DO AS MUCH RESEARCH AS YOU CAN AHEAD OF TIME
The more homework you do now, the more efficient your visits will be. Even if you're overseas, there's a lot you can do with a computer and a good internet connection. All colleges have websites where you can get not only a virtual tour of the campus, but also take a look at academic departments, the school newspaper, and the social calendar. Look at the average SAT scores and average GPAs of admitted students. Perhaps even more important, check on the graduation rate: how many students decide to stay at that college for all four years?

There are also a handful of internet sites devoted to evaluating and even ranking colleges and universities. See the Resources Section at the end of this article for some of the most useful websites.

Do you see yourself working with a particular professor/mentor? If you're very interested in biotechnology, for example, and have read some compelling books on the topic, google the authors to determine if and where they are teaching on a university level.

If your high school subscribes to the Naviance Family Connection, you can use this tool to your advantage. The program features college-matching to your profile, college organization tools and statistics such as the number of students from your high school who were accepted to a certain college or university, so you can see how you stack up against others in your class. If your school does not use Naviance, you can still create a personalized college search through sites such as www.princetonreview.com and www.collegeboard.com .

Books such as Princeton Review's The Best 366 Colleges (2008 ed.) The Best 366 Colleges, 2008 Edition (College Admissions Guides) or Barron's Profiles of American Colleges Profiles of American Colleges -- 2008: with CD-ROM (Barron's Profiles of American Colleges) will also help you narrow your list. If your overseas school library or guidance office doesn't have copies of these, you can order them from Amazon by clicking on the links.

CONSIDER SOME KEY QUESTIONS IN ADDITION TO ACADEMICS
What's important to you in a campus environment? Consider non-academic factors such as climate and weather; size of student body; public vs. private institution; your financial situation; distance from home; distance from relatives/family friends for holidays and emergencies; fraternity/sorority scene; rural, suburban or urban setting; support for learning disabilities; specific athletic and extra-curricular opportunities; and diversity of student body. Because many seniors have been known to change their minds over the course of the academic year, be sure to apply to at least one place that doesn't fit your "pattern" - for instance, if all your target colleges are in big cities, include one rural or suburban school for balance.

HOW MANY COLLEGES?
In the current competitive climate, most experts recommend applying to 6-9 schools after careful research. The bulk of your schools should be "target" or "match" schools; that is, your GPA and SAT scores match those of the admitted freshmen profile. Add one or two "reach" schools (schools that would be your first choice if you were admitted, but to which you have only a low chance of acceptance) and one or two "safety" schools (schools whose students' GPAs and SAT scores are lower than yours on average). Important: make sure you love, not just like, every single school on your list, right down to the safeties!

Once you've narrowed down a list of possible schools for you, plan your trip with these tips in mind:

DO ONE REGION AT A TIME
If you are applying to colleges in different regions of the country, focus on one region at a time. Although it's possible, it may not be advisable to traverse the entire country or half the country in one two-week whirlwind of college visits: you may end up forgetting much of what you see, and all the colleges may get mixed up together in your mind. However many colleges you visit, be sure to have a notebook with you at all time so you can write down impressions immediately. Don't wait until later!

SEE NO MORE THAN TWO COLLEGES A DAY - AND ONE PER DAY IS EVEN BETTER
More than two colleges a day is exhausting, and whatever college you see last is almost invariably going to suffer in comparison to the others. Not only that, but more than two colleges a day means that you will be rushing and my not get a chance to do in-depth research or ask serious questions. "Try to take the morning tour and have lunch right after to talk about things. Write down 'pluses and minuses' right away," advises Annette Hallowell, who with her daughter Rikki flew to the States from Kuala Lumpur to tour colleges the summer before Rikki's senior year of high school. Although the two of them saw many colleges, they limited themselves to one school per day.

DON'T JUST SHOW UP
Although you can certainly get a feel for a college just by parking in the visitor's lot and walking around, doing your homework will pay off for you.

First, you will want to go to the college's website to see if there are any special visiting days, when special events , talks and information sessions will be geared particularly to prospective freshmen. But do keep in mind that you are seeing the college in the best possible light on that day - if you become serious about this college, you may want to return on a "normal" day and see what it's like without the "prospective student" hype.

If you have a particular interest, you may also want to meet with specific professors or coaches. For example, if you're interested in linguistics, you will want to schedule a short meeting with the head of the linguistics department to find out more about what classes are offered and what the major requires. If you are interested in playing college lacrosse, you will want to meet the lacrosse coach. Meeting these people can also give your application a boost - although admissions officers may not mention it, professors and coaches will often communicate their interest in a prospective student to the admissions department. If they are away for the summer, ask for their email addresses so you can establish contact.

On your tour, you will definitely want to see the dining halls, the library, the sports facilities and gym, several different types of dormitory, fraternity and sorority houses, typical classrooms, and the student center. Take note of whether or not there are convenience shops on campus for food, drinks and school supplies. Find out where the college bookstore is.

BE PREPARED FOR "GUT REACTIONS"
One of the most valuable aspects of visiting colleges is the "gut reaction." Many, many students have gone off to see a college that is a favorite on paper, only to take an instant dislike to the place as soon as they set foot on campus. The opposite is true just as often, too: students who do not think they will like a certain school can suddenly fall in love. Unfortunately, the parent's impression and the student's impression often do not coincide!

