I would not recommend the way that I chose which college to attend. For me, picking a college consisted of searching through College Board, randomly reading promotional mail and sporadically listening to advice from friends and family. I looked at colleges that I heard people mention or schools that people I knew had attended. It was not a very good system. I ended up applying to nine very different schools, each with their own quirks. It came down to three top schools, Fordham University of Lincoln Center, Simmons College and the University of Vermont. After three accepted students days I eventually chose Simmons. I like Simmons a lot, don't get me wrong, but there are things I wish I had thought about before and known both before applying and before committing.
Before applying, think about where in the world you want to live. This refers to both the location of the college and the type of place you are comfortable in. Location was probably the only thing I completely thought through. I wanted to go to a city and I love it here. Being in Boston is probably my favorite aspect of Simmons. I'm also the perfect distance away from home. I clearly went away to college, but going home is relatively easy. This is a mistake that some other people don't think about. It's one thing to go away, but it's another to go so far away that you can't always go home for break.
When I toured schools, I thought to make a list of pros and cons and what I thought of the school. Unfortunately, this habit only lasted for one school. Also, the information I wrote down was almost exclusively the stuff that they talked about in the presentations, all things I could have easily found online.
Social life, faculty-student interactions and study abroad options are all important things to find out about. Look at the dorms, go in the bathrooms and find out if there are kitchen facilities available. Eat the dining hall food that's not just the nice stuff they put out for accepted students days. Go on an overnight and explore the area around the college. Don't just talk to admissions reps and tour guides, talk to students.
The biggest mistake I made was not talking to current students. The students are the people who know what it's like to go to that school more than anyone else. I was too shy to ask on the tours, but in retrospect, it would have been very helpful. The tour guides and the school have certain things that they tell you, but they do not always tell you the complete truth. It's their job to tell you the best aspects and circumstances about the school to convince you to attend, not necessarily tell you the less favorable aspects that might convince you to go somewhere else.
The question I recommend asking the most is "what is your least favorite aspect of this school?" Find out the worst parts of the school so that you can actually make an educated decision about your school. This is your future and your money. Find out everything you can about a school before you commit.
