The process of getting ready to send a son/daughter to college can present many confusing choices. This is especially true if you are sending your first child to college. There are over 3000 colleges to choose from. Each college has its own unique offering of courses and activities. In addition to all of the mailings that are sent to home there are hundreds of college websites that offer information. Starting your college search in the 9th or 10th grade gives your student an opportunity to tour different types of colleges.

Each high school student should talk to college students and faculty to get a better picture of the level of community on their campus. Some students and parents look at the name of a college to determine where they will pursue an undergraduate degree. A student can go after the big name but maybe the college does not really have the major that they want. Some colleges are located in an urban city while others are located in a suburban or rural city. Not only must you look at the size of the college you should also look at how far it is from home.

Many parents and students get consumed with discussions about the cost of college. The price of college can range from $20,000 - $50,000 for public or private college education. Colleges are trying to move into the 21st century in terms of technological resources for students who are enrolled. For example, maintaining a wireless internet campus requires staff. The staff is hired to manage the college's hardware and software. Students can use their laptops to complete class assignments and to send e-mails to their professors. Even if you have a family income over $100,000 you should complete the federal financial aid form. There are certain academic scholarships and student loans that require the completion of the federal aid form.
Choosing a college should be a students own decision. The college that their friend selects may not be for them. They are making an investment in themselves that could affect their career options. It is best to choose a college that fits their personal and professional goals. Your student can take a career test at their high school to get a clearer picture of a career that may interest them. These career tests are easy to complete and they provide a lot of useful information. Your son/daughter can sit down with their high school counselor and talk about a variety of careers. They should research the career and the types of jobs that completing a certain college degree will offer.

If you are sending the first person in your family to college recognize that you are not alone. Attend a college night at your son/daughter's high school or attend a college fair in your city. You will get to meet admissions officers who are more than happy to answer your questions. Make the senior year a time of joy rather than anguish. Meet with your college counselor early during the school year and you will develop an effective college search plan. Despite the initial challenges you will help your student to choose their college dream. Dr. Stephen Jones is author of the "Seven Secrets of How to Study.

Article written by Dr. Stephen Jones. Dr. Stephen Jones is an outstanding educator who has spent twenty five years helping students to get into college. His workshops include leadership,study skills, time management, college preparation etc. He is the author of the Seven Secrets of How to Study,the Parent's Ultimate Education Guide and the Ultimate Scholarship Guide at http://www.sevenbooks.net/

Life is about opportunities and options. The more opportunities you create for yourself in life, the more options you’ll have at any given point in time. Gaining control of your options and opportunities is the key to personal and professional success. Simply put, if you want to become master of your own destiny, then you need to go to college.
Here are the top five Reasons why should choose to go to college:

1. The undergraduate degree is the new high school diploma. There was once a time when college was entirely optional. Even today, smart, hard working people can develop excellent careers and stable lives without the aid of a university education. College is by no means mandatory, but when you’re ready to start building a career for yourself, you will increasingly discover that a college degree is a prerequisite for many entry-level employment opportunities.
Companies and organizations want to hire employees who illustrate commitment and perseverance. A college degree will show your future employer that you’re dedicated to achieving your goals in life. Whether it’s justified or not, a job applicant with a degree is going to be more valuable to an organization than an applicant who chose to forgo college. If you want to possess marketable job skills, higher wages and the stigma of being smart and qualified, then choosing college is the way to go.

2. College will satisfy and expand your curiosity. If you possess a general curiosity about how and why the world works the way it does, then you owe it to yourself to attend college. Education is a personal project. If you want to develop your mental faculties and increase your knowledge base, then you have to college. If you feel that you’ve learned all you possibly can in high school, if you think that there’s nothing else that you need to absorb, then don’t go to college. If you have a passion for improved understanding, then college is mandatory.

3. College is a process of continual maturation. College is freedom. When you attend college, you are free to live on your own, according to your own priorities. As you carve out your own custom tailored living and learning experience, you can’t help but grow as a person. College is a time for self-improvement and development, so if you want to grow and mature as an individual, college is the perfect playground for self-progress.

4. College is all about networking. In college, you have the unique ability to create life-long associations in a structured environment. Networking is important, but it can also be difficult. If you want to build relations with students and faculty members, you have to put forth effort. Unlike the real world, in college, it’s easy to combine your individual interests with supportive allies who subscribe to those same interests. Take advantage of this environment and build up relationships that will help you in the future.

5. College exposes you to things you would not normally experience. When you set about choosing your path through life, it’s important to remember that finding yourself is as much a process of elimination as it is a process of discovery. Just as you seek out interests and identities, you need to rule out certain life-options and mental frameworks that you do not agree with. College exposes you to new risks, rewards, people, places, ideas, lifestyles, eating habits and career choices. Exposure is critical. You can’t form a genuine opinion on something if you’ve never been exposed to it.

