Name

First Name

Last Name

Will I fit in? Big Bang Theory

Examples: Cal Tech, MIT RPI, Rochester Inst. of Tech, WPI

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Will I fit in? Young Democrats

Examples: Berkeley, Brandeis, Haverford

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Will I fit in? Non-Traditional

Examples: Brown, Hampshire, Evergreen State College, Sarah Lawrence

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Will I fit in? J.Crew Catalog

Examples: Bucknell, Miami-Ohio, Dartmouth

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Will I fit in? Every Night's A Party!

Examples: Ohio State, Florida State, Alabama

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Will I fit in? Where Fun Comes to Die

Examples: UChicago, Swarthmore

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Will I fit in? Artsy, Hipster, LGBTQ+

Examples: Reed, Vassar, Occidental

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Will I fit in? Frats/Sororities Dominate

Examples: USC, DePaul, SMU

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Will I fit in? Tailgating, School Spirit

Examples: Auburn, Madison, Nebraska

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Will I fit in? Work Hard, Play Hard

Examples: Duke, Wake Forest

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Will I fit in? Young Republicans

Examples: Hillsdale, Notre Dame, University Of Dallas

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Will I fit in? Jocks, Cheerleaders

Examples: TCU, Clemson, LSU

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

What Will I Study? Math, Stats, Applied Math, Actuarial Science

Examples: Michigan State, UC Berkeley

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

What Will I Study? International Relations, World Languages

Examples: Georgetown, American, Middlebury

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

What Will I Study? Pharmacy, Nursing, Physical Therapy, Kineseology, Athletic Training

Examples: Drake, Uconn, UW Lacrosse, Kansas

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

What Will I Study? Biology, Pre-med, Neuroscience

Examples: WashU, JHU, Rice, Northwestern

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

What Will I Study? History, Poli-sci, Government

Examples: Gettysburg, Tufts, American

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

What Will I Study? Psychology, Social Science, Sociology

Examples: Colorado College, Whitman, U of MN

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

What Will I Study? Education: Pre-school, Elementary, Secondary

Examples: Gustavus Adolphus, St. Cloud State, Hamline, Madison, U of MN

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

What Will I Study? English, Creative Writing, Journalism

Examples: Northwestern, Syracuse, Chapman, University of Iowa

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

What Will I Study? Engineering, Computer Science

Examples: Carnegie Mellon, Rose Hulman, Stanford, Michigan, Purdue, Illinois

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

What Will I Study? Performing Arts, Visual Arts

Examples: Julliard, RISD

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

What Will I Study? Science: Bio, Chem, Physics, Geology

Examples: Rice, Emory, Johns Hopkins

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

What Will I Study? Architecture

Examples: Cal Poly, Syracuse, Connecticut College

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

What Will I Study? Business Or Econ

Examples: Boston College, U Penn, Ross (Michigan), Kelley (Indiana)

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

What Will I Study? Marine Biology

Examples: Eckerd, University Of Miami, Duke, University of Washington

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

What Will I Study? Game Design, Animation

LMU, Woodbury, USC, Digipen, Denver

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

What Will I Study? Film, TV/Film Production

USC, SD State, Syracuse, NYU, Champan

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

What Will I Study? Fashion Merchandising

Examples: UMN, Indiana, Madison

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

What Will I Study? Environmental Science/Studies, Environmental Public Policy

Examples: U Washington, U Vermont, Loyola, Madison, American

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Size? Small Campus Under 4,000

Examples: Carleton, Williams, Hamilton

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Size? Medium Campus: 4,000-10,000

Examples: Tulane, Vanderbilt, College Of William & Mary

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Size? Large Campus: 10,000-20,000

Examples: Boston University, USC

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Size? Huge, Up To 60,000

Examples: Arizona State, Madison, University Of Central Florida

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

What Does It Look Like? Beautiful Campus, Nice Dorms

Examples: Wash U, Pepperdine

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

What Does It Look Like? Urban, Bustling, Noise, Always Something To Do

Examples: NYU, BU, DePaul

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

What Does It Look Like? Modern

Examples: Colorado School Of Mines, Loyola-Chicago

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

What Does It Look Like? Ocean View

Pepperdine, Salve Regina, Endicott College, UC Santa Barbara, University of Tampa

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

What Does It Look Like? Old & New

Examples: Barnard, Wellesley, Northwestern

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

What Does It Look Like? Hogwarts

Examples: Yale, Princeton, UChicago

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

What Does It Look Like? Cozy & Compact

Examples: Macalester, St. Olaf, Bowdoin

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

What Does It Look Like? Spacious & Spread Out

Examples: Stanford, Penn State

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

What Does It Look Like? Peaceful, Trees, Squirrels

Examples: Colgate, St. Ben’s/St. John’s, Amherst

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Where’s It Located? California

