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How do I choose a college that is right for me?



QUESTION: I’m a junior in high school, and my mailbox is overflowing with brochures from colleges from across the country. They all look good. How do I choose which one is right for me?
–Full Mailbox

Dear Full Mailbox: If you’ve taken the PSAT, you are probably getting flooded with letters and brochures from colleges. These are the colleges’ sales brochures. Like any good sales piece, these brochures are designed to present the best aspects of the school. Did you notice all of the smiling students studying outside in perfect weather? Nevertheless since you are a junior, it’s a good idea to glance through these brochures to get a quick overview of the school. However, don’t use these as your only reference points. Nothing beats visiting the campus or spending some time getting the opinions of those who have attended the college. Lastly, don’t apply to a school simply because they sent you a brochure and don’t ever (let us stress this again, don’t ever) think that the only schools you can get into are represented by those who sent you a colorful sales brochure.


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Gen & Kelly Tanabe

Gen and Kelly Tanabe are the founders of SuperCollege and the award-winning authors of 11 books on college admission, financial aid and scholarships. Together they were accepted to all of the Ivy League colleges and won more than $100,000 in merit-based scholarships to graduate from Harvard debt-free.