College Match Quiz

Read each question and respond by circling Y (Yes), N (No), or C (Combination). Complete all the questions and return to the top. Highlight each action that coordinates with your answer and then read it. Where you chose C, read both actions. Is there a pattern? Do the questions seem to lead to a certain type of college or university? Certain size? Certain location? Read the suggestions at the end for more ideas.

Question		Yes/No/Combination		Action
1. Do I have a goal in life?		Y/N/C		Y: State it. _____________________________ N: Don’t worry, many students start college without knowing what they want to do. Look into colleges that specialize in the arts and sciences.
2. Do I know what I want to achieve with a college diploma?		Y/N/C		Y: List specifically what your goals are. _____________________________ N: Think about what college can offer you.
3. Do I want to broaden my knowledge?		Y/N/C		Y: Consider a liberal arts college. N: You might need to consider other options or educational opportunities.
4. Do I want specific training?		Y/N/C		Y: Investigate technical colleges or professional training programs in universities. N: You don’t know what you want to study. Only 20 percent of seniors who apply to college are sure.
5. Am I looking for a balanced workload?		Y/N/C		Y: When you are visiting colleges, ask students about how they handle the workload. N: Check the workload carefully. If no one is on campus on a sunny day, it may not be the school for you.
6. Am I self-directed enough to finish a four-year college program?		Y/N/C		Y: Consider only four-year colleges and universities. N: Maybe a two-year junior or community college is a better way to begin your college experience. Also consider a vocational/career college.
7. Do I know what I do well?		Y/N/C		Y: Identify majors related to your abilities. N: Spend a little more time asking yourself questions about your interests. Speak to your counselor and do an interest inventory.
8. Do I like to spend time learning any one subject more than others?		Y/N/C		Y: List majors related to that area. N: Look at your high school courses. Which ones do you like better than others?
9. Do I know what matters to me and what my values are?		Y/N/C		Y: Look for the schools that talk about the values on their campus. Do they have an honor code for students? Do the values confirm or conflict with your values? N: Values are less important to you, so places that really expound the values may seem confining to you.
10. Do I need to be in affluent surroundings?		Y/N/C		Y: Look at the schools that deliver that package. Check the small, private liberal arts colleges. N: How strong is your reaction against this setting? If it is strong, check larger, more diverse settings, like an urban school.
11. Am I going to college for the financial gains?		Y/N/C		Y: What majors are going to give you the payback you want? Look at business colleges and professional programs, like premed. N: If a big financial payback does not interest you, look at social service majors, like counseling, teaching, and social work.
12. Am I focused?		Y/N/C		Y: Search out the programs that will offer you the best options. N: Avoid those schools whose programs are not strong in your focused area.
13. Am I conservative in my views and behavior?		Y/N/C		Y: The political policies of schools are important. Look into them carefully. You might look at the schools in the Midwest or the South. N: If you’re a liberal, look closely at the political climate. Check the schools in the Northeast and on the West Coast.
14. Do I need to be around people who are similar to me?		Y/N/C		Y: If you are African American, check the historically black colleges. If socioeconomic level or a certain look is important to you, study the student populations carefully during campus visits. If it is religious orientation you are interested in, look into religiously sponsored colleges and universities. N: Look at large, midsize, and small universities in urban settings.
15. Are the name and prestige of the school important to me?		Y/N/C		Y: Look into the requirements for the competitive schools to see if you are eligible and find out what these schools can offer you. Broaden your search to include other colleges and compare their offerings to your specific needs and interests. N: Don’t exclude the well-known institutions if they fit in every other way.
16. Do I like sports?		Y/N/C		Y: Large universities with Division I teams will give you all the sports you need—as a competitor or a fan. If you do not want to compete at that level, check schools in other divisions. Look at the liberal arts colleges for athletes. N: Look into smaller universities and liberal arts colleges with good teams.
17. Am I a techie?		Y/N/C		Y: Check for computer engineering courses at technical universities and large universities near research centers and major computer business areas. Ask about hardwiring, e-mail, and computer packages before you enroll. N: It still helps to know what computer services are available where you enroll.
18. Do I need to live in or be near a city?		Y/N/C		Y: How close to a city do you need to be? In the city or an hour away? Do you still want a campus feel? Consider these questions as you visit campuses. N: Do you need space, natural beauty, and peaceful surroundings to think? Look into small liberal arts schools in rural and suburban settings. Explore universities in the Midwest and South.
19. Will I need counseling for support?		Y/N/C		Y: Investigate the quality of student services and the mechanism for accessing them. Smaller schools often pride themselves on their services. Look at liberal arts colleges. Universities connected to medical centers often provide extensive services. N: It is still good to know what is offered.
20. Do I need an environment in which questioning is important?		Y/N/C		Y: Liberal arts colleges, honors colleges, and smaller universities place an emphasis on academic inquiry. N: You like to hear others discuss issues, gather as much information and opinions as you can, and think it over by yourself. Try the university setting.

Suggestions

Here are some ideas for you to consider based on the way you answered the questions:

1. If you answered no to numbers 1 and 3, why not investigate apprenticeships, vocational/career colleges, armed services options, and certification or two-year college programs?
2. If you answered yes to numbers 4, 11, and 17, technical or professional colleges and universities with hands-on training may give you the education you want.
3. If you answered yes to numbers 9, 10, and 20, you are leaning toward a liberal arts setting.
4. If you answered yes to numbers 5 and 6, examine the competitive and Ivy League colleges.
5. If you answered no to numbers 9, 10, 14, and 20 and yes to 16, 17, and 18, larger universities may offer you the best options.

Once you have completed your self-evaluation, made a decision whether college is for you, and have some ideas about your personality and likes and dislikes and can relate them to the different personalities of colleges, it is time to gather information. It needs to be quality information from the right sources. The quality of information you put into your search now will determine whether your list of colleges will represent a good or a bad match.