DON'T FORGET THE TOWN
You will also want to see the town, city or neighborhood surrounding the college. This is where you will interact with the general community, take advantage of cultural and sporting events, go out to the movies or out to eat, and run errands. It is important to get a sense of town-gown relations. "When we were out eating near the campus, we always tried to get input from the 'locals' as well as students," Hallowell says. "In Savannah [Georgia], without exception, the population practically worships SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design). Things like that are good to add to the 'pluses' side."

SHOULD YOU INTERVIEW?
While some colleges do not have time for admissions interviews, most are happy to schedule one. If you are visiting the college, and if you are reasonably personable and willing to research the college, then do schedule an interview with someone in the admissions office. Why? Because this demonstrates your interest to the school - and colleges want to accept students who genuinely want to attend. Scheduling an interview means that you are not just perfunctorily visiting a long list of colleges, but are invested in learning more about the school.

However, there are two instances in which you may not want to set up an interview: 1) You are extremely shy and/or inarticulate, have trouble making eye contact -- and do not think you can overcome these traits for the interview 2) You are unwilling to do some research on this college before the interview.

If you are markedly shy or painfully inarticulate (and many teenagers only think they are!), then an interview will most likely not pay off for you, unless you have the courage to say, "I'm very shy, so it's hard for me to get through this interview, but I'm interested in this school so I've prepared some questions in advance and I hope you will excuse my shyness." Those with severe speech impediments and other issues can also do the same. Your courage will shine through even if your words don't flow easily.

If you are personable and able to be relatively articulate in an interview with an adult, so much the better. You will want to find the balance between talking about yourself and asking questions about the school. This is where doing research comes in. Think carefully about what you want to get out of the college experience. Ask specific questions ("Can I be credited for a minor in dance even if the school doesn't offer it, if I research and carry out a study curriculum independently during my summers?") rather than general questions that could be easily answered on the college website ("Can I have a double major?").

Hallowell advises, "Make sure to contact the admissions person in charge of international students and try to get an 'information' interview. Some universities have no interview for admissions, but any contact that leaves an impression with admission is a good contact. Also make sure your kid follows up with thank- you notes and continues contact if she is ultimately interested in applying to the school."

FINALLY, HAVE FUN!
This is the fun period, when you have many choices. Look on it as the ultimate consumer shopping experience. You are trying on the next four years of your life - enjoy the fantasy experience now, because very soon, one of the places you're visiting will become the reality.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST
Veteran parents' most useful tip? "Wear comfortable shoes and bring water!" says Hallowell.

c. 2008 Francesca Huemer Kelly. All rights reserved.

Francesca Kelly is a former high school guidance counselor who currently helps tutor students on the personal essay portion of their college applications. If you are living overseas and would like more information about working with Ms. Kelly via email, please contact her at fkellysun@aol.com .

Resources:

www.collegeboard.com - not only the place where you register and prep for the SAT, but also where you can use the feature CollegeMatchMaker to help you choose the right college.

www.princetonreview.com - Princeton Review's "Counselor-o-Matic" feature helps you narrow down a list of choices.

www.collegeconfidential.com - interactive and entertaining site with tons of information and a Q&A feature called Ask the Dean.

mycollegeguide.org - another fun site with a feature called Admissions Guru where you can submit questions.

www.ctcl.com - Author Loren Pope's website modeled after his book, Colleges That Change Lives makes the argument that a small, well-chosen liberal arts college may do more for you than a more prestigious "name" university.

www.campustours.com - online tours of colleges and universities across America.

www.collegegold.com/applydecide/staterequirements - State residency requirements (for in-state tuition) at a glance.

www.naviance.com - if your high school has this program, find out how to use it from your guidance counselor. This is a wonderful free resource that can help you comprehensively plan your future.

Books:

Fiske, Edward. Fiske Guide to Colleges 2009 (Fiske Guide to Colleges) c. 2008 Sourcebooks. Note: This book also contains listings for some UK and Canadian universities. Fiske Guide to Colleges 2009 (Fiske Guide to Colleges)

Best 366 Colleges, 2008 Edition. 2008 Princeton Review. Excellent all-around guide that weeds out the top ten percent of universities for you, providing the usual statistics but also fun information from students. The Best 366 Colleges, 2008 Edition (College Admissions Guides)

Barron, ed. Barron's Profiles of American Colleges with CD-Rom. 2008 Barron's Educational Series. Comprehensive reference book. Profiles of American Colleges -- 2008: with CD-ROM (Barron's Profiles of American Colleges)

Rugg, Frederick E. Rugg's Recommendations on the Colleges, 25th Edition. C. 2007 Frederick Rugg. This self-published book does something most other guidebooks do not: divides colleges into lists such as recommended undergraduate programs; miscellaneous majors; average SAT and ACT/recommended majors. If you are looking for the strongest colleges in a particular major, this is a good place to find them, although you won't find every college and university here. Rugg's Recommendations on the Colleges - 25th Edition

Grimes, Christine. Student Athlete Handbook for the 21st Century: A guide to recruiting, scholarships, and prepping for college. 2006, Lulu.com Student Athlete Handbook for the 21st Century: A guide to recruiting, scholarships, and prepping for college Kravets, Marybeth and Imy Wax. The K&W Guide to Colleges for Students with Learning Disabilities or Attention Deficit Disorder. 2001, Princeton Review.

K & W Guide to Colleges for Students with Learning Disabilities, 9th Edition (College Admissions Guides)

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