Introduction
Welcome and congratulations! If you are reading this page, chances are you are embarking on your college search. Embrace the excitement and, yes, uncertainty, of the college and career options that lie ahead for you. Choosing a college will take work, thought, and planning on your part. There are over 3,000 colleges and universities in the United States alone. Yet, out of all those schools, there is no one perfect college for you. Fortunately, there are instead a variety of colleges where you could be happy and successful. We are here at the CCC to help you on your journey toward finding those schools and gaining admission.
Try not to let all the news stories about how difficult it is to get accepted to colleges scare you. Media coverage of college admissions often succumbs to the sensational instead of being informative, which only increases the anxiety of parents and students. Also, look beyond college rankings and the "prestige factor." With advanced planning and research, you'll find many colleges that are a great fit for you.
Admission rates at top schools have been decreasing in the past few years. There are several reasons for this. First, the population of graduating high school seniors has increased. Second, the percentage of high school graduates choosing to attend college has also increased. When you add to this that seniors are applying to more schools, and the number of seats in each freshman class has remained relatively fixed, the result is a more competitive admissions process at top schools. However, this is a skewed picture of admissions. If you look beyond the top schools, you might be surprised to learn that on average, four-year schools still accept about 70% of their applicants.
The lesson here? If you do your homework and research schools, chances are you will be accepted to a school that is a good fit for you.