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Where’s It Located? Southeast

Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Where’s It Located? Out Of The Country

Examples: McGill, Oxford, St. Andrews

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Where’s It Located? Do Your Laundry At Mom’s…

Examples: St. Thomas, Augsburg

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Where’s It Located? Deep South

Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Where’s It Located? College Town

Indiana-Bloomington; University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Where’s It Located? Far From Home

Examples: Lewis & Clark, Pomona, Furman, Colby

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Where’s It Located? New England

Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hamshire, Vermont, Maine

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Where’s It Located? Midwest

Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Nebraska, Kansas, N/S Dakota

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Where’s It Located? Southwest

Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Where’s It Located? Rural, Small-town

Examples: Grinnell, Grinnell; Wesleyan, Middletown; Hamilton, Cinton; Bowdoin, Brunswick

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Where’s It Located? North-Mid Atlantic

New York, New Jersey, Delaware Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington DC

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Where’s It Located? West

Colorado, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Nevada

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Where’s It Located? Road Trip/Driving Distance

Examples: Kansas, Mizzou, Creighton, NDSU

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Where’s It Located? Upper Northwest

Oregon, Washington

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Where’s It Located? Metropolis

Examples: Columbia, USC, DePaul, Emory

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Cost? In-state Tuition

Examples: MN, WI, ND/SD

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Admissions & Cost? Graduate In 4 Years…

Examples: Georgetown, Davidson

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Cost? Need Based Aid

Examples: Bates, Pomona, Cornell, Davidson

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Admissions? Gap Year

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Admissions? Test Optional

Examples: Lawrence, Holy Cross, Wake Forest, Bates, Pitzer

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Admissions? Early Decision, Early Action, Restricted Ea

Ea: Lawrence, TCU, Northeastern Rea: Harvard, Stanford Ed: Amherst, WashU, Pomona

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Admissions & Cost? Private Or Public

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Admissions? Selectivity

All About That Name…

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

Admissions & Cost? Merit Scholarship

Examples: U Denver, College Of Wooster, Redlands, Lawrence, Loyola-Chicago

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

More To Consider? I’d Like To Bring My Car, Friends, Dog, Golf Clubs, Skis, Horse, Tuba

Examples: Eckerd, Denver, Rollins

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

More To Consider? Research University

Examples: University Of Michigan, Johns Hopkins

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

More To Consider? Military Academy, ROTC

Examples: West Point, Navy, Coast Guard, Airforce

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

More To Consider? Core Curriculum

Columbia, UChicago

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

More To Consider? Alternative Schedule

Examples: Colorado College, Cornell College

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

More To Consider? Big Time Sports: Football, Basketball

Examples: Madison, Texas, Michigan

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

More To Consider? Main Sport Is Hockey

Examples: Colgate, Denver, UMD

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

More To Consider? Women’s Or Men’s College

Examples: Scripps, Mt. Holyoke, Hampden-Sydney, Smith, Wellesley

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

More To Consider? Diversity

Ethnic, Economic, Geographic, Religious

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

More To Consider? Specialty College: Conservatory, Design, Art

Examples: Eastman, N.E. Conservatory, Parsons, Savannah College Of Art & Design

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

More To Consider? My Sport (Club/Intramural)

Examples: Trinity, Dartmouth

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

More To Consider? Get To Know My Professors

Examples: Oberlin, Claremont Mckenna, Cornell College

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

More To Consider? Co-op & Internships

Examples: Northeastern, American

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

More To Consider? Religious Affiliation

Examples: Notre Dame, Boston College, Villanova, Brandeis

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

More To Consider? Liberal Arts

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

More To Consider? Project Based/Experiential Learning

Examples: Newhouse, Loyola Chicago, Bucknell, TCU, Kelley

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

More To Consider? Accommodations/LD

Examples: Lynn University, Marist, Augsburg, College of The Ozarks

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

More To Consider? Internship Placement

Example: Connecticut College

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

More To Consider? Honor Code

Examples: Duke, Davidson, Connecticut College

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

More To Consider? Midterm/Final, Scantron

Examples: Bigger Universities

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

More To Consider? Grades Factor In: Class Participation, Papers, Essay Tests, Attendance

Examples: Smaller Colleges, Especially Liberal Arts

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!

More To Consider? Learn From Grad Students Within Research

Examples: Michigan, JHU, Berkeley

Yes / Want / Need

Maybe?

No!