Develop a list of 10 to 20 colleges. Work up a comparison chart. Available scholarships or tuition-assistance programs. Curriculum and course requirements for specific majors. Academic advising and career-counseling services.
Spring vacation is an ideal time to visit colleges.
Make sure that the colleges you want to visit will be in session, and call ahead for an appointment if you want an interview with an admissions officer or faculty member. Think about where you want to live for four years. Request financial-aid bulletins from all of your target schools. Estimate the college costs, and begin to identify the ways in which you and your family will meet them. A summer internship.