Applying to college can be a daunting task, but there are many ways to make it easier. With help from current high school seniors, and tips from college admissions and guidance counselors, the process of applying to college can be a lot easier.

Picking colleges to apply to:

Do I want a big school? Do I want to be in the city? Do I want to be close to home?

Do I want to spend four years of my life in this community? Are there fun things to do in the area?

All students face questions like these when choosing which colleges that they want to apply to. The best way to get a feel for a school is to tour it. This will allow you to talk to the students and get a feel for the area.

When looking for schools, senior Tatiana King automatically looked for those that had her major. For King, she found it was difficult to find schools with a major in Forensic Science. After finding a select group of colleges with her major, King then lowered the list based on a small size and affordability.

For other seniors, college in the United States of America is not far enough away. Hannah Kennedy, will be applying to schools in Ireland, as they have a major for Irish step dancing.

“Although it is far away,” Kennedy said. “No other schools have a program dedicated to just Irish dance. Ireland is where I will be able to learn everything there is to know about authentic Irish dance. ”

Picking schools is a personal preference. Some students start off by deciding what area they would prefer to live.  Next, look at colleges with your major. Lastly,  the size and cost of the school is important. Pick a school that would make you feel comfortable. The smaller the school the more close knit it will feel.

According John A. Larsen, an admission officer from The University of New Hampshire, it is very important to see the colleges before you make a final decision. You have to feel comfortable in order to make the big commitment.

“Rankings, newspapers, online sources are largely irrelevant,” Larsen said. “It might be the shiniest, prettiest, highest ranked school on the planet, but if the community and setting is not a good fit, it is not worth it.  The best way to determine fit is to visit each campus you are interested in.  Take a tour and talk to current students.”