High School Seniors: Starting Your College Search

Starting your college search may feel overwhelming. It’s a new process to navigate, and choosing a college may be the biggest decision you’ll have made in your life so far. It’s completely understandable why you may feel anxiety about it. 

In today’s blog, we hope to help decrease some of that anxiety so you can more confidently start this journey. Here are some actionable steps to help you jumpstart your college search process. 

1. Determine what characteristics are important to you in a college or university. Some questions to ask yourself: 

• Do you prefer a small or large institution? 
• What academic programs and majors interest you? 
• Are you looking for a college in a bustling city or a quieter location? 

Five Factors to Consider When Researching Colleges

2. Research colleges. Once you have a clear idea of the type of college you wish to attend, you can start researching different colleges and narrowing down a list of your top colleges. You can use sites such as CFNC, College Board, and Niche to search for colleges based on your interests and criteria. 

3. Once you’ve finalized a list, connect with the admissions offices at each college and schedule a visit. Seeing a college in person and speaking with the admissions team, faculty, and current students is the best way to know if a college is the right fit for you. Our admissions team is always happy to help you during the admissions process!

Visit Meredith. 

4. Follow colleges on social media to see a different perspective of campus, including events, traditions, and student life.

Follow Meredith on Instagram and YouTube. 

5. Still having trouble figuring out which colleges might be the right fit for you? Take a college selection assessment at collegeboard.org.