College Choice Inventory
Due: FEBRUARY 1, 2010
Full Legal Name: ______(______)
Prefer to be called
Please answer the following questions designed to elicit your preferences in the college search and selection process. Complete sentences aren’t necessary, but please be as honest, complete and thoughtful as you can be. We will use your responses as we discuss and build your initial list of colleges.
At this point, do you have in mind possible academic majors and/or minors (e.g. business, history, engineering)? Do you have any particular career goals right now (e.g. lawyer, doctor, architect, artist)?
Do you have any preferences about school size? For example, a small private liberal arts college (e.g. Beloit College with 1,256 undergraduates or Davidson College with 1,643); a medium-sized research university (Bucknell University with 3,550undergraduates, Emory University with 6,750, or Boston College with 10,690); a large state university (e.g. UNC-Chapel Hill with 16,764 undergraduates, NC State with 23,730 or the University of Georgia with 28,367); or a very large state university (e.g. the University of Texas-Austin with 40,681 undergraduates or Ohio State with 42,769). It might also be helpful to conceptualize size in relation to schools with which you are already familiar.
Regarding distance from home, are you comfortable being halfway across the country or would you prefer to be within easy driving distance of your family? How far is “too far” away? How close is “too close”?
Do you have any geographic preferences regarding school location? Any states or regions which particularly appeal to you? Any states or regions which you prefer NOT to consider? Do you want to include North Carolinaschools?
Does climate matter at all? Do you love winter, for example, or prefer “fun in the sun”?
What campus setting appeals to you – rural, college town, suburban and/or urban?
What does your ideal college campus look like?
What kinds of people populate your ideal college? For example, are students more traditional, ‘middle of the road’ or liberal / experimental in political and social thought and action?
What kind of academic challenge seems appropriate to your interests and abilities? Perhaps it helps to think about the rigor of the Trinity curriculum. Do you want more of a challenge in college? Less? About the same?
Describe the ideal class size, availability of professors and other academic factors.
Are you interested in playing sports in college? If so, what sport(s) and at what level (Division I, Division II, Division III, intramural, club)?
Are there extracurricular activities (e.g. student government, publications, community service, music or dance) which you want to continue in college or perhaps try there for the first time?
Are you interested in internships, study abroad or other special programs? Please elaborate.
Does religious affiliation matter to you? Would you like to attend a college with such a connection or do you prefer a secular institution?
Do you have any interest in Greek life? How important is sorority or fraternity membership to you in your college search? For example, are you looking for a state university with a strong Greek presence or a small college without one?
Depending on your status, would you consider a men’s college, a women’s college and/or a historically black college or university (HBCU)?
Are there other factors that might come into play in the college search and selection process? Native American heritage? Alumni connections? First generation college student? Other?
How important will cost be in your final selection of a college?
Are there any other criteria not already mentioned that are important to you in the college search process?
What kind of college do you think your family wants for you? What kind of place would they probably prefer that you not attend?
Have you experienced any college campuses already, through summer camps, family vacations, etc.? If so, which schools have you seen and what were your general impressions of them?
If you could defer college for one year and do anything you wanted, what would you do and why? Are you interested in exploring gap year options?
List the colleges are you currently considering. Please do not leave this section blank! It is important that you have some initial choices.
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If you are uncertain of colleges to consider, several websites can help you generate an initial list of schools. and (Counselor-o-matic) all have a College Search feature. Be sure to use your college preference criteria as you make your list.
Do some basic research (from personal experience, word-of-mouth, online data or in college guidebooks) about the admission standards for the institutions you listed above. Think about your own strength and weaknesses, the quality of your high school transcript and any standardized test scores. Based on college and personal information, how would you rank your admission chances at the institutions you are currently considering?
Use the following categories:
Selective Highly Selective Most Selective
What colleges would your family like for you to consider?
How are your parent/guardians feeling about the college search?
Is there anything else you want us to know about you and your college selection process before we get started?
Thank you for your hard work on the questionnaire!
I am looking forward to working with you!
Please return this form to the College Counseling Office by Monday, February 1, 2009
Once your completed questionnaire is returned,
you may schedule an appointment for the first college conference.
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