The college search doesn't have to begin and end with the Ivies and the name brand schools. There are many schools out there to choose from — some known and some less known, all worthy of your attention. Here's some advice for trying to find the school that works for you.
大学的搜索不必开始和结束于常青藤和名校。除此之外还有很多的学校可以选择—— 有的听说过，有的少有人知，都值得你的关注。这里是一些尝试帮助你找到合适学校的建议。
1. Start with who you are and why you are going.
1、开始于“你是谁”，“你要做什么”
You need to examine yourself and your reasons for going to college before you start your search. Why, really, are you going? What are your abilities and strengths? What are your weaknesses? What do you want out of life — something tangible or intangible?
在开始你的搜索前，你需要测试自己，问自己准备去上大学的理由。为什么，你真的要去吗？你的才能和强项是什么？你的弱点是什么？生活之外你需要什么？——有形的和无形的。
Are you socially self-sufficient or do you need warm, familial support? Talk with your family, friends and high-school counselors as you ask these questions. The people who know you best can help you the most with these important issues.
你是喜欢自己一个人呆着，还是喜欢温暖，需要家庭的支持？在你问这些问题的时候和你的家人、朋友、高中的学习顾问谈谈。越了解你的人越能在这些重要问题上帮助你。
2. Size matters: Your college does not have to be bigger than your high school.
2、大小问题：你的大学不必大于你的高中
Most good liberal arts colleges have a population of fewer than 4, 000 for a reason; college is a time to explore, and a smaller community is more conducive to internal exploration. It is not the number of people, but the people themselves and the kind of community in which you will learn that really matters. Many large universities have established honors colleges within the larger university for these same reasons.
大多数好的文理学院有它们的理由使学生人数小于4,000；大学是一段探索的时光，一个小型的群体更利于内部的探索。不在于人数，而你在的学校的师生群体才是真正关键的。许多大型的大学因为同样的原因，在内部建立了荣誉学院。
3. A name-brand college will not guarantee your success.
3、一个名牌学校并不能保证你的成功
Think about the people in your life who are happy and successful and find out where (and if) they went to college. Ask the same about famous people. You will likely find that success in life has less to do with the choice of college than with the experiences and opportunities encountered while in college, coupled with personal qualities and traits.
想一想生活中你认识的快乐和成功的人，然后找出他们在哪上的大学（或者是否上了大学）。同样对你认识的名人问这些问题。你很可能会发现：选择一所大学对人生成功的重要性，要小于在大学中的经历和意外的机遇，还有个人的个性特点。
Employers and graduate schools are looking for outstanding skills and experience, not college pedigree. As you search for colleges, ask about student outcomes; you will find many colleges that outperform the Ivies and "name brands, " even though you may have never heard of them! Visit the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) for help on sorting through the information and for great questions to ask when visiting and choosing a college.
雇主和本科学校找的是杰出的技能和经历，而不是学校背景。当你选择学校的时候，问一问学校毕业生走向，你会发现许多学校比常青藤和名牌学校做得更好，即使你都没听说过它！访问NSSE寻求帮助来分类整理信息，也作为挑选和访问学校的一个好问题。
4. You don t need to pick a major to pick a college.
4、你不用因为考虑专业而挑选一所学校
Very few high-school students have enough information or experience to choose a major. You need the variety and depth of college coursework to determine your interest and aptitude. Most college students change their minds two or three times before they settle on a major, and they can still graduate in four years! Being undecided is a good thing and will leave you open to more academic experiences.
高中学生很少有足够的信息和经历去挑选一个专业。你需要多样和深度的大学课程来决定你的兴趣和倾向。多数大学学生在确定下一个专业之前改变过两到三次，但是他们仍然能在4年之内毕业！没有决定是一件好事，他可以让你开阔更多的学术经历。
5. Don t be scared by the stories.
5、不要被故事吓倒
If you only pay attention to the headlines, you might start to believe that no one is getting in anywhere! The truth is that the majority of the colleges and universities in this country admit more students than they reject. If you're worried about your chances of getting admitted — and you're willing to investigate beyond the very narrow band of highly selective colleges — you'll find that you have many options that will lead to a great fit for you.
