• Find Out What You Want in a College
     
    To find the right school, you have to know what you’re looking for. There are lots of considerations: academics, social life, size, location, cost, programs, internship availability, etc. Even if you already think you know exactly where you want to go, don’t skip this step, because you could learn something about yourself. There are a couple of ways to do this, depending on how much time you want to spend.

    Spend an Hour: College Match Surveys

    The book College Match: A Blueprint for Choosing the Best School for You, by Steven Antonoff, includes self-surveys that will help you learn what you want. The worksheets in the book can be found at schoolbuff.com (click on Worksheets). Worksheets include College Match Self-Survey, College Planning Values Assessment, Self-Knowledge Questionnaire, Qualities that will make a College Right for You, and Activities Experiences Worksheet. Complete them and you'll have a much stronger idea of what sort of college will be a good fit for you. Georgia Futures (www.gafutures.org) also has links to online tools where you can survey your interests, skills, and values.

    Spend Ten Minutes: Corsava
    Go to Corsava.com. Sign up for a free student account and click on card sort. In just ten minutes rate 138 school qualities like “diverse campus,” “learning disability support,” “global studies” or academic program. You'll quickly get an overview of what you want in a college.
     
    Find Colleges That Fit
    Go to College Express. It's an unusual college search platform that allows you to search lists of schools by majors, "green" colleges, colleges that get Greek life right, and dozens more unusual categories. 
     
    Research the Colleges on Your List
    Use books, websites, and social media to find out more about each school on your list. Attend virtual and in-person college visits and college fairs to speak to college recruiters.
     
    Organize Your List