The school you attend affects the rest of your life. It will influence your ability to develop academic and social skills, your circle of friendships and acquaintances, and your chances of getting into a competitive grad school or landing an attractive job. Here are some tips and questions you must ask yourself to choose the right college for YOU!

1. Make up a list of schools. Each year Money Magazine lists their top 100 colleges in the USA.

2. Some of these should be the more prestigious institutions that may pose more of a challenge. Quite frankly, the best school you can get in, the better jobs you'll have.

3. Rank this list in order of preferences.

4. How do you fit in academically?

5. Will you be challenged, bored, or overwhelmed? Many very smart people find that when they get to college, and everyone else is very smart too, that they get overwhelmed and discouraged by trying to keep up. Don't sweat it. If your grades were good enough for that school, you deserve to be there.

6. Are you looking for a pre-professional or a liberal arts education?

7. Do you know what you want to do when you graduate, or are you figuring that something will occur to you in the next four years?

8. Once you get accepted to several schools, take a trip to the school. You really can't get a good feel for a school during an interview, or even just walking around the campus.

9. Attend several classes and spend time on campus.

10. Immerse yourself in campus life and decide if you want to be a part of this atmosphere.

11. When you think of college, do you dream of ivy-covered Gothic buildings and long winding paths in a secluded, rural campus, or would you rather be in the heart of a big city , with all its culture, and noise?

12. What kind of weather do you prefer?

13. Can you afford it?

14. Should you apply for financial aid?

15. What scholarship programs does each school offer?