However, before packing your bags and filling up SUV with gas, make a checklist that includes following:

Confirm that everything you plan to visit will be open and, ideally, that school is in session. Ask plenty of questions and be an attentive listener. Consider bringing a video camera or tape recorder for your notes no matter how good your memory is. Find out who reads applications from your area and, if possible, try to meet with a reader and be sure to keep in touch with them. Student athletes should meet with a coach or two. Listen to school radio station and get a copy of campus newspaper. If student has Greek intentions, visit some frat or sorority houses. Students should check out dorm unannounced, introduce themselves to attending students and pick their brains.

Have a snack in cafeteria. After all, their food is what student will be eating for next four years! Students who have decided upon their course of study should make every effort to arrange a meeting with head of that particular department and audit a class or two. This may require an overnight, giving student a greater opportunity to check out dorm.

These are some college selection websites I recommend:

•For alternative criteria go to www.fairtest.org or call 617-864-4810. They have a list of some 300 schools that apply non-traditional guidelines in Admissions Process.

•Afro-American schools: www.blackhighereducation.com/hbcu.html

•Jesuit schools: www.ajcunet.edu

•Jewish affiliation: www.hillel.org

•Trade and vocational schools: www.overview.com/colleges/

This is one of a series of articles by college admissions and financial aid expert, Reecy Aresty, based on his book, “Getting Into College And Paying For It!” For further information or to contact him, please visit www.thecollegebook.com.

Those with Adobe Acrobat should go to each school’s website, download their application, and save it on Desktop or in My Documents folder, then complete it. Before printing it out, application should be scrutinized as it must be submitted without a single mistake or inconsistency. The application is a test within itself, and you don’t want to lose ballgame before you even get up to bat! Close attention should be given to all questions so that they are answered correctly and properly.

I cannot overstate importance of following directions! Each application must be submitted letter perfect! Be particularly careful with questions that call for a checkmark for answer. Do not ever use an ‘X’ as that would be seen as not following instructions, and this is most common cause of rejection! Never lose sight of fact that schools are knee deep in applications from qualified students and are looking for reasons to reject!

It is not necessary and definitely not recommended that you volunteer any information on questions that are marked, “Optional.” Providing wrong optional information seriously jeopardizes student’s chances of being accepted. The only thing you want to provide that is optional – is a photo.

Given that you have carefully prepared application, print it out and have at least two family members review it. Once you are certain it is mistake free, that all answers are consistent and all instructions have been followed, mail it either overnight or 2nd day with signature guarantee.

Although I am not a proponent of applying online, I have been assured by people I respect that schools have finally mastered problems they’ve experienced with electronic applications over years. Nonetheless, if I were a student, I’d use mail. The inexplicable disappearance of an application, no matter how rare, not only could cost student acceptance to their college of choice, but time lost resubmitting could cost families thousands of dollars in financial aid.

This is one of a series of articles by college admissions and financial aid expert, Reecy Aresty, based on his book, “Getting Into College And Paying For It!” For further information or to contact him, please visit www.thecollegebook.com.