Student Assessment

This exercise will help you begin to define your academic and extracurricular interests and to understand the environment in which you will function best and discover your full potential and have fun! Remember, once a self assessment is completed, save the results to help in your final selection of a college. Make a list of the things you like to do and you are good at, then list beside each activity the skills that are involved: physical, academic, and mental. Now add to this list the activities and academic areas you would like to be involved in, and the skills that would be required. Determine the classroom environment that is best: smaller, interactive, able to express ideas and opinions, or a larger lecture hall atmosphere. Next, make a list of the values that are important and rank them in their order of importance. Prepare a personal profile: the kinds of activities that you find most comfortable, the role you would play in working on a task: leader, technician, or observer.

Setting College Selection Criteria

What major or program are you interested in pursuing? What type of extra-curricular activities need exploring; i.e., music, athletics (divisional, intercollegiate, club level, intramural), arts, politics, community service, communications, media? What size college is preferred, and why? What type of location is preferred: urban, suburban, rural? How far do you want to travel to visit home or the college? What kind of residential options are wanted: large residence halls, small houses, fraternities, theme houses, off campus? Is religious affiliation important? What about admission requirements and academic reputation?

Keep these criteria on hand as you investigate the various sources for college information.

It's now time to learn how to gather and arrange factual information about the colleges that are of interest. When the time comes to put a college on your final list, you should also consider your instinctive impressions of a college. Combine both factual knowledge and instinctive reasoning in selecting colleges for further exploration. Be sure to compare the gathered information with the self assessment outlined earlier on this page. Many of these resources can be found at your local library, your high school guidance office, on-line, as well as available for purchase. Also, check for information on college fairs and scheduled high school visits.

• High School Guidance Office
  You should consult with your guidance counselor about college planning. Keeping in mind that counselors often have many responsibilities and a number of students to see, you should do as much research as possible. During the appointment, you can ask such questions as: What is your impression of a particular school? Here is my college list, do you think it's an appropriate one for me? What other colleges would you suggest and why? I am particularly interested in College X. Who else from this high school has gone there, and what was their experience? Does my high school record indicate that I could be admitted there? How can I increase my chances of admission?
  Books - Large college directories contain in-depth, objective descriptions of all the colleges in the United States. They have vital statistics about numbers of students, different majors and programs, living arrangements, entrance requirements, financial aid award averages, and the names and addresses of admission and financial aid officers. There are also more subjective guides that rank the colleges in various areas and describe the colleges in some qualitative way. At the back of this book, you will find information on Arkansas' independent colleges.
• Computer Connection
  Some colleges have CD-ROM presentations that they will send to you on request. Arkansas' independent colleges and universities are also accessible on the Internet through AICU's web site, www.arkindcolleges.org. By exploring each college's World Wide Web home page, you can learn about the various academic programs and extracurricular activities; visit the college's bulletin board or newspaper to learn more about what is happening on the campus; query the admissions and financial aid offices; and introduce yourself to faculty, coaches and students. In addition to linking to the home page of each college, you may also want to use the AICU web site to connect to The Electronic Counselor. The E-Counselor(tm) will provide you with a list of criteria that may be important to you in choosing a college. A list of Arkansas private colleges that match your criteria will then be generated. Visit the AICU web site to also learn more about the admission and financial aid processes.
• College Admissions Office
  Once the choices have been narrowed down, take a closer look. Either e-mail, telephone, or direct mail the college admission office and request a catalog and a view book, plus any other information about departments and programs of interest. Videos are another source of information about colleges, and they are usually available on request from the college or in your high school guidance office. Remember to use them in combination with other information in assessing the colleges.
• Current Students/Recent Graduates
  Talk to others from your town or high school who may have attended one of the colleges you are considering. In a personal conversation or a phone call, ask the person to characterize his or her experience. How happy are you with the college? What has been your experience in gaining access to classes and to your favorite activities? Did you get help or guidance when needed? What experiences have taught you the most? Remember to record the responses received from each one.