Some of these maintain a strong affiliation with the religion, while others maintain an affiliation that is not as significant, while at other schools the affiliation may be only historical and almost imperceptible.

Many colleges, including all public colleges, have no religious affiliation.

At the colleges with stronger affiliations, a majority of the students may be members of that religion, and there may be some required courses in religion. At some colleges that require some religion courses, the courses may not have to be in that particular religion but may be more general.

Write down any thoughts or preferences about religious affiliation on your worksheet.

PUBLIC COLLEGES AND PRIVATE COLLEGES

You may be wondering why we haven't discussed the cost of attending college yet. This is because you need to consider which colleges that you want to apply to well before you know the amount of financial aid that you will be eligible for.

Similar to buying a car, for many families, the "sticker price" might be different from the actual cost of attending the college. The only way to find out the actual cost of attending the colleges that you are interested in going to, is to apply to the colleges and, at the same time, meet all of the financial aid application requirements for each college. Don't rule out expensive-looking private colleges on the basis of cost alone. You don't know yet the kind of financial aid package that they will offer you.

Also, because of the financial uncertainties involved, don't overlook the large public universities and the smaller public colleges in Massachusetts and other states. Many of these public colleges offer excellent educations at a fraction of the cost of attending a private college. Many will offer majors and programs that may not even be available at most private colleges.

For the student who has achieved at an exceptionally high academic level, many public colleges and universities have honors programs that offer smaller classes, first-rate professors, priority registration, research opportunities, and other benefits to qualified students at public college prices.

Write down any thoughts or preferences about public vs. private colleges on your worksheet.

CONCLUSIONS

Now that you've thought about some college characteristics, think about, research, and discuss your options with family, friends, and your counselor. Use the notes that you made on the "Building Your College List" worksheet to search for colleges online, with books, at yiour Career Center meeting, at your meetings with your counselor, and with others.

Keep in mind, there is no one perfect college for you out there, but there are enough at which you can maximize your college education and get the most out of your two or four years at the college that you choose to attend.

The important thing is to find about eight colleges that you would like to attend. Then put your best effort into your applications, meeting ALL requirements and deadlines, and after all of this making your best decision from the colleges that accept you.

The more that you put into the research process the happier you will be with your final decision of which school to attend.

For links to websites where you can do an online college search or find the websites of specific colleges - click here.

Two more statistics to research -
There are two more statistics that you may want to examine when researching colleges. They are the percentage of freshmen that return for sophomore year and the percentage of students that earn their degrees in four or five years. The statistic about returning Freshmen tells us a lot about how happy students are with the college, the statistic about the percentage of students who complete their degrees in four or five years tells us a lot about whether students got all of the courses that they wanted or needed to complete their degrees when they needed them. Many factors can affect these statistics, but in both cases, high percentages are a good reflection on the college, while the reasons for low percentages should be looked at closely by the good college researcher.

Demonstrate interest -
Colleges prefer to get applications from students who take the time to learn about them and come to like their uniqueness and the opportunities that they offer. So write to the college for information and visit the college if possible. When you visit, introduce yourself to the admissions staff. If it is impossible to visit, see if the college is having an information session in your area and attend that.

Good luck, and enjoy the process of searching for colleges.