如果你只关注头条，你可能会开始相信没有人可以去任何地方！但事实是多数学院和大学录取更多的学生而不是拒绝。如果你担心你的录取机会——而且你想排除那些非常狭窄的高选择低录取学校进行选择的话——你会发现你有很多选择找到最适合自己的学校。
Be informed about your academic profile and compare it to the profile of the most recently admitted and enrolled class for the colleges you are investigating. Check the college admission Web site for this information and contact them if you can t find it. Ask your high-school counselor for additional advice and guidance as it applies to your school.
拿自己的学术简介和那些最近录取的资料相比。确认学校录取网站获得信息，如果你找不到也可以直接联系他们。询问你的高中学习顾问来获得申请学校的其他建议和帮助。
6. You can afford to go to college.
6、你可以支付得起上学费用
If you make the assumption that you cannot afford college based on the sticker price of tuition, you will miss out. It is difficult to talk about money, but if you investigate all the options and ask for help and advice, you will find affordable choices. Online resources, as well as financial aid workshops sponsored by high schools in local communities, are widely available to get you started. College and university financial aid Web sites offer useful information and links as well. Investigate early and ask for help.
如果你因为学校的标签价而假设你不能支付得起学费，你会错过它。谈钱很难，但是如果你研究所有的选择以及寻求建议，你能找到可以支付的选择。网上资源，还有由学校社区发起的经济资助，是一个很好的帮助。学院和大学的经济援助网站同样提供有用的信息和链接。尽早研究及寻求帮助。
7. You don t have to go to college right away, and it s never too late.
7、你不必马上去上大学，而且永远不会太迟
There is no such thing as the perfect time to start college. Some students benefit from a year off to work, study or travel, and these experiences allow them to be better, more engaged students. Some students choose to apply to college and gain admission and then defer their entrance, while others wait to apply until after they have had an alternative experience.
没有最好的上大学的时间。一些学生从一年的休息时间中获益，去工作、学习或旅行，这些经历让他们成为更棒更受青睐的学生。一些学生选择申请学校获得录取然后推迟入学，然而一些学生选择获得一些他们独特的经历之后再进行申请。
Either way, admissions officers will be anxious to learn about your experience during your time off, and they'll ask you to write about it as part of your admissions process. High-school and college admission counselors can provide resources for investigating alternatives that may be right for you. You could apply for an internship, study abroad, or participate in a community service project.
无论哪种方式，招生人员会很想知道你空余时间的经历，他们会要求你将空余时间的活动写进申请里。高中和大学的入学辅导员会提供适合你的活动的资源参考。你可以申请一个实习、留学，或者加入一个社区服务项目。
8. The most important factor in choosing a college is fit.
8、选择大学最重要的要素是：适合
Choosing a college because your friends are going there or because of where it ranks on a list does not take into account who you are and who you will become. College is a match to be made, not a prize to be won. Finding a good fit requires time and thoughtfulness.
选择一所大学因为你的朋友去了那里或者因为这所学校在一个排名列表里，这些并没有考虑你是谁和你将成为谁。选择学校是一个匹配的过程，而不是一个奖要去获得。找到一个适合的学校要求时间和深思熟虑。
Visiting college Web sites and learning about what events take place, who visits as guest speakers, and how to get in touch with current students and faculty is a good way to supplement a campus visit — or to decide if you want to spend the time and money on a visit. Check a school's Web site to find the admissions officer assigned to your region of the country. Send them an e-mail to ask about getting in touch with students from your area or identifying a few with interests similar to yours.
访问学校网站，看看学校发生的事件，谁担任特邀演讲。还有接触现在的学生和教职员工也是补充一次好的学校拜访的方式——或者决定一下你是否想花时间和钱在一次实地考察上。在学校网站上确认这所学校在你国家、区域分配的招生官，给他们发邮件，可以找一些在你区域的学生或者和你兴趣相似的学生了解情况。
When you visit, try to build in time to sit in on classes, eat in the dining hall and hang around in the student center or other high-traffic areas. That will help you imagine yourself as part of the community. Talk to a few students and ask if they would make the same college choice if they had to do it again. Go back to the first item in this list as you consider the information you ve collected about the colleges. You will have great options!
当你拜访学习的时候，试着找一个时间真正坐在课堂上，在食堂吃饭，在学生中心或者高流动区逛逛。这可以帮助你想想自己成为这个群体的一员。和一些学生谈谈，问问他们如果他们做同样的学校选择，他们会不会再选择这里。然后当你考虑你所收集到的关于这所学校的信息的时候，跳到这张列表的第一条。你会有一个好的选择！

BY：timewords