When taking your SATs, you are asked which schools you would like your score sent to. For me, this was pretty much the first time I had even considered this subject, and I ended up choosing random universities that I had no real intention of going to. I don't think it hurt anything, but why repeat my foolishly unprepared mistake? The time to start applying for colleges is the beginning of your senior year of high school, so the time to start choosing a college is your junior year, at the latest. I'd like to share some thoughts and tips to help you do this.

There are several factors to consider when choosing a university:

• Cost
  • Public or Private
  • In-state or Out-of-State
  • UC vs CSU (for California)
• Location
  • Close to Home or Far Away
• Size
  • Small or Large Student Body
• Curriculum
  • Does the university offer your chosen major?

1. Cost
One of the first things to consider when choosing a university is the cost of tuition. This can vary widely depending on whether the school is public or private, and whether it is located out-of-state (or even out-of-country). You have to decide how much you can spend, and narrow down your choices accordingly. Private universities are much more expensive than public universities. This can be the difference between $30,000/year at a private university, and $5000/year at a public university for tuition alone. I have heard that the extra money at a private university goes a long way for the student, but if you do not have the money I don't think it would be worth it to struggle with loans and limited grants to try it. Even for public universities, costs can vary depending on the type of school. In California, there are two systems: the UC system, and the CSU system. As far as I can tell, the UC system is supposed to more prestigious, and therefore costs more. CSU schools are less expensive (about $3000/year). Another cost consideration is the location. The cheapest option is to stay in your state, as venturing beyond will require out-of-state tuition for many public schools that rivals the cost of private ones. I imagine attending university out of the country is even more expensive. You can find the cost of tuition on the university's website.

Another cost to look at are the living expenses. Whether or not to live on campus is often a financial decision, as dorms can be very pricey. I recall crunching the numbers, and the cost of living increased in this order: living at home, living off-campus, living on-campus in a dorm. Most universities have dorms and campus apartments, and there are often apartments nearby the campus as well, so this is not a deciding factor in choosing a university. However, it may be a reason to choose a university close to home, as that allows the possibility to live at home (no rent, bills, or grocery expenses!), or at least close enough to come home frequently for meals, laundry, and weekends, which would also save money. If you want figures to work with, you can often find the school's estimates of on- and off-campus housing on the university's website.

2. Type of University (UC vs CSU)
Besides cost, there is another reason to look at the type of university. Back to the UC/CSU system discussion, UC schools are often regarded as better because the professors tend to be research-oriented and highly published. A UC school may look better on your resume as a result. This makes UC schools a bit tougher to get into, so if you don't have the grades this may play into your choice. However, I have heard from friends that attended UC schools that many of their classes were taught by grad students, as the professors placed more emphasis on their research than teaching. In fact, let it be noted that a brilliant researcher may still be a terrible teacher. I have also heard that UC schools often have larger, lecture-sized classes, which offer less individual attention. At CSU schools the professors teach the classes, which are often smaller sized (about 30 students). However, a CSU school may not look as good on a resume, depending on your major, the quality of the program, and the school itself. The type of university is evident in the school's name, at least in CAlifornia. For other states, you will have to research to see if there are similar types of programs, and determine how to tell the difference.

3. Size
You may want to consider the size of the university when choosing where to spend your college years. A large campus is often a commuter campus, where students stay only for their classes, leaving less of a student community. On a large campus a student can often walk from one side to the other without seeing anyone they know. This also means that numerous treks to visit an advisor, career counselor, or financial aid counselor may still mean that they don't know your name or who you are. At a small campus, it may be easier to meet people as you'll see lots of familiar faces as you cross campus, take your classes, and walk around town. A smaller campus often indicates a non-commuter campus where students tend to live on-campus or very close by, so there is a vibrant and active student community on campus with clubs and activities to participate in. A smaller campus may also mean that your career counselor will remember you and your financial aid counselor will see you as a person instead of just one more student in a sea of complaining college-goers. That's just a maybe though. The size of the student body should be available on the university's website.

4. Curriculum
Last but not least, the most important factor when choosing a university is the curriculum. If you have chosen a major, make sure it is offered at the university, of course. Of those schools, you'll want to determine the size of the department, the number of students in your major, the number of full-time professors, and the types of scholarships offered. The size of the program should be large, which shows that the university places emphasis on it, qualified professors are drawn to it, and there is adequate funding. A large department will often have numerous work and volunteer opportunities that will further enhance your academic career. The number of students in your major will also tell you something about the importance of your program to the department. It will also mean increased class availability, more opportunities for clubs, activities related to your major, and field trips, and allow you to gauge the interest and merit of the program. Another important factor to consider is the number of full-time professors. Do you want all of your major courses taught by one to two professors? Does it matter to you if classes are no longer offered because a professor has retired, or that classes can only be offered once every two years because a professor teaches only one semester per year? These are questions you need to consider before choosing to study a major at a university. I would also recommend looking at the types of scholarships available for your major. Besides the financial benefit of scholarships, they look nice on your resume. If there is only one per year, that probably means your resume will be rather bare under the "Awards" section.

Information about the department and your specific major should be available on the university's website. Usually each program (such as the Chemistry Department) should have its own website, with separate pages for each major. Bios of the professors should also be available. I would also recommend calling the campus and speaking to someone in the department, as well as visiting in person. Don't be afraid to ask questions-- they want to recruit you, and they will help you as much as you need. I would also recommend speaking with students in your major, to find out firsthand what they think of the program. Ask someone in the department office if they can put you in contact with a student.

You may want to consider each of the above factors, decide a preference for each (if any), and write down your choices. Then make a list of all the universities offering your major and matching your chosen criteria. From there, check websites, make phone calls, and schedule visits. It's going to be a lot of work, but it is worth it.

In case you are interested, I attended community college and a CSU school in-state in California. My university was a large commuter campus, and I chose it because of it was the closest university offering my major.