What Does YOUR Ideal College Look Like?

What does YOUR ideal college look like? What are the most important characteristics it needs to have in order to be a place where you can thrive, succeed and be happy?

Most students can rattle off some basics about what they are looking for in a college - size, location, majors offered. However, most never take the time to weigh which things matter most to them in a college search. Sure, you want a large school located in an urban area -- but if the school with the strongest program in your anticipated major was a small school located in the middle of nowhere, would it make your list? Is having your major most important to you -- or is location?

Therefore, it's a good idea to not only draw up a list of characteristics that you are looking for, but also try to weight the importance of each characteristic. Knowing which criteria are "must haves" and which are "nice to haves but not absolutely necessary" can help you fine-tune your list. If you know which criteria matter most, you'll be less likely to get caught up in comparing things that don't really matter to you.

Here's a game to help you describe what your ideal college must have. Take a sheet of paper and divide it into four columns. Label the first column "A", the second colum "B," the third column "C", and the fourth column "D." Under each column, put five lines. Starting under Column A, number the lines 1 to 5 from top to bottom. Under Column B, number the lines 6 to 10, from top to bottom. Under Column C, number the lines 11 to 15, again from top to bottom. Under Column D, number the lines 16 to 20, top to bottom.

Next, look at the bottom of this post. There, you will find a series of statements (MY IDEAL COLLEGE STATEMENTS) that are mentioned most often by students as criteria they are looking for in a college or university. Print out the list, and cut it so that each statement is on a separate slip of paper.

There are fifty statements. Some of the statements will require you to choose a specific statement (example: My ideal college will/will not have fraternities and sororities. You should underline the response that is most appropriate to you). Your first task is to reduce the list to twenty. If you do not see something that is important to you in the statements, feel free to add it on another slip of paper. But, you must end up with only twenty slips of paper. That means you will have to make some choices about which items are most important to you in a college, and which are not.

When you have your twenty statements, put the sheet of paper with the four columns in front of you. Sort out the twenty statements using the following method. Column A represents the most important criteria in your college search. Number 1 in Column A is your absolute "must have," followed by Number 2, Number 3, Number 4, Number 5. Then, you will place the next most important statement in Column B, Number 6, then Column B, Number 7. Continue until you have placed all twenty statements in your column sheet in the order of their importance to you.

Important: You can only have ONE statement in each numbered slot. Even if you feel that two statements are equally important, you MUST choose one for each spot.

Most students will find that it isn't easy to "rank" all twenty statements. You may find yourself struggling with the placement of each statement, or find yourself deciding that maybe you want to switch one of the statements you've chosen with one of the statements you didn't choose. That's fine. The purpose of this game is to help you to prioritize what is most important to you in a college.


MY IDEAL COLLEGE STATEMENTS

My ideal college will be located in a city/suburb/rural area.

My ideal college will be located in this geographic area:

My ideal college will have good financial aid.

I am interested in an uncommon major. My ideal college will offer this major (Specify major: )

My ideal college will have a strong program in a particular major. (Major: )

My ideal college will offer strong overall academics.

My ideal college will be prestigious, and have a name that my friends and relatives recognize.

My ideal college will offer the special support services that I need or want. (Support services needed: )

The students at my ideal college will be career-focused.

There will be many students interested in athletics or outdoor activities at my ideal college.

My ideal college will offer good career advising services.

My ideal college will have a good reputation with employers.

My ideal college will have a good reputation with graduate or professional schools.

The students at my ideal college will be interested in ideas and intellectual pursuits.

A large number of students from my ideal college will go on to graduate school.

Students at my ideal college will be interested in politics.

My ideal college will be one where students work hard/play hard.

My ideal college will have a racially and economically diverse student body.

There will be many students interested in creative pursuits (art, music, theater) at my ideal college.

My ideal college will be large/medium-sized/small.

There will be many opportunities to attend cultural events (theater, museum shows, etc.) at or near my ideal college.

There will be many opportunities to attend athletic events at or near my ideal college.

My ideal college will offer this extracurricular:___________ (If more than one extracurricular is important to you, do separate slips for each one)

My ideal college will not have a core of classes required for graduation, or will have a minimum of required classes for graduation.

Most students at my ideal college will be very focused on earning good grades.

My ideal college will have very challenging, even difficult, academics.

My ideal college will/will not have fraternities and sororities.

My ideal college will offer many opportunities for undergraduates to do research.

On the weekends at my ideal college, there will be lots of parties and opportunities for socializing.

Students at my ideal college will seldom discuss their grades outside of the classroom.

My ideal college will have many opportunities for fun besides parties.

Most students will live on campus at my ideal college.

My ideal college will be within _____ hours from my home.

My ideal college will have up-to-date facilities related to my major.

My ideal college will have nice dorms.

My ideal college will be one where I will not have to work too hard in order to earn good grades.

Faculty and students will have close relationships at my ideal college.

My ideal college will have strong academic advising.

My ideal college will have small class sizes.

Students at my ideal college will tend to dress similarly to myself.

My ideal college will offer mainly discussion-based classes.

My ideal college will have world-renowned faculty.

On the weekends at my ideal college, most students will stay on campus.

My ideal college will offer mainly lecture-based classes.

Classes at my ideal college will mainly be taught by professors, not graduate teaching assistants.

I may be eligible for a merit scholarship at my ideal college.

There will many shops and restaurants within walking distance of my ideal college.

Students at my ideal college will tend to be conservative/moderate/liberal.

Students at my ideal college will tend to dress similarly to myself.

My ideal college will have a a large population of international students.

My ideal college will offer many study abroad opportunities.


After you have assigned all twenty statements to a spot on the Column Sheet, look back over the placements. Items that you placed in Column A, and, to a lesser extent, Column B, are probably most important to you, and should be the focus of your college search. Items in Column C and D may be "nice to haves" -- things you would enjoy or benefit from, but not as necessary to calling a college a good match.
Also look for patterns in your answers. If your entire Column A is filled with statements related to academics, for example, then evaluating the academic atmosphere and quality of each college on your list should probably be a major focus.

I would recommend pasting down your statements, and keeping your Column Sheet for future reference. As you visit and research colleges, you may find that items that matter most to you today have changed. It is fine to go back and revise your list!
This exercise isn't set in stone. It is quite normal to find your criteria have changed in importance as you go through the process of applying to colleges. Remember, there is no right or wrong way to rank the statements -- Every student will have different criteria, and place different weights on them. It can also be interesting to ask your parents to do this same exercise separately from you, and then compare your results.