Choosing the right college is a big job and every college that your write to for information will return only the positive aspects of their institution. This is why you need to also look at real life reviews from people having experience with the particular college. But how do you go about getting these reviews? Let’s look at a few ways:

How have other students given their reviews about the college? You can find reviews on the internet where other students rate their experience at different colleges. Don’t just use the internet however. If the school you are reviewing is in your local town, it’s easy just to ask or pay attention to the local news and hear what people are saying about the school.

Look for college reviews in publications. A school is also a business and they spend money to have this information published in national and local publications. You will see them in your periodicals section of a store’s newsstand. Usually, these articles will have information about many different colleges and quite a bit of research has gone into them. They will typically include statistics as to overall enrollment and degree award rates. Plus they will have articles that include the average costs of the different schools.

Find this information by typing the name of the college and “review.” The search will yield hits from formal college information sites and discussion boards. Be very careful to differentiate between opinion and fact when reading the evaluations of others. Also be aware that some are paid to leave favorable feedback. The best way to make sure you get the most accurate information is to always gather this it from three or more sources.

Ask for an informal evaluation of a school from those you work for and with. Sometimes the best school reviews are the ones that are off the cuff. Just go to work one day and ask some of your coworkers what they think about a school you are considering. Or, just ask your boss if he or she has ever heard of a certain school. Your boss may have had a graduate from the school you are considering work for him or her in the past. Your coworkers may know someone else who attended the school you are considering at one time.

Go to the bookstore or library and browse educational guides for college reviews. College evaluation subjects make great material for books too. All you have to do is just browse the books containing information on the school you are considering. Make sure you read multiple sources on the same school in order to compensate for any school bias.

Ask your high school guidance counselor for an informal evaluation of a college. A high school guidance counselor usually has review information about the various schools nationwide. However a high school guidance counselor can go one step further and analyze your performance and aptitudes while in high school and try to anticipate what will be your greatest challenges in college.

Tags: college reviews