How to Choose a College 7 Tips to Find the Right Fit

How to Choose a College: 7 Tips to Find the Right Fit 1. Consider Taking a Year Off After High School The first step is to slow down. Attending college will have far-reaching effects that shape your life for decades. The entire college selection process should really be about something else: a career-selection process. If you have no idea what kind of career you want, take a year off, do some research and get some real-world experience. Don't spend thousands of dollars in tuition for an aimless journey of finding yourself in college. Try to find as much of yourself as you can before you spend the big bucks. Also: Don't assume that a traditional four-year university experience is always the best choice. Consider the pros and cons of alternatives. For example, going to a trade school has distinct advantages over a four-year school, and it may create a clearer career path. Related Articles College Study Skills Tips College Study Skills Tips How to Choose a College Major How to Choose a College Major Tips for Choosing the Right Career Tips for Choosing the Right Career 2. Begin by Choosing a Career, Not a College Make a list of your top dream careers. You can read about how to find careers that might be a good fit if you're not sure what's out there. You don't necessarily have to rank the list, just write the careers that really grab your interest and seem to fit with your skills. You can pay a college planning company to use their expert software analysis and advising to help you find careers that fit well with your skills, the job market (i.e. making sure the career actually has jobs available out there) and your personal interests. 3. Interview the Future You Once you have a clear idea about desired careers, find people in companies who are doing what you hope to be doing, and use the company's contact information to call or email those people. Let them know you're a high school student and you'd like to interview them. Your goal will be to: Learn about their academic path that got them into the career. Ask which majors or schools they'd recommend. Ask about their experience in their job to see what it's really like doing that career. You will be surprised how many companies and employees are willing to help. You may even make a connection who could serve as a future reference for job applications or internships. 4. Research Majors Take a good look at your list of careers and make notes next to each career about which college major (or majors) will best prepare you for those careers. It's likely that your careers have certain elements in common, so there may be fewer majors on your list than you might expect. In any case, the goal is to understand the academic path that will take you to those careers on your list.