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Matchmaking is finding a college that has the educational and social environment you're looking for, where you are well-suited academically, and, in return you can contribute something that the college needs. The media rarely focus on matchmaking when discussing college admissions, while parents and students discuss the subject all the time without even realizing that it is the crucial element to getting admitted. You have more control over where you'll wind up going to college than you might think. The secret is this: if you take the time to find a school that is a good match for you, you'll have more success than if you were to just randomly apply to colleges that you've heard of or that students at your high school usually attend. Matchmaking is a two-step process. To be most effective, you should begin with a thorough self-examination, or personal inventory. The best way to get started is to organize your personal inventory by setting up a spreadsheet. You can do this using an electronic spreadsheet program, like Excel, or just using the old-fashioned pen and paper method. Divide the far left column of your spreadsheet into two sections. One is biographical, which includes the courses you've taken (or are taking) in high school, GPA, SAT or ACT scores, class rank, and other personal information such as extracurricular activities--especially those you plan to continue in college. In the second section, you should list the characteristics you need or want in a college. This list should include anything and everything you consider important, such as location, size of the student body, availability of scholarships, dormitory options, clubs and activities--even school colors, if that has some kind of spiritual significance to you. This part of your inventory should be ever-changing as you become more and more aware of what is truly important for you to find in the college of your choice. The second part of the spreadsheet is to list each college you are seriously considering at the top of the spreadsheet columns. As you sort through information about these colleges, check off each item from your personal inventory that a particular college satisfies. You should also make a general assessment of how you compare academically to each college's freshman profile. This is an excellent exercise to begin your matchmaking. After you start thinking about the stuff you've listed on your spreadsheet, you will be armed with your personal inventory, and you can truly begin to take advantage of the many resources available to help you narrow your choices about where to apply.