What Courses Are You Interested In?
You can always go in undeclared or as one major and change it if you want to (but you have to change it before it’s too late!).  Try to sit in on a class or meet with a professor to discuss the classes and department in general.  That way you’ll get the best possible idea of just what the classroom setting will be like.  Also, ask what the core classes you need to take before you graduate are; most colleges have necessary classes, but they vary in topic and number.  If you want room to take classes that interest you, this could be important to you.

Location is Key
If you want to be close to home, pick a school that fits your needs.  If you want to go far away but still within driving distance, find a school that you can drive to reasonably.  If you want to go across the country, look into schools in different time zones.

Student Enrollment: Do You Want a Big or Small School?
Figure out which would best fit your needs: a classroom like the ones in your high school, or something a little bigger.  As the years go on you’ll get to know the students in your major and it won’t be as overwhelming as it may initially seem, but this is an important factor to figure out before looking into any college.

Clubs, Activities, Extracurriculars
If you want to play soccer but not on a team, find a school with club soccer.  If you want to play baseball for the school, find a school with a baseball team.  If you want to learn how to ballroom dance, find a school with a ballroom club.  Also remember—any club the school doesn’t have you can usually form yourself, but the more clubs and activities they have, the better set your interests will be.

Religiously Affiliated?
If religion is important to you then find a school with a religious affiliation.  They’re not hard to find, and they offer an excellent education.  If it’s not important to you but you could handle it, look into those same schools.  If it’s not at all an option for you, then kick anything religiously related out.

Tutition: Money Matters
As much as it is a pain to think about, look at the cost of the school and see if it is realistic for you to apply there.  Scholarships and financial aid are always an option, but you should always plan as if you were going about this on your own because they may not always come through.  Also look into how available financial aid is, and call the office and talk to someone about the process of getting aid.

Are Your Test Scores High Enough?
Compare your test scores with the average scores at the colleges you are thinking of applying to.  The information is easy to get (available in the Princeton Review and by calling the admission’s office), and you can compare your score with theirs.  If your scores aren’t quite high enough, you can make up for it in your admission’s essay and your interview by highlighting your other skills.

CAMPUS TOUR!
This is a huge one.  You may think you like a school on paper but once you get there you realize you hate it.  It is better to travel a distance to see a school and realize you hate or love it than it is to gamble and assume you will love a place you have never seen.  Do an overnight with a student if at all possible, as this will give you a better idea of what student life, the dorms, and the food are really like.

Talk with Students and Alumni
They will give you the best perspectives on campus life, dorm life, the dining halls, and anything else you could possibly want to know.  Nobody knows better than they do!  Most students and alumni will be more than happy to talk to you since they know how important it is to go to the right school.

Be Sure to Include a Safety Schools
It’s going to be an easier task to decide between two schools then to not have any choices. Make a list of “reaches” (schools that will be a little harder to get in) and “safety schools” (colleges where you are almost sure to be accepted). It might be hard to pick when you have to, but you’ll make the right choice!

Make YOUR OWN Decision
Try not to go somewhere JUST because it is your mother’s alma mater, or because your grandfather is on the board of directors.  Go to a school that fits your requirements and feels right to you. If it happens to be one that a family member went to – great, but those aren’t the only choices you have. You can calmly explain to your family why you chose the university you did. Remember, this is your four years so make the best of it!