Choose+a+college

 
 * Feeling a little nervous about your credentials?**
 * Don't think your resume stacks up?**
 * Don't feel too bad, there are many colleges out there and one will be right for you!**

Colleges look for students who work hard and are determined to succeed. Here are some tips for choosing a college.
 * Look at regional schools. Sure, you won't get far from home, but that's actually a plus when you've got laundry to do. Regional colleges and universities may have representatives at local college fairs and may also visit your high school. Get to know their admission counselors, and see what they can do for you.
 * Stay in state. States (particularly rural ones such as Pennsylvania or Indiana) often offer good financial aid incentives for their residents to attend college. Even if you go to a private college, your state may chip in a fair bit of money as long as you don't leave. States know that you're less likely to come back home after graduation if you've gone to college in another state.
 * Look at //liberal arts// colleges. They will offer you lots of interaction with professors and a wide range of courses. Although liberal arts schools are usually on the small side, there are plenty of choices and they are usually excellent.
 * Have some programs or career paths in mind. You don't have to go to college with your mind made up about what you're doing, but you should have an idea. You'll want to see if the schools you're interested in have the right programs for you.
 * Spend two years at a community college while working part-time. Credits from community college will transfer to most four-year universities. Community colleges are very affordable and accessible to students who have jobs. Plus, if you decide you're not ready to finish a four-year degree, you have an associates' degree to show for your efforts.

Now, it's time to figure out how to pay for college and succeed once you get there.

**Additional Resources**
[|Fiske Guide to Colleges 2009 by Edward B Fiske] (book). This guide offers school profiles that are based on information from students, school administrators, and independent research. Rather than just providing statistics, this book includes valuable essays to describe the personalities of more than 300 schools. [|Looking Beyond Ivy League: Finding the College That's Right for You by Loren Pope]. This book makes the case for choosing a small liberal arts college rather than a large university, especially for students interested in serious learning. [|Harvard Schmarvard: Getting Beyond the Ivy League to the College That is Best for You by Jay Mathews]. This book debunks the notion that students should pick a college based on its selectivity or name. [|Collegeboard (Find a College web page)]. This is the website of the not-for-profit membership association whose goal is to "connect students to college success and opportunity." The Find a College web page offers a college search engine and even has a section for community colleges and special types of colleges. [|US News and World Report: College Rankings]. This website is a comprehensive resource of college rankings. These rankings are separate into several categories including Best Values, Top Public Schools, and more. There is also an A-Z directory of colleges with basic information and links to web sites. [|Community College Finder]. This site will help you locate community colleges in your state.

Go to college :: Choose a college : Pay for college : Succeed at college