It may seem difficult to determine if a college is a good fit for your student.  After you determine if the school answers the question, "Is it comfortable yet challenging?" there are other questions that need to be answered as you narrow down your choices.  Dr. Lynn O'Shaughnessy from "The College Solution" wrote an excellent blog on what questions to ask while visiting a college campus.  Below is an excerpt from her blog. 

One of the best ways to learn more about a college is to visit their campuses.  When you are on campus, you should ask lots of questions.  Ideally, you should talk to more than just the admission staff.  Stop a few students during your stay and ask them what they like and don't like about their school.  If possible, talk to a professor or two.

Here are a list of questions I recommend you ask:

Academics

-How much time do students typically spend on homework?

-How much writing and reading are expected?

-What is the average class size of the introductory classes?

-How widely used are teaching assistants on campus?

-What is the average class size of upper-division courses?

Academic Perks

-What opportunities are there for  undergraduate research?

-How many students participate in undergraduate research?

-Is there a culminating senior year experience?

-Do you have a learning community or other freshmen experience?

Financial Aid

-What is the average financial aid package?

-What is the typical breakdown of loans versus grants?

-What percentage of financial need does the school typically meet?

-What is the average merit award?

-What percentage of students receive college grants?

-What is the average college debt that students leave with after graduation?

-What type of work study opportunities are there?

Graduation Track Record

-What is your four-year graduation rate?

-What is your five-year graduation rate?

What does it take to graduate in four years?

What percentage of freshmen return for sophomore year?

-What type of tutoring programs do you have on campus?

-How do you provide academic advise to students?

-Do you have a writing center and how do I access it?

-What type of learning disability resources do you have?

Outside Opportunities

-How many students at the college get internships?

-What percentage of students study abroad?

-What type of career services do you have?

Student Life

-What type of dorm choices are there?

-What percentage of students live on campus?

-How long are dorm accommodations guaranteed?

-How many students live on campus?

-Do most students go home on weekends?

-What percentage of the student body belongs to a sorority or fraternity?

-What activities are offered to students?

-What clubs do you have on campus?

When considering colleges, the most important criterion for choosing a college should be the question: Will your teenager be both "comfortable and challenged" there? This criteria should be applied to every college or university that you and  your teen consider. You and your teen should also think about these three kinds of college environments:

• Physical environment - Is the college big or small, old or new? Which would your teen  prefer? It's important -- after all, he/she will be there for four years!

• Academic environment - Does the college have the programs and/or major your teen wants? Is it academically rigorous? What are the faculty's expectations of students? What's the overall academic atmosphere -- is it a grind or a party school?

• Social/cultural environment - Is this university a rural school or a city school? Is it conservative or liberal? Is it religious? Again, we're back to the question: Will you be comfortable there? Students are encouraged to view diversity on college campuses as a good thing -- something between the homogeneity of high school and the wide diversity of the "real world."

Other considerations should include a frank look at the question: What are my teen's chances of being admitted to this school? It takes some homework to get the answer.  Start with a school's website, checking to see if it includes a profile of the entering class or discusses the kind of students it is looking for. Another revealing way to learn about a school is to visit it! You'll get a pretty good idea rather quickly about what the school is like. In fact, a campus visit is very often the decision-maker in cases where students are accepted at more than one desired college. (Check out Collegiate Choice's Walking Tour Videos for a look at 330 universities and colleges in the United States and abroad.)
Of course, You and your teen will need to consider the college's costs per year. Although that is certainly important, cost should not stop your teen from applying to a school he/she would really like to attend. "Don't let the 'sticker price' of a school keep you from applying. As a rule, the less you can afford a school, the more financial aid you can get there. You might be pleasantly surprised -- even without scholarships -- at what need-based financial aid can offer.

Students should apply to 10-12 colleges and universities. The list should include 2-3 "safety schools" (relatively easy for your teen), several "target schools" (places where your teen's chances of getting accepted are 50%), and the remainder "reach schools" (schools your teen would like to attend but may not be qualified to attend). But remember, all of the schools your teen applies to should fall within the "comfortable and challenged" category.

Students generally find it easy to pick their reach schools, but difficult to choose their safety schools. There are many wonderful colleges and universities where your teen can have as enriching and rewarding experience. A wonderful book about colleges is "Colleges That Change Lives," by Loren Pope. The book looks at about 40 small schools and focuses on how they're preparing students to go out and make a difference in the world.

Once the preliminary list is completed, the application process starts.  My next blog will deal with the application process.