College is a place for you to improve yourself, to satiate your curiosities, to mature, to network, and to be exposed to new things. College is an important, irreplaceable experience in life. Going to college is highly recommended.

Chris Stout is a frequent contributor to CareersandEducation.com. Chris Stout is a feature writer that covers topics relating to MBA Programs and online colleges.

Elementary and Middle School seemed to be a breeze. High School upped the ante and proved to provide somewhat of a menial challenge. As High school comes to a quickly approaching finish, it's time to decide on the big one…College!!! Choosing what college you want to go to is an enormously personal -- and often stressful -- decision that teens and their families have to make. So, if you are either of the latter, this article may help you. The objective of this expose is to give you a structure that will help you in choosing the college that is right for you.
There is an essential bit of advice before we begin: It's paramount to start this process as early as possible, if at all possible in the junior year of high school or earlier.

Step 1: Decide on what you might like to major in or study in college. Many students enter college as “undecided,” and that's all right, but if you have an idea of a career or a major, that information will help in finding colleges that offer or specialize in that field. You might like to try some career assessment tests to assist you with this step.

Step 2: Create a list of criteria you want to use to evaluate different colleges. For example; Do you want to live far away or close to home? Do you want a small college or a major university? Do you want to go to a historical or traditional college? How much does the school costs? Below is a list of general criteria:
 degrees offered

 majors/minors

 location (rural or urban setting)/distance from home

 size of the student population (from small at 1,000 to large at 35,000+)

 public vs. private

 costs (tuition, room and board, etc.)

 financial assistance packages

 campus resources (labs, libraries, computer access, etc.)

 graduation rate/time

 placement success/internship and co-op programs

 accreditation

 class size

 faculty contact/classes taught by full-time doctorally qualified faculty  quality/reputation/ranking

 degree of pressure to excel

 safety (campus, community)

 student body (diversity, gender, etc.)

 social life (Greek organizations, sports, school spirit, etc.)

 religious affiliation/independent

 housing options (dorms, apartments, living at home)

 realistic entry expectations (based on typical student admitted)

Step 3: Develop a list of possible colleges and universities. Having at least some idea of the criteria that are important to you, it is time to begin the gathering phase. You can find college information in books, such as The Fiske Guide to Colleges, which you can find among other college books in our Teen Books section. Another resource are college-related Websites, such as TheAdmissionsOffice.com. Find that Website, as well as many others, in our College Planning Resources for Teens. You will surely also get suggestions from family, friends, and high school teachers and guidance counselors. You should also consider attending college fairs, where you can actually meet representatives from the schools, as well as gather important literature.

Step 4: Collect all your information and resources about each school you're taking into consideration. One great resource to consider, especially if you don't have all the information you need on a particular college, is visiting the college's Website. Most colleges today offer some sort of virtual campus tour, so you can get a glimpse of the look and feel of a college from the comfort your home.

Step 5: Using the criteria from Step 2 to narrow down your list of colleges to a controllable number. This number will vary widely among teens and their families, depending in part on how many you and your family can realistically visit. Most experts suggest narrowing the list to 10 or fewer, but we have known some students who had close to 20 colleges after completing this step.

Step 6: If you can, try to visit the colleges on your list from Step 5. The best way to really get a feel for a college is by visiting the campus, taking a tour, meeting with students, attending a class, reading the campus newspaper, eating in the cafeteria, and spending the night in a dorm (if possible). You have to feel "at home" at the place where you will spend the next four years of your life, so visiting is important. If some schools on your list are just too far away to make a trip, then at least take a virtual tour of the campus and try to talk to people who have attended the school to get a feel for it. One place to start is CampusTours.com

Step 7: Apply to the schools that made the cut after the first six steps. How many schools should you apply to? Of course, this decision partly depends on your financial situation (since most colleges have application fees), but most teens generally apply to one or two dream or "reach" schools (where they have a small chance of getting admitted based on a realistic appraisal of admissions criteria), two to four schools where they want to go (and can expect to be accepted), and at least one "safety" school (where they are a shoo-in for admission). But you need to choose the number and type that are right for you; some people don't apply to safety schools, and others apply to only the best schools that have made the cut from the first six steps.
Step 8: Start researching Scholarships. While you're waiting to hear back from the colleges you applied to, start hitting the books or the Web to find scholarships (if you need them). If you are not able to receive or find a scholarship, research grants and financial aid.

Step 9: Make a final choice among the schools that accepted you. If you applied for financial aid, take a close look at the offers. If the school you really want to attend gave you a low aid offer, you should consider contacting the school and making a counter offer and see what happens; many schools have become more willing to negotiate in this area.

Some other good Websites that focus on choosing a college:
How to Apply to College: Choosing a College -- from Educaid.com Think College Early Massachusetts -- from the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education. Finding the Right College -- from collegeboard.com. Finding the Right College Program -- from CollegeView.com.