How to Research Colleges Effectively: A Comprehensive Guide

Deciding which universities to include on your college list is a significant step that sets the direction for your college journey. Researching colleges is exciting but not a simple task, given the thousands of options in the US and beyond. A successful college search starts with strategic research. This guide outlines crucial steps to help you navigate this process effectively.

Why is College Research Important?

College research is integral to deciding where to apply, and you should start as early as possible. Every college applicant is different, and thorough research helps you find the best fit. Your interests in high school should guide you in figuring out what to look for when researching colleges. After looking at statistics, such as acceptance rates, and taking stock of your own academic profile, consider categorizing potential schools as either “safety”, “target”, “reach” or even “extreme reach”.

Step-by-Step Guide to Researching Colleges

1. Identify Your Priorities and Preferences

Before beginning your college research, you should identify what you are looking for in your ideal college. Having an idea of what is important to you in your ideal college will help you narrow down your search before you even start. Consider the following factors:

Location: Would you rather study somewhere rural, urban, or suburban? The environment you are in is part of your learning, your mood and the overall experience. Being new to a country or a location, it’s important to consider not just physical features and special attributes but the surrounding community. Neighborhoods and cities are big contributors to a university experience-from businesses that have college partnerships and reflect types of courses/internships offered to the urban or suburban or rural layout that can dictate the pace/type of lifestyle.
Size: Would you prefer a smaller or larger school? There are benefits to both small colleges and large universities. Small colleges have smaller class sizes and easier access to professors, support, and extracurricular activities. Large universities may have more academic offerings and resources, but many classes will be lecture-based, with students having access to a Teaching Assistant (TA) rather than the professor.
Academics: Are you looking for a university that is more focused on undergraduate teaching or research opportunities? What do you want to study? Majors Offered: Does the School Have Your Program? While location and school size are important, academic offerings should be your top priority. If you’re undecided on a major, which is very normal for high school students, you can still research colleges that have at least multiple fields that are interesting to you. Ultimately, you can choose a college with a wide range of majors, like a liberal arts school.
Cost: Is cost an issue for you? If so, are you eligible for any scholarships or for financial aid? Students should consider financial affordability in the college search process. For those reasons, students should research how much a college will actually cost. This means utilizing tools, like a Net Price Calculator, to see how much a college costs after financial aid and scholarships are considered.
Athletics: If you are interested in pursuing sport at a varsity level in college, make sure to familiarize yourself with the recruiting process.
College Environment: What is the college culture like? Do you learn through discussion-based classes, or through lecture?

2. Start Your College Research

After figuring out your priorities and preferences, the next step is to actually start researching colleges. If you know a current student at a college you are researching, consider reaching out to them to ask about their experience so far. Don’t forget that there are many online resources at your disposal that can help you with your college research.

Online Resources: The internet and social media have made it possible to get an incredibly up close and personal view into colleges. Dig into the vortex of online information about the schools you are interested in.

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- Virtual Tours: Take time to go on virtual tours. An affordable option, touring campuses online will allow for a self-paced, note-taking adventure. For example, can you imagine yourself standing in the science labs or reading in the library? Walking across busy New York streets to your dorm or biking through a small town in the Netherlands to your apartment?
- Social Media: Once you learn about a few schools that interest you, begin following them on social media. There may be several subcategories to the main account. Hearing from reliable parties about how the international student body is created, nurtured, and involved on campus is a very significant part of choosing the right college.
- College Search Engines: Use an online college search engine such as the College Board’s Big Future College Search or a program provided by your high school such as Scoir, Maia Learning, or Naviance. These programs allow you to refine your college search by variables such as SAT/ACT scores, GPA, location, size, major, etc.
- Student Voices: I recommend checking out Unigo, Induck, StudentCrowd, WhatUni, UniBuddy, and numerous official and unofficial YouTube videos about international student life as part of your research.
Print Resources: In addition to internet sources, there are some great books you should also consider picking up.
- The Fiske Guide to Colleges: The Fiske college profiles are a quick way to learn something substantial about a college in about a seven-minute read. Each profile lists strong academic programs, highlights various extracurricular offerings, and does an incredible job giving readers insight into the culture and feel of a college. One of my personal favorite things: the overlap schools. Let’s say you are interested in Colgate University. The Fiske profile will give 5-8 schools that Colgate university would consider a peer institution. Flip over to those schools and give their profiles a read through, then check out their overlaps. Some examples: “Large Universities that Feel Small”, “Colleges for the Aspiring Artist”, “Colleges for the Budding Entrepreneur”, and “Most Beautiful Campuses”.
Alumni Networks and Current Students: Alumni networks and current students in your area are two more resources you can tap into to round out your perspective.

