What Is Your Ideal College?

The "Perfect" Fit

Your ideal college must be, above all else, a place where you can succeed. When students find such a place, many describe it as a school that "fits," feels like "home," or challenges them to become the person they want to be. What are the opportunities for success that might give you such feelings? The chance to earn high grades? To live in surroundings that suit you? To make lasting friendships? To earn a marketable degree? To land a good job after graduation or get into a top-notch graduate school? A combination of these?

The colleges on your final list should meet your top requirements. But keep in mind that the perfect college probably does not exist. Each college is a complex mix of qualities. Your final choice may not perfectly meet your needs, but it might be perfectly wonderful anyway.

Something for Everyone

Before choosing colleges to which to apply, you should figure out what makes a college fit your personality and goals. Begin by identifying the college attributes most appealing to you. Imagine yourself on the campus of your dreams and ask yourself the following questions:

• Academics and Reputation. What will your educational experience be like? Is the college considered exceptionally challenging and competitive academically? Is it known for its faculty, research or other academic achievements? Is the college known for the major you're interested in? Are the academic departments associated with your prospective major strong, offering depth and breadth in the curriculum? Does the college offer unique academic programs or opportunities? How do undergraduates interact with faculty? How is the college ranked by independent organizations?
• Outcomes. Will the college enable you to fulfill your educational goals? Do most undergraduates complete their studies and earn a degree? How long do most students take to graduate? Do most graduates, particularly graduates in your major, go on to graduate school or a job in their chosen field within a reasonable amount of time? What are the graduate school placement rates?
• Student Life. What does it feel like to be a student at this college? Is there a sense of community among the students, administrators, and faculty? Is it easy to meet other students? Does the culture of the campus have a particular orientation, such as political activism, scholarly studies, or community service? Is the place teeming with students, or is it more like a small town where everybody knows everybody? Is the school sports-oriented, venerable and sedate, a "party school," alcohol-free, like a ghost town on weekends, or some combination of these characteristics? Does the college offer the cultural and social activities that interest you, such as clubs and student organizations, musical and theatrical groups, a prominent Greek (sorority and fraternity) presence, college publications, recreational facilities, sporting events, spiritual communities, and student radio and TV stations?
• Student Body. Who else is on campus? Is the student body diverse? Will many of the other students be around your age, graduate students, commuters or extension students, from other states and countries? Is the campus coed or just for men or women? If the college is coed, which gender makes up the majority of students?
• Selectivity. What type of student does the college admit? Does it select only students with top grades and test scores, or can just about anybody get in? Will you be able to meet all the admission requirements, whether required or recommended? If the school is highly selective, will you be comfortable surrounded by academically accomplished students?
• Affordability. What will it cost to attend the college? Can you and your family afford it? Will the cost of living in the surrounding community put a strain on your budget? Will you receive adequate financial aid? Will you have to work during the school year to afford to attend? If so, how much, and how will that affect your academic performance and social life?
• Type of Institution. Is the college private or public? Is it a liberal arts institution (offering a wide variety of majors in the humanities, arts, and sciences) or a specialized one (concentrating on a defined curriculum, such as art, music, business, technology, science, or teaching)? Does it offer graduate education? Is it a research institution, offering doctoral degrees to a large population of graduate and postgraduate students?
• Location and Setting. Where is the college? What's the weather like? Is it near your home, in your state, or across the country? Is it in or near a big city or in a sleepy, rural setting? How far is the school from the mountains, ocean, or other significant natural features? Is the campus expansive and park-like, compact, ivy-covered, architecturally inspiring? Is the campus served by public transportation? Does the surrounding community provide the diversions you're looking for, such as museums, parks, performing arts venues, restaurants, nightclubs, sports teams, movie theatres, and other cultural amenities?
• Size. Does the school feel large or small? Will you attend lectures with hundreds of students or small discussion-oriented seminars? Is the campus big, with impressive libraries and many academic and recreational opportunities? Or small enough to get to know almost everyone, including your professors? Or something in between?
• Affiliation. Is the college associated with a religious group or other organization with a specific focus? How does that affiliation affect academic and campus life?
• Housing and Facilities. Is the college residential, with most students living on campus? After freshman year, do students continue to live on campus? Is the on-campus housing comfortable? How many students live off-campus in the surrounding area? How many commute from a greater distance? Are the buildings in good condition? How robust is the technology infrastructure? How easy is it to get around campus? What security is in place?
• Sports and Recreation. Are intercollegiate sports a big focus? Is there a lot of school spirit? What sports are included in the intramural program? Do many students participate in intramurals? What types of recreational facilities are available to students?

As you think about these different college attributes, your vision of your ideal school should evolve to match your developing sense of fit. That's the point. With a clearer understanding of the factors you need to succeed at college, you are well on your way to finding the school that's right for you. As a next step, try to visit a few colleges, even local ones, to experience what they are like and test your ideas amidst real campuses. Once your list of desirable attributes becomes stable, your next step will be to figure out which factors are most important to you, and which ones you can live without. For help with this, check out the article From Dreams to Reality.

Refine your college search by checking out the qualities of specific colleges using CollegeData's College Match tool. You can also see the qualifications and backgrounds of admitted students using CollegeData's Admissions Tracker tool. Go to the College Buzz page to read personal stories of how students discovered their own ideal colleges.