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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.

Small colleges are an important option to consider (both for education and financial aid). Before a student can determine whether a large, medium, or small college is right for them, they need to understand the common differences and their own personality. Each size has benefits and drawbacks, but more interesting is the idea that a drawback to one student might be ideal for another. Keep that in mind as you search for colleges. Once you take an indepth look at your own personality and preferences, visits are another critical step in determining where you will fit in.

Small Colleges: The Benefit

The Princeton Review

Finding the right college for you can be a straightforward and low-stress experience if you begin by looking at a key issue: size. You've probably already heard lots of conflicting theories about the pros and cons of big versus small and urban versus rural. Large schools are usually the ones that get all the press and hype with their largely funded sports programs and research hospitals, but let's look past the hype to investigate the benefits of a small-school education. For most high school students, going to college is an opportunity to be in a completely new situation with endless academic and social opportunities. The idea is to jump into a new world--a world that has no limitations. It makes sense that many of you will therefore decide that bigger is better. If your first choice school offers you 19 housing options, 10 different dining halls, 12 libraries and 62 majors to choose from, it's understandable that you will feel compelled to apply. Isn't that what you've been wanting all these years? Endless opportunity...

What Kind of Opportunity Do I Want?

Many students enjoy this environment, however, if you're the kind of student who needs to be in a small class or you'd be afraid to raise your hand and say, "I don't understand this week's assignment" or even, "I have a question about," or "strong feelings about," or "a thought about this week's assignment," you need to think carefully about attending a large institution. Many undergraduates have a great college experience attend schools where they get to know their professors well, and this usually happens in classes that are small enough so that no student goes unnoticed.Smaller colleges, schools with 2,500 students or fewer, are usually teaching institutions with few or no graduate students. These are colleges dedicated to providing undergraduates with a strong sense of community and a first-rate academic experience. Colleges that have classes with fewer than 15 students are typically better able to meet students' individual academic needs.

These schools often have strong advising systems where every student is matched with an advisor who can take the time to get to know you. This kind of school can protect you from being one of those students who slips through the cracks. It's the kind of school where you can feel known, important, and excited about what you're studying. It's also important to remember that it's not just endless opportunities you're wanting, but more importantly, opportunities that meet your specific interest and needs. A large school that has 62 majors will not necessarily allow you to co-author research papers with professors or design your own interdisciplinary major or write a play for your senior thesis. You need to spend some time thinking about the kinds of opportunities you'd most like to have, and seek out schools that can meet your needs.If you're interested in a school that is either bigger or smaller than you're comfortable with, if at all possible, make a plan to visit. During your visit, there are several things you can do that will help you decide if the school is the right size for you.

• Take a class: This will give you important information about the way teachers and students interact, the number of graduate students in undergraduate classes, and the enthusiasm or general disinterest of the students.
• Do an overnight visit: If you're visiting a small school, the geographic, ethnic, and academic diversity of the student body might surprise you.
• Interview: This is a great place to find out whether or not the interviewer graduated from that school, and if so, what his or her experience was like. Ask lots of questions.

Book Review - "The Best 366 Colleges" by the Princeton Review

The Princeton Review is well known for it's collection of books and other college related materials. We like quite a few of them, but by far our favorite is The Best 366 Colleges. Parents will find the latest edition (2008) of this reference book to be at-a-glance helpful. It has statistics about common areas of interest such as: admissions criteria, freshman profile, teacher-student ratio, financial aid, and more. For a quick look at some of the highest rated colleges in the country, this book delivers.