Considering thousands of college options, it’s indeed a daunting task having to make a choice. And when you talk about the cost and time it would take to submit college applications, it’s wise to narrow down your college list as much as you can. That’s where the College checklist comes to play.
A College Checklist gives you a list of what to look for in a college. It’s more like a road map that provides a guide and instructions on the route to take while on a journey. With a college checklist, you will be able to focus your college search.
In this article, you’ll learn how to make a college checklist. And most importantly, you will learn how to prioritize your checklist and give more weight or voting power to the items that matter most to you.
So carefully read this article and you will be glad you did!
Before we proceed, let’s look at how you can create your personal college checklist.
How to Create College Checklist
Since every student has different goals and academic pursuits, the college checklist will be different. That means you shouldn’t expect to have the same college checklist with your childhood friend because it might not match. So, you’ll have to create your own.
Creating your own will require you to set your priorities. Ask yourself, what matters most to me? What must I have? What are the things not necessary? Answers to these questions will form your checklist.
Now, let’s look at a comprehensive checklist for college. This list will give you insight into what to look out for in college.
Follow me closely!
What to Look for in a College: Full Ultimate College Checklist
Reviewing the points below will help you narrow down your college choices.
Total Cost of Studying
This is one of the important factors to consider. In short, it should be #1 on your college checklist. Find out how much college will cost, what you have, and how much the college is ready to give you which income in form of financial aids.
This is how to go about it!
Visit the colleges’ official website to get a breakdown of their cost or use a college cost calculator available online.
Note, the total cost of education should include tuition fees, accommodation, meals, college expenses, and textbooks.
Physical Setting or Traits of the College of your Choice
Here, you’ll look at the physical setting of your ideal college. The type of school; is it a 2 years community college or 4 years college/university you want? The location; will it be close to your home? will you prefer it if it’s far from home?
Then, consider the campus setting. Do you want a college town, large urban center, or mid-size city? What is student housing like? Is the housing only available on-campus or off-campus?
Also, you’ll have to consider the look and setting. Is it a traditional campus with old buildings, trees, grass, or a modern campus?
Answering these questions will help narrow down your college.
Size of the College
Although most students like large colleges because of the sense of anonymity they bring, some hate it. Check the situation in which you would learn more and earn better grades.
Do you want a college with small classes where you can fully participate in class discussions, get to know all the professors, write short answer tests and handle hands-on projects?
Do you want a large class size college with multiple-choice or computerized where you can only listen and take notes, and even teach yourself? Find out if the class size is the right fit for your learning style.
Answering these questions will always help you in preparing your college checklist.
The academic Programs Offered
This is another thing to look for in a college that is important. Make a list of all possible fields of study you may want to pursue. Then, make a list of the colleges offering these programs.
Consider the difficulties you might encounter if you want to change majors. Check the programs that are more competitive and the possibilities of you getting admitted.
Now, if you want to study abroad, research the programs offered by the college, the percentage of students studying abroad, and the credit earned. The same goes for internship and research programs.
The Graduation Rates
The graduation rate is another thing to look for in a college. This is one of the major indicators that students studying there will succeed.
Also consider the rate at which graduated students get jobs or are recognized in the country and beyond.
Availability of your Interested Extracurriculum Activities
This is another thing you should look out for in a college. Consider the colleges that offer the extracurricular activities that interest you.
For instance, sports; intercollegiate sports, intramural sports, or club sports. Check the swimming facilities and their proximity to outdoor recreation.
So, think about the type of experience they want from campus life. If a good football team or a large Greek presence is important to you, then consider attending a school with those opportunities. If you like parties, consider colleges that allow parties.
Consider The Feelings You want To Get
You need to feel comfortable on campus to be most successful. Before you start visiting
colleges first ask yourself, What kind of feeling do I want?
Do you want a friendly, liberal, conservative, political, or social feeling? Do want to just focus on your academics?
College Checklist
Use this checklist to identify everything you are looking for in a school. Print a copy and keep it on hand as you research schools.
Type of School
What type of school best provides the education you are seeking?
- Technical/trade school
- 2-Year college
- 4-Year college
- Other:
Do you care if you go to public (state) or private school?
- Public
- Private
- No preference
Would you be more comfortable at a school of a specific size?
- Yes (Preferred number of students: )
- No
Location
What type of setting do you prefer?
- Urban
- Suburban
- Rural
- No preference
Do you want to go to school in state or out of state?
- In state
- Out of state (State: )
- No preference
Do you care if the school is located close to home?
- Yes (Hours: )
- No
Admissions Requirements
Do any of the following admissions requirements matter to you?
- Percentage of applicants accepted:
- Yes (Percentage: )
- No
- The average class rank of applicants accepted:
- Yes (Rank: )
- No
- Average GPA of applicants accepted:
- Yes (GPA: )
- No
- Average SAT1 scores of applicants accepted:
- Yes (Score: )
- No
Financial Obligations
Will cost (tuition and fees) be a factor when you search for schools?
- Yes (Maximum cost: )
- No
Must the school offer any of the following types of aid?
- Grants/scholarships (academic, athletic, or other)
- In-state residency discounts
- Work-study employment
- Other:
- No
Academic Programs
Are you seeking a specific major that a school must offer?
- Yes (Major: )
- No
What type of learning method do you prefer?
- Hands-on practical learning
- Lecture-based
- Research-based
- Distance learning
- Other:
- No preference
Would you learn better if classes were limited in size?
- Yes (Preferred number of students: )
- No
Are you looking for any special academic programs?
- Independent study
- Study abroad programs (Country: ____________ )
- Honor societies
- Advanced Placement1 (AP1) credits
- Other:
- No
Athletic Programs and Extracurricular Activities
Must the school offer Division I, II, or III sports?
- Yes (Sport: )
- No
Must the school offer intramural sports?
- Yes (Sport: )
- No
Is it important to you that the school have sororities and fraternities?
- Yes
- No
Are there specific clubs or organizations that you want to participate in?
- Yes ()
- No
Housing
Where do you plan to live?
- Dormitory
- Off-campus housing
- Home
- Other:
If living on campus, do you have any specific housing needs?
- Co-ed dormitory
- Single-sex dormitory
- Housing for students with disabilities
- Housing for international students
- Other:
- No preferences
Other
What other “must-haves” will factor into your school search?
- The makeup of the student body:
- All male
- All-female
- Co-ed
- No preference
- Religious affiliation:
- Yes (Religion: )
- No preference
- Ethnic/minority representation:
- Yes (Specify: )
- No preference
References
- https://www.metroparent.com/guides/college/choose/choosing-a-college-checklist-for-students-and-parents/
- http://www.educationplanner.org/students/preparing-for-school/find-schools/what-to-look-for.shtml
- https://www.collegeraptor.com/find-colleges/articles/college-search/creating-a-final-choice-college-checklist/
