There’s a good chance that all you’ve been told about selecting a college is to find realistic “target” schools you’d like to attend, some “safety” schools you can breeze into, and then some “reach” or “dream” schools where you really don’t stand a chance of getting accepted. Let that advice go! Many “safety” state schools are required to admit the top students in the state, which means you may be competing against perfect grades and test scores – plus limited financial aid in the current economy.  Meanwhile, students with 3.4 GPAs are getting into Stanford because they’ve demonstrated excellence in other areas.  And Stanford has the endowment to pay them to go!

From now on, there are only two types of colleges you are going to look for: 1) the ones you want to go to…and 2) the ones that want you to come. Here is the first in a series of posts telling you how to find them – and, ideally, get the best of both worlds.  In this post, we offer seven steps to evaluating if a college is a good academic match for you.

1. Are you taking the course load required for admission? Colleges post their required (or recommended) courses you should take in high school – and they don’t always match the classes you need to graduate from high school!  Visit college admissions pages to make sure the classes you are taking now will qualify you for a state school, a private school in your state and a private school out of state where you’d like to go. Follow these Seven Steps for Formulating an Academic Plan to get started.
2. Do you have the grades required for admission? Let’s not talk about grade point average (GPA) just yet. First, please know that you must have a grade of a “C” (70%) or higher for any class to count towards admission to most mainstream four- year colleges. If you had some “knucklehead” semesters in high school, retake those “D” (69% or lower) and “F” classes now so they count. Even better, if you have the time and discipline, check the local community college to see if they offer “dual enrollment,” which lets you take courses there and get credit for high school AND college. The good news is, as a high school student, you sometimes can take  community college classes for low or no fees.
3. Do you have the GPA required for admission? Not every college has a minimum GPA for admission. Those colleges that do typically require at least a 2.0 GPA (a “C” or 70% grade point average) – check their website’s Admissions page for details.   Don’t assign high grades to the top private schools and low grades to “safety” state institutions.  Remember, public schools often are required by law to accept the top students in the state, so applying to your favorite state university actually may be more competitive than private college admissions. Also, smaller and private colleges often also are able to use a “holistic” admissions process, evaluating your academics, your long-term commitments, academic curiosity, personal essays, teacher recommendations, personal interviews and more to consider you as a full person, not just a calculated number.
4. Does the college offer your intended major(s)? Remember that you also are looking for colleges that you want to attend!  So if you want to be a doctor, make sure they offer physical science majors, like Biology or Chemistry.   If you’re headed straight for Wall Street, be sure you can get an Economics or Business degree at the schools you are exploring. If your favorite schools don’t offer your degrees, check their websites or Admissions offices to see if they let students take courses for credit at nearby colleges.  Be sure, though, to expand your selection list to include campuses with the departmental major you want. Be aware, though, that you won’t get to declare a major until sophomore year at many campuses; by then, your interests may have expanded.
5. Do they offer classes for your personal interests? Even in the intense science and engineering degree programs, every class you take won’t be in your major field of study.  You want to know if they offer other classes that fit your personal interests.  Most colleges post their academic class catalogs on their websites.  If you’re into music production, golfing or seismology, see what you can learn about those passions.  Also check out what classes they offer for general requirements.  Is there just “English I” and “English 2,” or is there a range of offerings, like “Creative Writing for the Philosopher” and “Comparative Poetry:  From Haiku to Hip-Hop”?  It’s college – academics are supposed to be interesting!
6. Does the college’s academic approach suit your studying style? Some courses assign hundreds of pages of reading each week, others require dozens of papers, others steep you in “problem sets” filling stacks of graph paper.  Some have giant lecture hall courses with smaller “sections” or groups where you’ll get to discuss and explore the material.  What kind of courses will you be taking on each campus for your major and additional studies?  More importantly, do you have the discipline and skills to succeed in that setting – or can you develop them?  That leads to the last step.
7. What kind of academic support is available? College is new, fun and exciting.  It’s also a very independent academic experience.  Explore the current student experience at schools to see what kind of advisors, tutors, academic clubs and other organizations they offer to help you transition and grow.

As always, share your own recommendations and experiences below!

DMA is the CEO of The CLIC, the revolutionary new site where students can powerfully plan for college and institutions can effortlessly recruit students from a single home page in our FREE interactive network. CLIC students can connect to college matches, scholarship searches, college access programs and the nation’s first master calendar of all college-related deadlines and events, with streaming video tips and much more, at www.theclic.net.