3. Narrow Down Your List

After performing your college research, it is time to narrow down your list. Once again, categorize your favorite schools into either “safety”, “target”, “reach” or “extreme reach”. Also ensure that you research acceptance rates in order to get an idea of how difficult it will be to gain admission. Remove any schools from your list that do not fit your needs as you conclude the college research process. At the end of this stage, you should ideally have a list of anywhere between ten and fifteen schools that fit your criteria. Ultimately, you’d like to get your list down to 5 - 8 colleges. Any more than that will make the decision-making process overwhelming. Obviously, it’s important to have a great college experience, but the goal of attending college is to land a great job in your field of interest.

4. College Visits

There is absolutely nothing like stepping foot on a campus to really get a feel for a place. Visiting a school allows you to envision yourself living there. It also helps give you a clearer idea of what kind of school you are interested in and helps clarify some of your presuppositions about “small schools”, “urban schools”, etc.Begin visiting colleges during your junior year (or earlier if possible). If you are able, go when a college is in session. Sit in on a class, eat in the dining hall, and, if possible, connect with current students.

During a campus visit, it’s important to take a tour, sit in a class, meet with current students, and spend time in conversation with an admissions officer. Many colleges even offer students the chance to spend the night in a dorm to get the whole experience. Through a campus visit, you can see and feel what it would be like to attend school there.

5. Analyze College Statistics

There’s no shortage of statistics about colleges. Admissions rates can help you determine whether a school is a reach, target, or likely, but these numbers are often irrelevant in determining whether a college is a good fit for YOU.

Retention Rates: How many students return for their sophomore year?
Diversity: What other nationalities and cultures are represented on campus? What percentage of the student body is international? What is the male to female ratio on campus?
Housing: How many students live on-campus versus those who live off-campus? Are students required to live on-campus for a specific number of years or are they allowed to move off-campus at any point? Is on-campus housing provided for all four years of study? Are special housing accommodations available (i.e.
Career development: What career services are available? How many students have internships during their time in college? How many students find a job within six months of graduation?

6. Financial Considerations

Students should consider financial affordability in the college search process. For those reasons, students should research how much a college will actually cost. This means utilizing tools, like a Net Price Calculator, to see how much a college costs after financial aid and scholarships are considered.

Net Price Calculator: A Net Price Calculator may reveal surprising costs. For instance, a private college could become just as affordable as a public university after inputting figures.
Scholarships and Grants: Scholarships and grants are free money distributed by a college or the government that does not need to be paid back. To qualify for these scholarships and grants, students typically need to apply for admission and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Work-Study: Work-study is a form of financial aid for qualifying students. If you qualify for work-study, you can get a job on campus that will provide paychecks that can go toward your tuition or student expenses.
Student Loans: Finally, student loans can help students bridge the gap between what they can pay and what a college costs after they’ve exhausted all the above options.

7. Be Intentional and Proactive

Don’t wait until the fall semester of senior year to begin your research! Give yourself the gift of time to follow leads, create a list, edit your list, visit colleges, change your mind after visiting colleges, and ultimately get to a place where you feel confident about your final list. One of the beautiful things about applying to college is that it is an opportunity to really get to know yourself. But this also takes time. So, start early (and by early, I mean junior year, so not that early!), and take the time to do some self-reflection and focused research so that you can make a thoughtful, educated decision about your college experience.

Additional Tips for Effective College Research

Keep an Open Mind: It is important to keep an open mind at the start of the research process. It is often through research and visiting colleges that students begin to come up with their “must-have” lists. You don’t know what you don’t know. So, start broad and gradually narrow down your list.
Consider Different Types of Colleges: Check out a few large state universities and some small liberal arts colleges. It is also crucial that you vary your search by the college’s selectivity. If you are only visiting the most selective schools in the country, you won’t end up with a very balanced list of colleges that you are excited about.
Avoid Sole Reliance on Rankings and Discussion Boards: While researching colleges, don’t make choices based solely on rankings or discussion boards.
Verify Information: While researching, keep in mind that all sources or materials could be flawed in some way. You should not trust any single reference to guide you in your research. Instead, familiarize yourself with as many sources as possible to gain an objective and broad understanding of the data and choices facing you.
Take the Long View: When comparing colleges, you need to look at graduation rates as well as graduates who enter the job market within six months after graduation. During your campus tour and admissions interview, ask about the Career Center resources, internship opportunities, and alumni network and companies that frequently graduates of the school.

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