Glossary: What these terms mean.

Most selective in the country. Colleges at this level are among the most selective colleges in the country. The bottom line is that there are no guarantees of admission. Top in your class, two 800's on your SAT's, captain of all sports teams, and a 4.0 may still not do the trick. To get into these colleges you'll have to stand out from the crowd and keep your fingers crossed.

Highly selective. These are highly selective colleges, but the academic profile noted above with some strong recommendations and a good essay should get you in. Most students at these schools were in the top 10% of their class, had A's and B's in Honors and AP courses, and had a combined SAT score of 1300 or better.

Very Selective. Selective schools also. Top 25% of your class; A's, B's, and a few C's maybe; at least 1150 on your SAT's; good recommendations; good essay; and good involvement in school or interesting outside activities should do the trick.

Selective. Somewhat selective colleges. You'll need A's, B's, and C's in college prep courses. Also 1050 on your SATs generally, and do a good job in the admissions process. Show interest. Write a good essay. Be careful to get good recommendations.

Very accessible. These schools emphasize access to higher education. Perhaps because of location or maybe because of what these colleges see as their mission, these colleges are less selective and more accessible. Most students will be admitted. At some of these colleges ALL students with a reasonable application and a high school diploma will be accepted. So, do a good job on your application, complete all your courses, and show you are interested in them, and you should be accepted. Actually, there is a very wide range of selectivity within this group. This group accounts for the vast majority of colleges nationwide.

Remember! Selectivity does not equal quality of education for you. If you want to know the truth, my two favorite colleges -- those I consider to have the best educational programs in the country -- are both in this (very accessible) profile.

New England = New England!

Northeast = New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. There are many great colleges in these states.

Mid-Atlantic = Delaware, Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia, and North Carolina

Warm weather = You are looking for states where the weather is warm almost all year long. South Carolina and south, west to Arizona and southern California.

Seasons = Warm summers, cold winters, falls, and springs. Foliage. Snow. A significant change in each season.

Coast = Within easy driving distance (one hour) of an ocean. For those who like/need the smell, view, sound, and feel of salt water.

Rockies = Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and parts of Montana. Mountains!

Central U.S. = The heartland of America! Mostly flat. West Virginia and Tennessee to Kansas, south to Arkansas, north to North Dakota.

West = California, Oregon, and Washington plus Nevada.

Recreational = Places for those who like to enjoy physical activity in the outdoors, maybe mountains or the ocean or forests or all of the above.

Truly Urban: In a major city. Traffic, noise, a busy pace. Less grass, major concerts, major performing arts events, museums. It's all here . . . except maybe the green grass, quiet, and fresh air.

Suburban: Partly quiet and green trees outside a major city. For some, the best of all worlds.

Big town, small city: A mall! Maybe several! Restaurants. Movie theaters. Some small name concerts. Some small playhouses. Jobs! Community service and internship opportunities. Plenty to do!

Small town: A few stores, a few restaurants, a movie theater, some fun, the essentials, plus fresh air and quiet.

Rural, clean, and quiet: You like the quiet and the fresh air. No need for busy streets and big malls.

College town: This is a self-contained community where the college campus and the town blend together. It can be hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. The college itself provides many of the social events you might expect to find in a city.

National prestige/very big name: These are the twenty or so colleges that most everyone has heard of nationwide. The Ivy League colleges are included, plus some other top academic or athletic colleges.

Regionally Prestigious: For anyone who knows their colleges, these are very well-respected colleges. Often they are among the most selective in the country. Alumni/ae in their area tend to think that everyone in the country knows them well, but that's often not the case. Great schools. Very highly regarded in the world of academia. Their name can help in your job search, if you stay in that region. Very well-known regionally.

Locally very well-respected: These colleges are generally well-known and well-thought-of regionally. "Oh ya, that's a good school."

Great for you: You don't care about the prestige. You are just looking for a school that is a great match for you. They are not particularly well-known for one reason or another, even though they may offer you a great education.

Here you can identify colleges that are particularly strong in the major(s) that interests you as judged by current students and other education professionals.

Competition: These are academically challenging schools where you can sense that students are competing against each other for good grades. Some students thrive on this competition, others don't.

Challenging: These are colleges with challenging academic programs -- most students have to work hard. They put in lots of hours each week to get their work done. Yes, most do find time for play, but academics are top priority.

More fun: Everyone is here for a college degree, but you'll find a more active social scene and longer weekends at these colleges. Academics are top priority, but it may be hard to tell.

Very supportive: These are colleges with academic environments that are very supportive. It is usually not a single program that makes the environment this way. It is usually a general style and mission of the college and its faculty. Extra help and supportive relationships with professors are often easy to find.

Learning styles support: These colleges have established programs that are very supportive of students who need extra help because of their different learning styles, sometimes referred to as LD programs. Extra help on work, extra help to help you understand and act on the different way you learn, extra time on tests or homework, and more, are all part of good learning styles support.

Very intellectual: These are often academically challenging colleges, but they are more importantly places where students like to spend extra time reflecting on their learning. At many schools on a Friday night you might talk about the opposite sex and the game, at these schools you will find the same conversations, but you are a bit more likely to find students talking about the discussions in today's psychology class.

Number of full-time undergraduate students.

Very large, >12,000
Large, 7,501 - 12,000
Medium, 2,501 - 7,500
Small, 1,000 - 2,500
Very Small, <1,000

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Social atmosphere -

Upscale: Here you'll find more Volvos, Saabs, and SUV's than you would in your average WalMart parking lot. Sometimes diversity is limited. More than a few students have a private school background. Many come from more affluent backgrounds. Though this lifestyle may be challenging for some, these colleges offer students some good opportunities. All of these colleges are looking for more diversity.

Fraternity scene: For better and/or for worse, fraternities and/or sororities (Greek Life) play a big role in the social life here. Sometimes it means community service. Sometimes it means close-knit independent communal living. Sometimes it means big parties, special handshakes, and where the alcohol is.

Conservative: Republican, upscale, career-bound. No green hair please. Sometimes with a religious affiliation.

Mixed: Green hair, computer nerd, briefcased CEO-to-be, academic whiz, Joe Athlete, and first generation college student, they all fit in well as equals with equal opportunity to play and win.

Main Street: Not preppy. Not upscale. Just straight ahead, All-American, Main Street America students. Fords not Volvos. Pickups not Saabs.

Larger social scene: Parties like every other college in the country, but just on a larger scale. High volume parties. Long weekends. A high priority social life.

Organic: Outdoors oriented, somewhat liberal, natural, organic, health and exercise included. Party affiliation: mostly democrat or green.

Multicolored: More hair colors than average. Green, red, purple. An above average number of rings per capita. Liberal. Nontraditional. Different. Sometimes accepting of those who are different from their form of different, sometimes not.

Off-campus: Here you will find big parking lots. Most students come from nearby and live off campus.

Adults: Many students here are above the age of 24. This offers some diversity you might not otherwise find, but it does change the social scene for a 19 year old.

If you can't find the major you are looking for, try typing it in here. Type in one keyword. Example: Health -- for health sciences.

Bob Stuart