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Figuring out what you want--in any area of life--can be overwhelming. Isn't it easier to pinpoint what you don't want rather than what you do want? That's often the way we approach food choices, paint colors, even test-taking--we start by eliminating wrong/undesirable choices until we get to the right/most satisfying one. Why not approach your college search the same way?

In fact, finding a college can be a lot like finding a boyfriend or girlfriend. After all, you've probably been on enough dates to know what (and who) is not going to work for you. The guy who is always late to meet you is permanently off your list. The girl who provides continuous verbal reminders of former boyfriends won't make the cut.

In the same way, as you begin your college search, start by thinking about all the things you don't want in a school. Start on the surface. For instance, you might not want to choose a college that can't offer you a sports scholarship. Or maybe you don't want to choose a college someplace where you need a car to see anything worth seeing. Your college search is simplified when you can cross off locations you don't like, academic requirements that irk you, or activities that are dull.

Then dig a little deeper, much like you would for a date. Maybe your boyfriend makes promises he doesn't keep. Perhaps your girlfriend is only interested in activities that revolve around partying, and you have other interests. These are the sorts of things that make you think twice about relational compatibility.

At this point in your college search, consider your college compatibility, or incompatibility. Is there a certain viewpoint or value system that is unacceptable to you? Don't choose a college that operates from that standpoint. Do you seem to clash with people you've met from the schools in your college search? Consider that a red flag, and work on finding a college that's more your style.

When you can effectively rule out the things you don't want, you come up with a clearer picture of what you do want in a college. And when you turn those requirements upside down--"I don't want a school where I can get lost in the crowd" vs. "I want to be someplace where people on campus know my name"--you'll come to the end of your college search, the place you truly want to be.


Robyn Tellefsen is a frequent contributor to The CollegeBound Network. Learn more about finding a school that's right for you.

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