Now that you have finalized the course which is right for you, you will have to choose which college/ university to apply to. It can be quite a daunting task to decide the right school for that perefct college experience. There are many factors to consider when making this important decision, to help you out we have listed a few criteria below which you are encouraged to consider.

The main criteria for you selecting a college/ university should be to choose one which offers the program that you want. Since different schools vary in the subjects offered for the same course, you should research the subjects offered within the course to see which one is best for you. If you are looking for research opportunities, then you should apply to that school which has professors who are currently pursuing research in the field of your interest. In fact, it is recommended to contact the professor and discuss your interest and future plans so that you get proper guidance.

For most of you this will be the first time that you will be staying away from home, so choosing the location of your school is an important criteria. Do you want to go to a school which is located in a metropolis with it's fast-paced life or a small city where life is more relaxed. You might consider a city where you have family or friends to help you settle down during your initial days in a new country.

Then there are weather conditions to consider, can you tolerate extreme cold? For cities located to the north, the winters see temperatures of upto -30 degrees celsius. Another important fact to consider when choosing the location is the availability of jobs post graduation in your field of study. You worked hard to earn your degree and want to get some international work experience before coming back to your home country, you need to make sure that there are good job opportunities available in your city or you have a plan to move to a city post-graduation.

When living away from home for the first time, the type of accomodation you choose plays a significant role on how well you adapt to the new environment - choosing your home away from home is one important criteria. Most of the students prefer to stay on-campus during the first year of school so that they do not have to commute to classes everyday and becasue they are living with other students who are in a similar situation as theirs, makes it easy for them to get settled in. Also during your first year you will be coping with a new style of education with focus on regular course work and so will want to stay on-capmus.

For students who prefer to stay off-cmapus, they should consider if they want shared accomodations? How far away from the school is your accomodation? Which amenities and services are available in your accomodation, like internet, laundary, kitchen, furnishings, etc.? Also if you have an off-campus job, then how far is it from your accomodation? The most important thing to look into is make sure that the accomodation is in a safe neighborhood.

So, it comes down to individual preferences on where to take up your accomodations, consider all the criteria mentioned above when making your final decision.

Again for most of you who will be living away from home for the first time, apart from missing your families, you will miss home-cooked meals served to you. While you are coping with getting settled in a new country and dealing with course work, now you also have to think about where your meals will come from.

Those living on-campus usually opt for meal plans which allow them to eat in the dining halls. However, they tend to be a bit expensive and you may want to check the menu and see if they offer your choice of food and if they accomodate any dietary restrictions that you may have. The most cost-effective alternative is to prepare your own meals, however doing that everyday might be difficult. This is why we recommend having room mates so that the burden gets shared.

The fees you pay for your course are always an important criteria or selecting the school, specially for students whose local currency has a lower exchange rate than the host country's currency. You want to make sure that you are getting a quality education for the fess that you are paying, never compromise on the quality of education for the fees. While you will tuition once in your life, the education that you receive will stay with you all your life - always remember that.

When choosing between a college, which is much cheaper than a university and also has a shorter course duration you should consider what your career plans are. If you want to gain some specific skills and enter the workforce right away, then you should think aboout applying to a college since the courses are structured in line with the current industry trends and impart training so that a student has the necessary skills that makes them job ready when they graduate.

You may want to plan on how you intend to pay for the tuition, from your own savings (if any), or will you be taking an education loan, or if your family plans to support you.

What kind of a person are you outside of your academic life? Do you enjoy the outdsoors or do you orefer to just hangout indoors alone ot chill with your friends in a cafe? You know the old saying "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." While you are working hard on your studies, you will need to blow off steam every once in a while. Most of the schools offer excellent facilites to let their students do so.

You should research the facilities that your school of choice has to offer.Which sports are popular and do they have sports teams? Check if the school hosts sport events, my school in the US allowed us to host a cricket tournament for a few days in which teams from nearby schools participated, it was pretty cool.

When you have graduated your course and are prepared to make a mark in the professional world, you will need all the help you can get to embark on your career. Almost all the schools will have a career center which prepares students by helping them develop a profesisonal resume, hone their interview skills and help with job placements. Most career centers will organize a job fair and invite companies which are looking to hire graduates from a particular discipline. You can check how many companies attend these fairs and do the companies which you are interested to work for show up? What is the hiring percentage or job placement of graduate students? is another criteria to look for, it has a direct bearing on whether the skills acquired during the course are marketable.