Trying to decide where to go to college can be an overwhelming decision. However, you can reduce the stress using a real simple method. Just take some time to chart out what you want or don’t want in a college before you begin focusing on specific schools. The chart below is a helpful start.

By circling the factors that are important to you, you can eliminate schools before you get too far into the process. Obviously some factors will have greater weight than others, but this will help you narrow down your choices. For example, if you are an average student that wants to have his parents see every game, considering schools with an elite academic reputation far from home is a waste of time.  

As you examine these factors, think carefully about yourself and whether you want to try something different than what you have experienced thus far in life. You will never be as flexible in your life situation as you are during college. After you graduate you begin tracking in a career, oftentimes getting married and raising a family. All of these factors tend to narrow your options as you go through life. Your college years represent a time when you are least entangled by outside forces, so don’t be afraid to take advantage of this period in your life to try something new.

In Part 2 we will discuss the basic tradeoffs for each of the factors named in the chart.