Factors to Consider....

College or University
A college is an undergraduate institution, often with a small student-faculty ratio,where faculty members teach all courses. A university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees; courses may be taught by graduate assistants rather than faculty members, but the institution may offer a wider range of courses.

Two- or four-year
A two-year institution usually grants an associate’s degree; a four-year institution grants a bachelor’s degree. Technical and business schools offer specialized areas of certification.

Public or private
Public institutions vary in size and offer reduced tuition for in-state residents. Private institutions may offer smaller classes with more attention from faculty members depending on the size of the institution.

Cost Tuition, fees, room and board and personal expenses (including transportation)
Think about Financial Aid, Scholarships, loans, jobs, educational opportunity programs, and work-study opportunities.
What percentage of students receive financial aid, and what percentage of student needs are met?

Courses
What courses are available in your area(s) of interest? You can find courses by browsing the course catalog from the school or online. Does the curriculum match up with your interests? If you know what you want to major in, pay special attention to the department offerings. Review the strength of program and look for any accreditation the program may have.

Ranking
The US News and World Report ranking of colleges and universities is only a rough measure, but it has some useful information. Read the details about the colleges you are interested in, including academic reputation, average SAT scores, and percentage of applicants accepted.

Size
Small (under 2000 undergraduates), medium (2000-15,000), or large (over 15,000). Colleges tend to be smaller than universities.

Location
In-state or out-of-state. If located away from home, how far away? Consider transportation: how accessible is the school by car, bus, train, and plane.

Setting
Rural, small town, urban, suburban.

Population
Find out the geographic distribution of the student body. Are students mainly from New York State residents? Is the Northeast heavily represented? Are all 50 states represented? Are there international students?

Student ratio
Is the college single-sex or coed? What is the ratio of males to females?

Faculty ratio
What are the average class sizes? Are courses taught by professors or graduate assistants? How much individual help is available?

Facilities
Tour residence halls, the library, science laboratories, language labs, computer center, and recreational facilities.

Tech support
How much technical support does the school offer? Does it support your preferred platform? Does the school require you purchase a laptop computer?

Affiliation
Non-denominational or church-related? Military academy?

Grading policy
Does the school include pass-fail options and/or traditional grades? Is independent study an option at upper levels?

Competition
Does the school fit your wish for a competitive or non-competitive atmosphere? Is there a great deal of pressure to achieve?

Admissions
Most admissions offices consider rigor of program, overall GPA, extracurricular activities, test scores, recommendations, and essays. Ask what is most important to the school. How selective is it? (i.e., what percentage of applicants are accepted?)

Further Study
What percentage of graduates attend graduate and/or professional schools? (This is especially important for students planning to enter a field requiring more than four years of college).

Job Placement
Are graduates working? How many? Where? Salaries? How much help will you receive from the college placement office?

ROTC
Is this available on campus or at a nearby college? Which branches of the service are represented?

Travel
Is study abroad available? If so, is it limited to language majors only, or all interested students?

Activities
What activities are offered? Music, athletics (interscholastic and intramural), drama, literary, fraternities, sororities?

Other Services
Counseling, provisions for handicapped students, tutoring?

Calendar
Traditional semesters, trimesters, quarters, January terms?

Miscellaneous
Are there early admissions, early decision, or honors programs? Can you accelerate and graduate in less than two or four years?
Will college courses taken at Camden be accepted?

See the LINKS below - the College Board College Matchmaker will assist you to find the colleges that meets your needs.

Links Related to College Selection

SUNY Colleges - Information and Application
SUNY Online Programs
Western New York College Search
Collegeboard Matchmaker - Big Future
Peterson's College Search
Collegeview Search
Princeton Review College Search
US News and World Report - College Rankings
What Should I Major In?     
What can I do with this major?
Directory of College Theatre Programs